Subaru Announces Recall for Over 118,000 Vehicles Due to Airbag Deployment Issue
Subaru is bringing back more than 118,000 of its Outback wagons and Legacy sedans, from the 2020 to 2022 models, due to a safety concern. The issue is with the passenger airbags, which might not deploy if there's a crash. This problem could mean a higher chance of injury for people in the car.
The root of the problem lies in the occupant detection sensors (ODS) that might not work right. If these sensors break down, the car can't figure out if someone is sitting in the passenger seat and will turn off the airbag. When this happens, the car will show a warning light for the airbag and a "passenger airbag off" light.
These sensors, made by a company called Aisin, are also in some Toyota and Honda cars, which have seen similar recalls.
Subaru dealers will swap out the bad sensors for new ones without charging the car owners. If you've already paid to have this fixed, Subaru might pay you back.
However, you might need to wait a bit for the fix. Subaru has said that they don't have enough parts right now for all the cars that need it. So, they'll send a second notice to let owners know when they can bring their cars in for the repair.
Subaru has told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that they know about 253 warranty claims but no injuries from this issue.
For more information, Subaru has said car owners can call their customer service at 1-844-373-6614. The recall has its own number, WRA-24, and is also listed under the NHTSA campaign number 24V227.To see if your car is affected, you can check by entering your car's 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) on the NHTSA's website. If your car is not currently listed as needing a recall, it's a good idea to keep checking back since recalls are issued quite often.
