Subaru Power Train: Automatic Transmission

Subaru is recalling about 172,564 vehicles over a problem with the power train. The vehicle could then move/roll without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
02V282000
Manufacturer
SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
Reported
30 October 2002
Vehicles
172,564
Built between
Jun 2001 – Sep 2002
Models
5
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
8 January 2003
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between June 2001 and September 2002. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2003 Subaru BajaBuilt June 2001 to September 2002
  • 2002-2003 Subaru ForesterBuilt June 2001 to September 2002
  • 2002-2003 Subaru ImprezaBuilt June 2001 to September 2002
  • 2001-2003 Subaru LegacyBuilt June 2001 to September 2002
  • 2001-2003 Subaru OutbackBuilt June 2001 to September 2002

What the defect is

Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions were produced with an improperly manufactured transmission parking rod. When the transmission selector lever is placed in the "p" (park) position, the transmission park mechanism, that is intended to hold your vehicle, may not engage.

What could happen

The vehicle could then move/roll without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION JANUARY 8, 2003. AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT DURING NOVEMBER 2002.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJune 2001 to September 2002
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA30 October 2002
  3. Owners notified8 January 2003

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 30 October 2002.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
WWK-94
Recalling manufacturer
SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand