- Vehicles
- 84,253
- Built between
- Aug 1979 – Mar 1980
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 25 April 1983
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1979 and March 1980. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1980 Subaru SubaruBuilt August 1979 to March 1980
What the defect is
The internal seatback frame structure may break and separate from the seat.
What gets fixed
THE DRIVER"S SEATBACK FRAME WILL BE REPLACED WITH A MODIFIED SEATBACK FRAME AT NO CHARGE. THE UPHOLSTERY MATERIAL AND ANY REPAIRS TO THE OTHER SEATS ARE NOT INCLUDED.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1979 to March 1980
- Recall reported to NHTSA1 January 1983
- Owners notified25 April 1983
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 1 January 1983.
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.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
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
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles.system: interior systems; seatbacks.consequences of defect: this separation or breakage can result in twisting orrearward leaning of the seatback thus potentially reducing the support to thedrivers upper torso. If the separation occurs while the vehicle is in motion,the driver may lose control or visibility, and an accident may result.
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.