Subaru Justy Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 36 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Subaru Justy (1989–1991) that have at least 5 complaints. 1990 has the most, with 16. Across all years, the part named most often is seat belts (16 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Justy model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9 | — | 1 | 10 | — | Not enough data |
| 1990 | 16 | — | 1 | 10 | — | Stable |
| 1989 | 11 | — | 2 | 10 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Seat belts16 43%
- Transmission and drivetrain11 30%
- Suspension3 8.1%
- Body and structure2 5.4%
- Engine cooling2 5.4%
- Seats1 2.7%
- Equipment1 2.7%
- Brakes1 2.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1990: “Instillation of a right rear wheel bearing continues to remain uncorrected after four separate followup visits to black's tire. The noise sounds unssafe and occurs exactly two days after they have re-checked the vehicle. I am convinced that they are unaware on how to correct the problem since its still exists and presents a problem of safety, yet I was charged for parts and labor. I need to know how to proceed with this complaint to either have my money refunded or have the problem corrected somewhere else and the bill charged to black's tires.it correctthe.”
NHTSA complaint #750499, filed 2001-081989: “Transmission failed while traveling, also, failure locked gear into drive, and was unable to shift out. Dealer/manuacturer contacted, and said taht there was nothing they could do.”
NHTSA complaint #860316, filed 2000-041991: “Transmission: drops into low gear after the brakes are applied to slow down. The front wheels would squeal & slide when this happens. Have taken vehicle to private shop.”
NHTSA complaint #840840, filed 1999-06Other Subaru models
9,776 complaintsSubaru Forester
6,527 complaintsSubaru Legacy
3,182 complaintsSubaru Impreza
2,649 complaintsSubaru Crosstrek
1,191 complaintsSubaru Ascent
1,038 complaintsSubaru WRX
969 complaintsSubaru SVX
279 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology