2010 Subaru Legacy Recall

This recall is for certain vehicles that had an airbag inflator replaced as a part of an earlier recall campaign. This recall provides a final repair. Long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.

If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.

Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to inspect the passenger-front airbag inflator. The passenger-front airbag module or inflator will be replaced as necessary. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

A problem with certain replacement ignition switches may allow the key turn out of the “ON” position while driving. This could cause the engine to turn off suddenly. It could also cause the airbag system not to work properly in a crash. Note: This is a voluntary service campaign that is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This problem only affects certain parts used for replacement of original parts.

A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. An airbag system that does not work properly in a crash could cause an increased risk of injuries.

The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to inspect the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary.

On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.

If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.

Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have the passenger-front airbag inflator replaced. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

On certain vehicles equipped with manual transmissions, components within the control unit for the electronic parking brake (EPB) may crack with vehicle use over time. If this were to occur, the brake warning lamp would illuminate and the EPB may not apply as intended. This could result in the unintended movement of a parked vehicle, increasing the risk of crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the Parking Brake Actuator with a more durable one.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, a manufacturing defect could cause the windshield wipers to become inoperable. If an obstruction (such as snow or ice in the cowl area of the windshield) prevents the wipers from returning to the “park” position when wipers are turned off, the wiper arms would be forced to "park" at a higher than intended position on the windshield. The wiper arms will continuously attempt to return to the normal park position, generating an excessive amount of electrical current in the wiper motor bottom cover, possibly resulting in overheating. This could result in the windshield wipers becoming inoperable, or a possible fire in the bottom cover area of the wiper motor. These issues could impair the driver’s visibility and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the front wiper motor bottom cover assembly with a countermeasure one.

A failure of this component (visual system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles equipped with a dealer-installed accessory remote engine starter, if the fob is dropped, movement of the internal battery retaining clip may occur and cause damage to a component on the printed circuit board. Under this condition, the fob may transmit an engine start (or stop) request without the user pressing the button. If the vehicle is in range and receives the request, the engine may start and run for up to 15 minutes (or until a stop request is received). The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If that occurs when the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, such as a garage, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up, which could result in asphyxiation or carbon monoxide poisoning. Correction: Dealers will replace the remote engine starter fob.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles equipped with dealer-installed accessory puddle lights, a short circuit may develop causing the lights to melt and/or emit smoke. This could result in a fire causing property damage and/or injury. Correction: Dealers will install an additional fused wiring harness to protect against short circuits.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the windshield wiper motor could overheat and fail. Overheating could cause the bottom cover to melt, which may result in a vehicle fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Loss of windshield wiping capability, should it occur during a rainy/snowy day, may compromise the driver's ability to see the road and its users, which could result in a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor bottom cover assembly.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, a lubrication hole within the 6-speed manual transmission transfer case was not drilled during machining process. This could lead to premature wear or breakage of third gear. If the third gear breaks while the vehicle is in motion a loss of power to the drive wheels will occur, which may result in a vehicle crash. Correction: Dealers will drill an oil lubrication hole in the transfer case and, if necessary, replace internal components.

A failure of this component (powertrain) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, an electrical connection in the steering column roll connector may fail. As a result certain electrical components may not operate as intended. Possible circuits affected are the driver's frontal airbag, paddle shifter function, cruise control, horn, and radio functions. Failure of the driver's frontal airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injuries to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the roll connector with an updated version.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, a crack can occur in the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) cooler hose, resulting in a transmission fluid leakage and illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL). A transmission fluid leak, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in an engine compartment fire causing property damage or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the cooler hose.

A failure of this component (powertrain) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).