The Subaru Loyale is a special-purpose vehicle built from 1990 to 1994. Most were assembled in Japan — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Loyale is
The Subaru Loyale is a special-purpose vehicle that Subaru built from 1990 to 1994 — 5 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl power. Its closest siblings in the Subaru range: Outback, Crosstrek, Forester.
Where the Loyale is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 39 Loyales on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JF1, JF2 | 1990-1994 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Subaru VIN decide which of these 1 lines your Loyale belongs to. What every character in a Loyale VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Subaru Loyale adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Subaru Loyale tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Loyale owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Subaru Loyale have? Power & range
The Subaru Loyale is offered with 1 powertrain — 1.8L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Subaru Loyale, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cyl | 1.8L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Loyale by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Subaru Loyale. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Loyale | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 9 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 90 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.0 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Subaru Loyale?
The Loyale is a special-purpose vehicle, built from 1990 to 1994. Engines offered: 4-cyl.
Where is the Subaru Loyale made?
Across 39 cars in our records the split is: Japan (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Subaru Loyale warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Loyale reliable?
It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Loyale?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Subaru
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Outback | 2005–2026 | 137 | 29 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 2016–2026 | 26 | 36 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Subaru Forester | 1998–2026 | 121 | 35 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Subaru Impreza | 1993–2026 | 183 | 32 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Subaru WRX | 2015–2026 | 17 | 24 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Subaru Legacy | 1990–2026 | 222 | 30 mpg | 4.0/5 |
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.