- Vehicles
- 511
- Built between
- Mar 2004 – May 2014
- Models
- 6
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 10 May 2019
- Repaired
- 62%
- Unrepaired
- 179
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between March 2004 and May 2014. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2009-2013 Subaru ForesterBuilt January 2008 to November 2012
- 2008-2011 Subaru ImprezaBuilt July 2007 to May 2011
- 2005-2014 Subaru LegacyBuilt April 2004 to May 2014
- 2005-2014 Subaru OutbackBuilt March 2004 to April 2014
- 2006-2008 Subaru TribecaBuilt April 2005 to October 2007
- 2008-2014 Subaru WRXBuilt September 2007 to January 2014
Repair progress
179 of 511 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2020.
62% repaired — 319 of 511 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 1
- Scrapped or exported
- 12
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
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.
What could happen
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.
What gets fixed
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.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMarch 2004 to May 2014
- Recall reported to NHTSA11 April 2019
- Owners notified10 May 2019
- Latest repair reportQ3 2020 — 62% repaired
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 11 April 2019.
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 may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- WUF-91
- 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
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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.