Subaru Recalls Nearly All Its Carlines - 165,000 Total For Fuel Pump Failure

Subaru issued a large recall today affecting certain Forester, Outback, Ascent, WRX, Impreza, Legacy, BRZ, and Toyota 86 carlines. See what years and if your car is involved.

Subaru of America issued a considerable recall affecting nearly all carlines in the U.S., and the potential number of cars is 165,026 vehicles. Subaru and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say the models are recalled for a possible fuel pump failure that could cause the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

What models and years are affected by the recall?

Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Outback, 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018-2019 WRX, 2018-2020 Impreza, 2018-2020 Legacy, and 2018-2019 BRZ and Toyota 86 vehicles. The NHTSA says the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. The only carline not recalled is the Crosstrek subcompact SUV.

The fuel pump defect is part of an earlier recall that affected Subaru, Honda, Ford, Toyota, and Mitsubishi models. Denso, the fuel pump supplier, used the defective "low pressure" fuel pump before July 2019 and began using the fuel pump with a higher density impeller filter after that date.

What is the potential problem with the fuel pump?

The affected Subaru cars are equipped with a low-pressure fuel pump produced between March 2018 and March 2019, including an impeller manufactured with a lower density and a fuel pump controller. For the affected vehicles, this combination may lower the resistance to interference between the impeller and the body of the fuel pump.

The number of potentially affected Forester SUV vehicles is 2,010, Outback midsize SUV is 80,148, Ascent 3-Row SUV is 22,831, WRX sedan is 10,606, Impreza sedan is 8,525, Impreza hatchback is 19,580, Legacy sedan is 15,257, BRZ is 2,409, and Toyota 86 is 3,660.

What happens if the fuel pump fails?

If the low-pressure fuel pump becomes inoperative, the check engine warning light or malfunction indicator light may illuminate, and the engine may run rough. In the worst case, Subaru says an inoperative fuel pump may result in the engine stalling without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Subaru did not say customers with potentially affected cars should stop driving the vehicles.

What should customers do?

Subaru retailers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump free of charge. Owners of Forester, Outback, Ascent, Impreza, WRX, Impreza, and BRZ will receive notification letters that are expected to be mailed on September 13, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru USA