1994 Subaru SVX Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 22about this part
- Share
- 79%of 28 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 99,722miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 22 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1994 Subaru SVX, 79% of the 28 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 99,722 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I had transmission failure of the 3rd and 4th gears that started out as gears slipping, then the transmission stopped shifting to 3rd and 4th all together. I did not do anything to fix the problem because it is too expensive. I had to buy another car just to get to and from work since it was cheape, and I have been letting the car sit in my driveway.”
NHTSA complaint #10090859, filed 2004-09, 121,500 miles“My Subaru SVX transmission recently started suffering a delay when shifting gears, high revs and slipping while shifting and just now I tried to drive it and a clunking sound happened when putting the car in reverse. Now it won't go in to reverse at all, also, 1st gear doesn't work half the time and the rest of the forward gears seem to slip severely most of the time too. The car has low mileage, and I have not had any trouble with it before. Trouble started maybe a few days ago.. The heat transmission installed in the Subaru SVX and legacy models suffer from a severe cooling problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10281137, filed 2009-08, 85,276 miles“Started out as 3rd and 4th slipping, and after babying it for a week of going to work and back home it will no longer hold 3rd or 4th. After doing research it has been found that the 4eat has about as much issues as the pinto (without the exploding). Every owner of the SVX and a 4eat has suffered this in one form or another. The legacy's were recalled and repaired, but what about the SVX? For a $30-$40k msrp from the dealer, you would assume they would treat these cars with a bit more class in this situation. Top it all off, I only have 58k miles on my 94.”
NHTSA complaint #10164648, filed 2006-08, 58,540 miles“1994 Subaru SVX, had a transmission failure. The failure is well known to SVX owner community. There are many sites and articles that address the issue of the 4eat transmission failing. The repair or replacement is very costly and Subaru should help.”
NHTSA complaint #10018652, filed 2003-05, 95,000 miles“While driving 100 MPH transmission failed. Engine revved at a high rate. Then, vehicle lost power, and the consumer hit a wall. Vehicle was towed. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10083608, filed 2004-07, 104,443 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 1994 Subaru SVX
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsTires
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1994 Subaru SVX
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology