The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·16V359000·Announced 2016-05-25

Subaru and Saab Recall Vehicles for Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

Subaru is recalling specific 2003-2008 vehicles because passenger air bag inflators may rupture in a crash, 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 criterion for significant injury reports or structural vehicle defects.

Plain-English summary

Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles. This recall applies to vehicles originally sold or registered in specific states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." The recall covers approximately 146,010 vehicles.

The defect involves certain passenger frontal air bag inflator modules that may be equipped as original or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash requiring air bag deployment, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation caused by long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking 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 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. This notice is only for vehicles not covered by recall 16V-358 for Zone A.

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
146,010

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 (6)

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

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · SUBARU

Same manufacturer · Subaru of America, Inc.

See all →

Same hazard · air bag rupture

See all →