Subaru of America, Inc.: Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Subaru of America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on May 15, 2000 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 223,520. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ALTERNATOR PROBLEM THAT CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF CHARGING CAPABILITY.
The risk
IF THE ALTERNATOR FAILS, THE ALTERNATOR WARNING TELLTALE WILL ALERT THE DRIVER TO THE PROBLEM, GIVING AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK REPAIR BEFORE A LOSS OF BATTERY POWER, WHICH, IF THE WARNING WERE IGNORED, COULD ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER (ENGINE STALL).
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR WITH A MODIFIED ALTERNATOR. OWNERS WILL ALSO BE CAUTIONED THAT, SHOULD THE ALTERNATOR TELLTALE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATE, THEY MUST SEEK IMMEDIATE REPAIR TO AVOID THE EVENTUAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER, WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Subaru Legacy | 114 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
| 1997 Subaru Legacy | 139 | 6 | 2 | 18 |
| 1996 Subaru Legacy | 123 | 4 | 4 | 26 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 00I002000.
Full record for the 1998 Subaru Legacy → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →