IllustrationAPPOX 6 WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED STARTING AT 30K MILES SOMETIMES AT INTERVALS OF LESS THAN 5K MILES. TRANY WENT OUT AT 72000 MILES. CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, NOT ABUSED. TRANSMISSION REPAIR ESIMATE. IS $3K. *AK
1992 Subaru Svx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Svx years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 19 of 231 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 200 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
231 reportsTRANSMISSION SLIPS IN MORNING BEFORE COMPLETELY WARM, DOESN'T DROP TO 1ST GEAR, DOESN'T ENGAGE REVERSE FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. *AK
JUST THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE ASSEMBLY
I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION ON MY SVX REPAIRED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST SHOP WAS AAMCO, WHICH REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED PARTS.THE COST WAS $2700. THE CAR HAD TO GO BACK TO THE AAMCO SHOP THREE TIMES, TOTALLING OVER 2 MONTHS OF REPAIR WORK. 12 MONTHS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTHORISED…
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I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION ON MY SVX REPAIRED THREE TIMES. THE FIRST SHOP WAS AAMCO, WHICH REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED PARTS.THE COST WAS $2700. THE CAR HAD TO GO BACK TO THE AAMCO SHOP THREE TIMES, TOTALLING OVER 2 MONTHS OF REPAIR WORK. 12 MONTHS LATER, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTHORISED SUBARU DEALER FOR REPAIR. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION($2700). I ADVISED OF MY KNOWN PROBLEMS, AND THE KNOWN ISSUES ON THE INTERNET. LESS THAN A WEEK LATER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. I REPORTED THIS TO SUBARU. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE WIDE SPREAD.
TRANSMISSION HAS NOT TOTALLY FAILED YET, I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT IT WILL AND MUST BE FIXED. YOUR FORM DOES NOT ALLOW CANADIAN ENTRIES I.E PROVINCE, POSTAL CODE
COMPLETE TRANSMISSION AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE COMPONENT FAILURE WITH ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION REPLACED WITH USED. (17,000MI) COMPONENTS. AS INSTALLED USED COMPONENTS DO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEARS, AND ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE DOES NOT FUNCTION AT LOW RPM DUE TO LOW HYDRAULIC PRESSURE(FUNCTIONS ONLY AT 2500 RPM AND UP). SUBARU DE…
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COMPLETE TRANSMISSION AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE COMPONENT FAILURE WITH ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION REPLACED WITH USED. (17,000MI) COMPONENTS. AS INSTALLED USED COMPONENTS DO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEARS, AND ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE DOES NOT FUNCTION AT LOW RPM DUE TO LOW HYDRAULIC PRESSURE(FUNCTIONS ONLY AT 2500 RPM AND UP). SUBARU DEALER SAYS ALL COMPONENTS ARE WORKING PROPERLY, BUT AGREES TRANSMISSION DOES NOT PERFORM IN CORRECT MANNER. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPS BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO RECORD THE FACT THAT MY 1992 SUBARU SVX IS ON ITS THIRD TRANSMISSION AND SECOND ENGINE. THE DEALER FAILED TO MENTION THIS TO ME WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR A FEW MONTHS AGO. ALTHOUGH SUBARU CANADA WAS HONEST AND DID PROVIDE ME, MY CAR'S HISTORY. I AM SUSPICIOUS AND WORRIED THAT THERE MAY BE A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLE…
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I JUST WANTED TO RECORD THE FACT THAT MY 1992 SUBARU SVX IS ON ITS THIRD TRANSMISSION AND SECOND ENGINE. THE DEALER FAILED TO MENTION THIS TO ME WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR A FEW MONTHS AGO. ALTHOUGH SUBARU CANADA WAS HONEST AND DID PROVIDE ME, MY CAR'S HISTORY. I AM SUSPICIOUS AND WORRIED THAT THERE MAY BE A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH THE SVX'S TRANSMISSION. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT SUBARU CANADA REGARDING ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON MY CAR (THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF).
I BELONG TO AN SVX CLUB AND WE HAVE SEEN REPEATED INCIDENCES OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE SOON WE ARE CONSIDERING A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST SOA
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.