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.
Safety risk
Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Manufacturer remedy
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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.
Safety risk
If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Electrical system
18
40,000 mi
Unknown or other
14
30,000 mi
Engine
10
31,500 mi
Power train
10
47,000 mi
Air bags
7
46,000 mi
Steering
6
36,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
5
2,000 mi
Service brakes
4
57,000 mi
Structure: body
3
1,300 mi
Visibility/wiper
3
1,500 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
2
46,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
2
10,000 mi
Seat belts
2
—
Wheels
2
14,200 mi
Electrical system: ignition
1
—
Electrical system: ignition: switch
1
27,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: oil cooler
1
101,000 mi
Exterior lighting
1
700 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
1
13,800 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
1
42,000 mi
Seats
1
46,110 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
1
2,000 mi
Tires: valve
1
2,000 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
1
63,000 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
1
38,000 mi
Wheels: hub
1
129,000 mi
The 2014 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2016 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.