WTU-80 – STOPSALE/Recall – Possible Missing Spot Welds – 2019 Subaru Ascent

NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V508
Manufacturer Subaru of America, Inc.
Components STRUCTURE
Potential Number of Units Affected 293

 

Missing Spot Welds in B-Pillar Area

In the event of a crash, the missing spot welds may compromise the vehicle’s strength, increasing the risk of injury.

 

Summary

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Subaru Ascent vehicles. These vehicles may be missing spot welds on, or around, the B-Pillar, compromising vehicle strength.

 

Remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle to check for missing spot welds. If the welds are missing, the vehicle will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru’s number for this recall is WTU-80.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Check if your Subaru has a Recall

 

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NUMBER: WTU-80
DATE: 08/02/18
NHTSA ID: 18V-508
REVISED: 08/08/18

APPLICABILITY:	2019MY Ascent
SUBJECT:	STOPSALE/Recall – Possible Missing Spot Welds

 

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 model year Ascent vehicles, due to the possibility of some missing body structure welds.  A total of 293 U.S. vehicles are affected by this recall.

Please be advised that it is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle covered by a recall under a sale or lease until the defect is remedied.  Therefore, any Authorized Subaru Retailer failing to perform the applicable service procedures to correct all affected vehicles in their inventory prior to the vehicle being placed in service may be subject to civil penalties of up to $6,000 per violation (i.e., for each vehicle), as provided in 49 CFR §578.6 and will also be in breach of the Subaru Dealer Agreement.

 

AFFECTED VEHICLES:

A total of 293 U.S. vehicles are affected by this recall.  Coverage for all affected vehicles must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com.

Model Year	Carline	Production Date
2019	Ascent	July, 2018

 

Your Region/Distributor will provide you with a detailed list of the affected vehicles.  If you have any of the affected vehicles in inventory, please ensure your sales and service staff are immediately notified that any unsold unit(s) are un-saleable until the recall remedy is completed, and the recall claim is recorded in the system by the SOA Claims group.

NOTE:  Not all VINs produced in the date range listed above are affected by this recall.  Coverage for all affected vehicles must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com.  This information is now available.

 

CONDITION:

There is a possibility that some spot welds were missed during production around the B-pillar.  If these spot welds were missed, the strength of the vehicle’s body may be reduced, potentially increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE REMEDY:

Subaru factory representatives will be dispatched to inspect all affected vehicles.  Please isolate any affected vehicles at your dealership and do not allow them to be test-driven or delivered to a retail customer until the inspection is completed.

 

OWNER NOTIFICATION:

Subaru will notify affected vehicle owners by first class mail.  Owners with a valid email address on file with MySubaru.com will also be notified by email.

Owner notification is expected to occur by the end of August for any retailed vehicles that have not been inspected by that time.

 

RETAILER PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITY:

Any vehicles listed in a recall/campaign that are in retailer stock must be:

• Immediately identified.
• Tagged or otherwise marked to prevent their delivery or use prior to inspection and/or repair.
• Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in the Product Campaign Bulletin.

Whenever a vehicle subject to any recall is taken into retailer inventory or in for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the recall correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION:

Retailers will be provided a detailed list of any affected sold and unsold vehicles by their respective Regional Office / Distributor.

Subaru factory representatives will be dispatched to inspect all affected vehicles.  Please isolate any affected vehicles at your dealership for that inspection. 

 

CLAIM PROCEDURES:

Once the Subaru factory representative’s inspection has been completed, the inspection information will be provided to the SOA Claims group to record into the system.  If the vehicle does not pass the inspection, it will be returned to the factory and replaced with a new one.

Any unsold unit(s) are un-saleable until the claim is recorded by the SOA Claims group, indicating that the vehicle passed the inspection.

If you have any questions, please contact the Subaru Claims Helpline at 1-866-SUBARU2 (1-866782-2782).

 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

• SOA strongly discourages the printing and/or local storage of service information as previously released information and electronic publications may be updated at any time.
• Always check for any open recalls or campaigns anytime a vehicle is in for servicing.
• Always refer to STIS for the latest service information before performing any repairs.

