The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·16V358000·Announced 2016-05-25

Subaru and Saab Recall for Passenger Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

Subaru is recalling specific 2003-2011 models and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles because passenger air bag inflators may rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death, which aligns with the rubric criteria for Severe severity involving significant injury reports or structural safety defects.

Plain-English summary

Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles. This recall affects approximately 302,127 vehicles originally sold or registered in specific high-humidity regions, including Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The defect involves certain air bag inflators used in the passenger frontal air bag modules. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation caused by long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. In the event of a crash requiring air bag deployment, the rupture could release metal fragments that strike vehicle occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Subaru will notify owners, and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator free of charge. The recall began on August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500 or Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's recall number is TKA-16.

The recalled product

Product
SUBARU, SAAB OUTBACK, BAJA, LEGACY, IMPREZA
Brand
SUBARU
Manufacturer
Subaru of America, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
302,127

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (7)

  • OUTBACK
  • BAJA
  • LEGACY
  • IMPREZA
  • 9-2X
  • FORESTER
  • TRIBECA

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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