Shortly after Subaru of America’s December recalls of more than 400,000 Impreza models from 2017-2019, and Crosstrek models from 2018-2019 for engine and ventilation issues, Subaru is now announcing another massive recall, according to CNN.
The new recall concerns almost 500,000 Subaru models from 2003 to 2014, with faulty Takata airbags in the front passenger seat.
It specifically designates the recall applies to:
- 2003 to 2006 Subaru Baja models
- 2004 to 2014 Subaru WRX models
- 2009 to 2013 Subaru Forester models
- 2004 to 2011 Subaru Impreza models.
- 2003 to 2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback Models.
According to ABC News, Subaru says on its website that the recall “only relates to the passenger-side front airbag in certain Subaru vehicles and does not affect our driver-side front airbags, which were not equipped with a Takata inflator.”
”Therefore, if your vehicle requires a recall service, we recommend that occupants not use the front passenger seat until the repair is performed,” the website reads, according to ABC News.
Subaru was previously forced to recall some of these same models in 2015, according to a CNN report from that time.
But when Subaru recalled those vehicles, they replaced the defective Takata airbags with even more defective Takata airbags, according to CNN.
While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is taking steps to speed up the Takata airbag recall, CNN reports it likely won’t be completed until 2023, meaning the latest Subaru recall is just one of many Takata airbag recalls consumers can anticipate in the next few years.
This is likely not the first time car owners have heard of the infamous Takata airbag, which has caused the largest auto recall in history, CNN reports.
The Takata airbag recall affects around 41.6 million vehicles, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The department released a report stating that when exposed to heat and humidity for long amounts of time, Takata airbags will explode rather than inflate when deployed, which can lead to deaths.
Product Safety Australia reports that defects in the airbags have caused 29 deaths and more than 320 injuries globally.