Subaru of America, Inc.: Equipment
Subaru of America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Feb 25, 2013 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 47,419. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
The risk
The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
The remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
11 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Subaru Impreza | 251 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
| 2013 Subaru Legacy | 66 | 12 | 0 | 6 |
| 2013 Subaru Outback | 297 | 12 | 6 | 18 |
| 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek | 98 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2012 Subaru Impreza | 243 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 2012 Subaru Legacy | 90 | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| 2012 Subaru Outback | 295 | 16 | 6 | 15 |
| 2011 Subaru Legacy | 167 | 16 | 2 | 7 |
| 2011 Subaru Outback | 653 | 16 | 6 | 24 |
| 2010 Subaru Legacy | 151 | 18 | 1 | 10 |
| 2010 Subaru Outback | 360 | 18 | 3 | 12 |
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 13V061000.
Full record for the 2013 Subaru Impreza → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →