Subaru Is Latest Car Company to Issue Safety Recall for Long-Running Industry Issue

Fox Business reports that Subaru is recalling more than 118,000 models due to an airbag deployment issue.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that a recall is in effect for 118,723 Subaru Outback and Legacy models manufactured between 2020 and 2022. These models were constructed with a capacitor within the sensors of the Occupant Detection System (ODS) which may crack and short circuit. This can "prevent the front passenger airbag from deploying in a crash."

Outback and Legacy vehicles that were manufactured between 2020 and 2022 are being recalled because a capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit. This might "prevent the front passenger airbag from deploying in a crash," according to the NHTSA.

“This recall only relates to the passenger-side front airbag inflator in certain Subaru vehicles, and does not affect our driver-side front airbags, which were not equipped with a Takata [airbag] inflator,” Subaru explained in a statement. “Therefore, if your vehicle requires a recall service, we recommend that occupants not use the front-passenger seat until the repair is performed.”

Subaru dealers will repair sensors on the front passenger seat free of charge. Owners whose models need repairing will be notified of the safety risk via a letter mailed on May 21. A follow-up letter will be mailed once the fix is available.

As Subaru alluded to in its statement, the recall is just the latest development in the Takata airbag recall that began almost a decade ago, in November 2014. Then, the NHTSA ordered a nationwide recall after hundreds of thousands of vehicles of varying brands were found to be equipped with faulty airbags manufactured by Takata.

"The airbags have been known to explode and send shrapnel into the face and body of both the driver and front seat passenger," CNN reported in May 2015. "Victims appeared to have been shot or stabbed, according to police who responded to the accidents. While there is at least one case of an airbag exploding when a car was simply stopped at an intersection, in most cases, it exploded after an accident."

Takata maintained that the issue only affected vehicles in particularly hot or humid locations, but as of May 2015, Takata became responsible for the largest recall automobile recall in history. At that point, they had recalled 40 million vehicles across 12 brands. To date, according to the NHTSA, 67 million vehicles using the Takata airbag have been recalled.

The faulty parts are still leading to issues almost 10 years later. In January, weeks before Subaru announced their most recent recall, Toyota and General Motors issued a recall of 60,000 vehicles manufactured with the Takata airbag. These included older models of Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles sold in the United States.

“Safety has been, and always will be, the driving force within every Subaru,” the company vowed. “This recall affects millions of vehicles worldwide from various manufacturers, including Subaru,” the statement explained. “This means that the availability of replacement airbag inflators, and service space at our stores, may be affected.”

Those with any questions or concerns are urged to contact Subaru at 888-575-1382.