The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
The risk
The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Subaru Forester | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Subaru Impreza | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Subaru Outback | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Subaru Tribeca | 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Subaru WRX | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Forester | 2009 | 178 | 17 |
| Subaru Forester | 2010 | 262 | 17 |
| Subaru Forester | 2011 | 147 | 16 |
| Subaru Forester | 2012 | 105 | 15 |
| Subaru Forester | 2013 | 78 | 12 |
| Subaru Impreza | 2008 | 176 | 14 |
| Subaru Impreza | 2009 | 104 | 14 |
| Subaru Impreza | 2010 | 46 | 15 |
| Subaru Impreza | 2011 | 58 | 14 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2005 | 184 | 9 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2006 | 87 | 7 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2007 | 33 | 9 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2008 | 65 | 9 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2009 | 65 | 13 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2010 | 150 | 18 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2011 | 167 | 16 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2012 | 90 | 16 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2013 | 66 | 12 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2014 | 53 | 10 |
| Subaru Outback | 2005 | 273 | 9 |
| Subaru Outback | 2006 | 277 | 7 |
| Subaru Outback | 2007 | 129 | 8 |
| Subaru Outback | 2008 | 226 | 8 |
| Subaru Outback | 2009 | 106 | 13 |
| Subaru Outback | 2010 | 360 | 18 |
| Subaru Outback | 2011 | 653 | 16 |
| Subaru Outback | 2012 | 294 | 16 |
| Subaru Outback | 2013 | 297 | 12 |
| Subaru Outback | 2014 | 208 | 10 |
| Subaru Tribeca | 2006 | 9 | 8 |
Other electrical system recalls in 2019
88 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the electrical system; Subaru of America, Inc. filed 101 campaigns in all.
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NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019