Subaru Says 2021 Outback, Impreza Recall Caused by Factory Worker

Model recalls and stop-sale orders are common in the automotive industry, much to the disappointment of major players and watchdogs. And when these things happen, the most common causes include a problem with the engineering, a design flaw, or some other issue in manufacturing. Rarely are these recalls blamed on factory workers.

Unfortunately, a factory worker from one of Subaru’s facilities was identified by the automaker as the reason behind a recent recall involving the 2021 Outback and Impreza with build dates between December 14 and 21, 2020.

Of the 383 units to be recalled, 314 are Outback SUVs while 69 are Impreza cars—all in the United States.

According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall was prompted by a problem with the continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut, which may have been “undertorqued” during assembly.

Subaru identified which units will be part of the recall by going through its vehicle production records.

“A single associate assigned to a specific production line working between the production dates specified was found to be using an improper torque wrench technique,” Subaru stated. “All vehicles potentially affected by this associate are included in the identified population.”

When the CVT cable nut is not tightened accordingly, there is a possibility for loss of retention, a malfunctioning gear select, and an increased risk of a crash.

The problem was first discovered during a sampling on December 21, for which Subaru immediately conducted an internal investigation. Ninety-one vehicles found to have been built by the same worker were marked compromised.

Subaru announced the recall a month later and clarified it is unaware of accidents or injuries that may be related to the issue.

The automaker is scheduled to send recall notifications to customers beginning February 19. Owners of the affected vehicles are advised to bring their cars to the dealer where technicians will inspect and tighten the nut at no cost to customers.