Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles

Jan 26, 2021 — Recall Campaign #21V024000

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 383 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

21V024000

Manufacturer:	Subaru of America, Inc.
Recall date:	January 26, 2021
NHTSA Campaign #:	21V024000
Units affected:	383

Description:: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.
Consequeces:: A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.
Corrective action:: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, if necessary, tighten the nut, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-21.
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:

2021 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints
The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The force of the impact caused the contact to hit another vehicle which then caused that vehicle to also hit another vehicle; in total, four vehicles were involved in the accident. The contact's air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact was taken to hospital via an ambulance where they were treated for a nasal fracture. The contact also suffered additional bruises to the face, both arms and right upper thigh. During a recent surgery for an appendix removal, the contact's surgeon discovered bruising on the contact's colon; likely caused by the accident. The driver that caused the collision claimed to have suffered from a seizure which caused the accident; that driver did not suffer any physical injuries. The whereabouts of the other two drivers involved in the accident were unknown. A police report was filed. The contact's vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.;
2021 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints
Vehicle's Auto Start-Stop system shut the engine off while stopped at a red light in [XXX], in rainy conditions in late XXX at approximately 29,000 miles. When the brake was released after the light turned green, the engine did not restart, leaving it stopped in the travel lane in live traffic. The driver had to use a portable jump starter to get it running again. This was not isolated — repeated failure-to-start incidents in prior weeks had already prompted carrying a portable jump starter in the vehicle. At the time we believed this was a failing 12V battery. The original battery was replaced XXX with a new aftermarket AGM battery. Despite that replacement, the vehicle has continued to have multiple complete battery drain if left parked for multiple days (but less than a week), indicating the restart failures were likely caused by an underlying parasitic electrical draw rather than a simple worn-out battery. Subaru's own Technical Service Bulletin 07-199-21R, "Measurement of Dark Current (Standby Current Draw)," describes this exact failure pattern (batteries/vehicles going dead over time due to standby current traced to the VDC module and/or Power Rear Gate control module) for this model and model-year range. A pending federal class-action lawsuit, [XXX] v. Subaru of America, Inc., Case No. XXX (D.N.J., filed XXX), alleges an electrical-system defect preventing one or more control modules from entering a proper low-power sleep state, causing parasitic battery drain, and specifically names 2021-2022 Outback vehicles. We are concerned this defect can cause the Auto Start-Stop system to fail to restart the engine at a stop in live traffic, creating a real risk of being rear-ended or blocking an intersection, as happened in the incident described above. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6);