Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester

Feb 28, 2019 — Recall Campaign #19V149000

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 1,303,530 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

19V149000

Manufacturer:	Subaru of America, Inc.
Recall date:	February 28, 2019
NHTSA Campaign #:	19V149000
Units affected:	1,303,530

Description:: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequeces:: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Corrective action:: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
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.

Affects the following:

2014 SUBARU WRX Complaints
AT APPROXIMATELY 34,000 MILES WHILE IN A DRIVING TO WORK I STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE BY THE TIME I MADE THE 5 MILE JOURNEY TO WORK THE KNOCKING HAD GOTTEN SO BAD, THAT I HAD TO HAVE IT TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE OIL WAS JUST CHANGED AT THE DEALERSHIP TWO DAYS BEFORE AND WAS STILL FULL. THEY SUBARU DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE MAIN BEARING OR ROD KNOCK FAILURE THAT OCCURRED. WHEN I CONTACTED SOA, THEY WERE ALSO NOT ABLE TO HELP. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME ROUGHLY $7,800.00 TO COVER A COMPLETELY NEW SHORT BLOCK. I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 3 MONTHS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REOCCURRING ISSUE WITH MY MODEL OF WRX. I HAD TO SHELL OUT MORE THAN $8,000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH BETTER MORE RELIABLE PARTS BY A PRIVATE PARTY, BECAUSE I DID NOT TRUST THE DEALERSHIPS OR SOA.;
2016 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints
Vehicle reported an SRS Passenger problem intermittently, as displayed on the dashboard, the car's information system, and a diagnostic trouble code (the car's aftermarket radio is connected to the OBD-II connector and can pull codes). The problem would appear, and then disappear upon subsequent startup cycle, over the course of a two-week road trip. In total, the problem occurred three times over the course of 3,750 miles. Our mechanic verified the issue with a scan tool, and determined that this was a fault in the sensor mesh in the seat that failed to reliably detect the presence of someone seated in the passenger seat. To correct this problem, we had to replace the passenger seat of the car (the seat alone cost $1,100; labor was approximately $400). Since the repair, we have not seen the problem recur.;
2016 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints
I contacted Subaru in Mentor Oh at adventure subaru under TSB 19V065000 and was told to take it in to get looked at, my issue when I purchased the car at 67k miles i found that the car had a loud clunky sound while steering and going over bumps. After seeing the dealer and the stated the issue was from the steer rack and was exactly what was described exactly in the TSB but the only thing was they did not see a visible crack, the repair was denied. I then took the car to another dealer near Beavercreek oh after calling Subaru of America Case # [XXX]. Subaru of America was very certain that the repair was going to get performed. After going to the dealer it was yet again denied again, now it is outside the TSB warranty window. The car has had the entire suspension repaired and the noise is so bad and the steering doesn’t feel right. The car literally is unsafe to drive, i owe money to my loan company for 540 a month, the car just sits in the garage. I am sick of getting put through this nightmare. I want the part replaced or to get out of the loan completely and return the car to Subaru or the bank. Please help i have ran out of ideas. I do lots of driving and dying in a car accident scares me to death. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6);
2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK Complaints
Premature shift fork failure in 2017 Subaru Crosstrek manual transmission at 62,521 miles requiring complete transmission replacement ($10,000 repair, vehicle worth $11,000). EVIDENCE OF DESIGN DEFECT: - Subaru issued TSB 03-83-20R acknowledging shift fork design flaws in 2018-2020 Crosstreks with identical transmission - TSB states original forks required "thicker nylon inserts" proving inadequate design - My VIN (HG269902) is before production change (LG225906), confirming defective pre-improvement design - Shift fork failure can cause sudden inability to shift gears while driving - significant safety hazard MAINTENANCE: Single owner, meticulously maintained with documented service at 20k, 39k, 52k, 58k miles. Never in accident. No abuse. MANUFACTURER RESPONSE: Subaru offered only $1,800 (18% coverage) and blamed my "driving habits" despite TSB proving design defect. REQUEST: NHTSA investigate shift fork failures in 2015-2017 Crosstreks and evaluate if TSB 03-83-20R should extend to these model years. See attached: Complete complaint documentation and TSB 03-83-20R.;