Subaru Outback and Legacy Hit With Another Recall

Just last week Subaru issued a recall for the 2016-2017 Outback and Legacy models for a dangerous loss of steering. Now Subaru has issued another recall for the 2015 Outback wagon and Legacy sedan for their Electronic Stability Control. Both vehicles are manufactured at Subaru's Indiana plant (SIA).

What’s the issue?

The National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) says the brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. With this problem, 2015 Outback and Legacy vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

With this issue unresolved, NHTSA says poor performance of the electronic stability control system when it is activated may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. There is no warning from the vehicle that this could occur.

What happened at the plant?

Brake fluid inside a storage tank absorbed moisture from being exposed to the
atmosphere during the 2015 summer shutdown period from July 4-19, 2015 at Subaru's Indiana plant. Since this plant tested moisture levels of the fluid in the tank when it was received and not after shutdown storage, the excess moisture was not detected.

Vehicles manufactured on one date

Not all vehicles in the specified VIN range and/or production date are affected by
this recall. Only vehicles produced on July 20,2015 are affected. There were 766 Outback/Legacy models manufactured on that date.

What should owners do?

Subaru will notify 2015 Outback and Legacy owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. Subaru of America has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 to check and see if their vehicle was manufactured on this date. Subaru's number for this recall is WTC-64.

Source: NHTSA

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