Subaru Moon Roof, Wipers and Other Problems Lead to Massive Recalls

More than half a million Subaru vehicles have been recalled this month due to a number of different problems, including loose moon roof glass that could come off while the vehicle is in motion, windshield wiper motors that could catch fire, and corroded control arms that could cause drivers to lose control. 

The largest Subaru recall this month consists of nearly 300,000 2002-2007 Impreza, 2003-2008 Forester and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles that were sold or are registered in states that use large amounts of road salt during the winter. The salt can cause the front lower control arms to corrode and break, which could lead to loss of control of the vehicle and potentially result in an auto accident.

All of the vehicles affected by this recall were manufactured from September 5, 2000 through November 26, 2007. They were sold or registered in Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Subaru dealers will inspect how corroded the arms are and will either replace them or rustproof them if they are not dangerously corroded. Affected owners should expect to receive recall notices for this recall in November.

The second-largest recall by Subaru this month affects almost 200,000 2010-2011 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from January 7, 2010, through May 20, 2011. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, the vehicles have components inside the wiper motor bottom cover that have a tendency to overheat. The overheated wiper motor bottom cover can melt and potentially catch fire.

Subaru intends to have dealers replace the wiper motor bottom cover free of charge for affected Subaru owners, who will be notified if their vehicles are included in the recall in November.

In addition to the two larger recalls, on Tuesday, Subaru announced another 70,000 Outback and Legacy vehicles from the 2011 model year were being recalled because not enough adhesive was used to secure the glass in the moon roofs. That means that the moon roof glass could detach, which could cause a road hazard for other vehicles and could result in a crash. However, there have been no reports of any incidents associated with the Subaru moonroof problems.

All of the Subaru vehicles with the defective moon roofs were manufactured from August 3, 2010, through July 1, 2011. Subaru dealers will inspect the glass in the affected vehicles and either replace the moon roof glass or add more adhesive. Those vehicle owners will be notified next month.

Any Subaru customers affected by any of the recalls can contact Subaru with questions at 1(800)782-2783.

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