Subaru Australia is recalling over 5500 vehicles due to a wiring issue that could cause vehicles to stall and not restart.
Potentially affecting 2459 Subaru Impreza, 1455 XV and 1674 Forester models manufactured between January 20, 2012 and April 9, 2012, the wiring problem stems from the possible misrouting of the cars' engine wiring harnesses that could lead to interference with the intake manifold retaining bolt or tumble generator valve during normal vehicle operation.
According to the official recall notice published on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) product safety recalls website, the issue poses a hazard to drivers and other road users as vehicles may idle rough or stall out.
"In the worst case scenario, the engine may stall and not restart, although steering and braking capacity will exist until the vehicle comes to a stop," the notice says.
Subaru Australia's David Rowley told CarAdvice that it has started to notify owners of the affected vehicles in writing with inspections of the cars' wiring harnesses to follow. If incorrectly routed wiring is found, the fix involves either the repositioning the existing engine wiring harness, with the addition of insulation if required, or replacement of the entire harness – the latter taking around two hours.
Subaru says it is aware of three local cases of the problem, with no injuries reported.