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OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER

IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
This notice applies to the VIN below

 

Subaru Recall WTU-80
NHTSA ID 18V-508
August 2018

 

Dear Subaru Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2019 model year Ascent vehicles. You received this notice because our records indicate that you currently own one of these vehicles.

 

REASON FOR THIS RECALL

There is a possibility that some spot welds were missed during production around the B-pillar of your vehicle. If these spot welds were missed, the strength of the vehicle’s body may be reduced, potentially increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

 

WHAT SUBARU WILL DO

A Subaru factory representative will be dispatched to your Subaru retailer (dealer) to inspect your vehicle. If your vehicle is found to be missing any of these spot welds, Subaru will replace your vehicle with a comparable new one at no cost to you. Subaru will also be responsible for paying any taxes, registration or other fees that may result from this vehicle exchange.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

You should contact your Subaru retailer for an appointment to have your vehicle inspected by a Subaru factory representative, free of charge.

 

HOW LONG WILL THE INSPECTION TAKE?

The time for this inspection is approximately 10 minutes. However, it may be necessary to leave your vehicle for a longer period of time on the day of your scheduled appointment to allow your Subaru retailer flexibility in scheduling.

 

CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS OR SOLD YOUR SUBARU?

If you have moved or sold your vehicle, please complete the enclosed prepaid postcard and mail it to us. Or if you prefer to update this information online, please go to www.subaru.com, select ‘Customer Support,’ then select ‘Address Update’ or ‘Ownership Update’ from the drop-down menu.

 

IF YOU NEED FURTHER ASSISTANCE:

To locate the nearest Subaru retailer, you can access our website at www.subaru.com and select ‘Find a Retailer.’

If you need additional assistance, please contact us directly:

• By e-mail: Go to www.subaru.com and select “Contact Us”
• By telephone: 1-844-373-6614

Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

• By U.S. Postal mail: Write us at Subaru of America, Inc.

Attn: Customer-Retailer Services Department

P.O. Box 9800, Camden, NJ 08103-9800

To subscribe to the NHTSA Recall Notification email System, please go to: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/ subscriptions.

Please contact us immediately if the Subaru retailer fails or is unable to make the necessary repairs free of charge.

You may also contact the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE,

West Building, Washington, DC 20590 or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-4249153) or go to https://www.safercar.gov if you believe the Subaru retailer has failed or is unable to remedy your vehicle without charge within a reasonable amount of time.

Your continued satisfaction with your Subaru is important to us. Please understand that we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and your vehicle’s proper operation. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this matter may cause and urge you to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Subaru of America, Inc.

Notice to Lessors: Under Federal law the lessor of a vehicle who receives this letter must provide a copy of it to the vehicle lessee(s) within 10 business days from receipt. The lessor must also keep a record of the lessee(s) to whom this letter is sent, the date sent, and the applicable vehicle identification number (VIN). (For the purposes of this section, a lessor means a person or entity that in the last twelve months prior to the date of this notification has been the owner, as referenced on the vehicle’s title, of any five or more leased vehicles. A leased vehicle is a vehicle leased to another person for a term of at least four months.)

A subsidiary of SUBARU CORPORATION

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NUMBER: WTU-80
DATE: 08/02/18
NHTSA ID: 18V-508
REVISED: 08/08/18

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCRIT-18V508-3773.pdf

 

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NUMBER: WTU-80
DATE: 08/02/18
NHTSA ID: 18V-508
REVISED: 08/08/18

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10145081

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10145081-9999.pdf

 

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NUMBER: WTU-80
DATE: 08/02/18
NHTSA ID: 18V-TBD

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCRIT-18V508-6846.pdf

 

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Subarunet Announcement

July 27, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCMN-18V508-9164.pdf

 

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Subarunet Announcement

July 26, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCMN-18V508-0487.pdf

 

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Recall Acknowledgement

August 10, 2018

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2018/RCAK-18V508-7033.pdf

 

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Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=18V508&docType=RCL

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