1990 Subaru Loyale LX from North America - Comments

27th Jul 2002, 00:01

"Fun until something breaks again"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

Sometimes I think this car got cursed:

Since 55,000 miles the starter and the alternator have each blown three times

(seems like every 12,000 miles one or both break)

At 65,000 electrical system needed to be re-wired.

At 75,000 the muffler rusted off.

At 81,000 the shifter column rusted in half.

By 100,000 miles I have replaced the cv joints and the bearings for both front tires twice.

At 101,000 power steering pump broke.

At 102,000 electric shorts started to constantly blow fuses (example every time I press eject on my tape deck or turn on the defroster I blow the fuse for my tail lights)

At 109,000 engine has started to burn oil.

General comments?

The 1990 Loyale was one of subaru's first cars and it shows.

The car has the spirit of a jeep. The combination of the 4wd and the surprising ground clearance of this car let it go any where today's SUVs can go.

I've found that this model has higher ground clearance then some Ford Explorer models with running boards.

Car handles well in any road condition and takes to the snow like a champ!

The small motor provides more than enough power to make this car fly! On a straight away it will easly go over the legal limit and will not slow down on steep inclines.

I've found this car is great for mountain driving: This model has excellent "gear braking"-down shifting

allows for great control of speed no matter the steepness or length of inlcine.

HOWEVER, the car was not reliable. Some sort of problem seemed to arise every 10,000 miles. Other owners of this model report similar problems with the starter. The car more often seemed like the black hole of auto repair just sucking more and more money in.


22nd Feb 2004, 05:42

OK.. uh.. I didn't read too much of your review.. BUT had 1 really HUGE problem with it. Subaru has been building machines since 1917.. and been importing cars since the early 70s.. The loyale is no where near subaru's first or hundredth car. I am sorry the witch doctor you bought your car from cursed it.. I have owned a couple... a 1975 and an 81 and just got a 90 loyale. They all were trouble free. (we'll see how the loyale goes).


2nd Sep 2005, 13:57

Hi...uh I have owned 2 prior Subaru loyale's a 87 hatchback 4wd a 90 wagon and I currently own a 89 GL10 wagon and the only trouble I have had has been regular maint. CV axles and exhaust work, brake pads, oil changes...that's about it so Subaru gets a big thumbs up from me. they start every morning take you where ever you want to go and get decent gas mileage doing so.

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