WRC-21 Continental Tire Safety Recall – 2019-2020 Subaru Impreza

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Subarunet Announcement To: All Subaru Retailers From: Subaru of America, Inc. Date: April 5, 2021 New Safety Recall: WRC-21 Continental Tire Recall 21T-001 Please be advised that Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) has issued a safety recall for multiple tire lines, within the filing of NHTSA safety recall ID 21T-001. This new recall is in addition to, and separate from, the existing CTA tire recall, WRG-20 (NHTSA safety recall ID 20T-018), issued in November 2020. This additional CTA recall includes 93,959 potentially defective tires sold as original equipment (OE) tires and replacement tires, for various vehicle makes and models. One of the tire lines included in CTA’s recall, the Continental ProContactTM TX P205/55R16 89V tire, was an OE tire for Subaru installed on certain 2019-2020 MY Impreza vehicles equipped with 16-inch wheels. While tire-related warranty coverage is the tire manufacturer’s responsibility, CTA does not have access to Subaru vehicle owner data for recall notification purposes. Therefore, Subaru will assist CTA in conducting this tire recall for certain 2019-2020 MY Impreza vehicles which may contain a defective OE tire(s). For claim reimbursement purposes, Subaru’s recall code for this CTA tire recall will be WRC-21. Affected Vehicles A total of 9,492 U.S. 2019-2020 MY Impreza vehicles will be included in this CTA recall. Please note, CTA notified Subaru that only two (2) tires with this condition may have been supplied to Subaru, but the recall includes 9,492 Impreza vehicles based on traceability of tire production week and mold number, to ensure that the two potentially defective tires are captured. Model Years Carline Vehicle Production Dates* Tire line Tire identification marks 2019-2020 Impreza 8/5/2019 – 11/4/2019 Continental ProContactTM TX P205/55R16 89V The combination of: DOT code 3119 + either mold number 415721 or 416291 (refer to bulletin for location detail) * Not all vehicles in the vehicle production date range listed above are affected by this tire recall Coverage for all affected vehicles must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com. This information is now available. Reason for this Recall The affected tires were cured for a time beyond the manufacturing specification. An over-cured tire may result in a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. These conditions could increase the risk of a crash. Remedy Repair For all potentially affected vehicles, Subaru retailers will inspect the tire identification marks of all four tires on the vehicle and replace any affected tire(s) as described in the Production Campaign Bulletin. Service, Parts, and Claim Instructions Please refer to the WRC-21 Product Campaign Bulletin on STIS for detailed information. Retailer Responsibility Any vehicles listed in any recall/campaign that are in retailer stock must be: • Immediately identified • Tagged or otherwise marked to prevent their delivery or use prior to repair • Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in the Product Campaign Bulletin Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures, to correct all affected vehicles in their inventory (new, used, demo & SSLP). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this safety recall is taken into inventory or in for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the repair has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle. Please be sure to download a copy of your complete inventory report from the Vehicle Inventory Dashboard available on subarunet.com to identify any vehicles with open recalls that may be in your retail, CPO, and SSLP inventory. Affected vehicles will show an Open Recall column indicator (Y). Owner Notification Owner notification letters will be sent by first class mail on April 9, 2021.

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Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 1 of 10 PRODUCT CAMPAIGN BULLETIN Continued… CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS. Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. Subaru of America, Inc. is ISO 14001 Compliant ISO 14001 is the international standard for excellence in Environmental Management Systems. Please recycle or dispose of automotive products in a manner that is friendly to our environment and in accordance with all local, state and federal laws and regulations. NUMBER: WRC-21R DATE: 04/05/21 EXPIRATION DATE: 08/31/21 REVISED: 06/07/21 APPLICABILITY: 2019-2020 MY Impreza SUBJECT: Continental Tire Safety Recall INTRODUCTION: Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) has issued a safety recall for multiple tire lines, within the filing of NHTSA safety recall ID 21T-001. This additional CTA recall includes 93,959 potentially defective tires sold as original equipment (OE) tires and replacement tires, for various vehicle makes and models. One of the tire lines included in CTA’s recall, the Continental ProContactTM TX P205/55R16 89V tire, was an OE tire for Subaru installed on certain 2019-2020 MY Impreza vehicles equipped with 16-inch wheels. This new recall is in addition to, and separate from, the existing CTA tire recall, WRG-20 (NHTSA safety recall ID 20T-018), issued in November 2020. Please note, CTA notified Subaru that only two (2) tires with this condition may have been supplied to Subaru, but the recall includes 9,492 Impreza vehicles based on traceability of tire production week and mold number, to ensure that the two potentially defective tires are captured. While tire-related warranty coverage is the tire manufacturer’s responsibility, CTA does not have access to Subaru vehicle owner data for recall notification purposes. Therefore, Subaru will assist CTA in conducting this tire recall for certain 2019-2020 MY Impreza vehicles which may contain a defective OE tire(s). For claim reimbursement purposes, Subaru’s recall code for this CTA tire recall will be WRC-21. ATTENTION: GENERAL MANAGER q PARTS MANAGER q CLAIMS PERSONNEL q SERVICE MANAGER q IMPORTANT – All Service Personnel Should Read and Initial in the boxes provided, right. © 2021 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 2 of 10 Continued… AFFECTED VEHICLES: A total of 9,492 U.S. 2019-2020 MY Impreza vehicles will be included in this CTA recall: Model Years Carline Vehicle Production Dates* Tire line Tire identification marks 2019-2020 Impreza 8/5/2019 – 11/4/2019 Continental ProContactTM TX P205/55R16 89V The combination of: DOT code 3119 + either mold number 415721 or 416291 (Refer to Service Procedure for location detail.) * Not all vehicles in the vehicle production date range listed above are affected by this tire recall. Coverage for all affected vehicles must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com. This information is now available. REASON FOR THIS RECALL: The affected tires were cured for a time beyond the manufacturing specification. An over-cured tire may result in a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. These conditions could increase the risk of a crash. REMEDY REPAIR: For all potentially affected vehicles, Subaru retailers will inspect the tire identification marks of all four tires on the vehicle and replace any affected tire(s) as described in this Production Campaign Bulletin. OWNER NOTIFICATION: Continental Tire owner notification letters will be sent by first class mail on April 9, 2021. RETAILER RESPONSIBILITY: Any vehicles listed in any recall/campaign that are in retailer stock must be: • Immediately identified • Tagged or otherwise marked to prevent their delivery or use prior to repair • Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in the Product Campaign Bulletin Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 3 of 10 Continued… Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures, to correct all affected vehicles in their inventory (new, used, demo & SSLP). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this safety recall is taken into inventory or in for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the repair has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle. Please be sure to download a copy of your complete inventory report from the Vehicle Inventory Dashboard available on subarunet.com to identify any vehicles with open recalls that may be in your retail, CPO, and SSLP inventory. Affected vehicles will show an Open Recall column indicator (Y). SERVICE PROCEDURE: This procedure requires inspection of the DOT Serial Number AND Mold Number of ALL four (4) tires on an affected vehicle. These numbers are located on the sidewall of the tire near the bead area where the tire and wheel meet. The tires affected by WRC-21 are Continental P205/55 R16 89V ProContact TX, size P205/55 R16 89V ONLY. STEP 1: Perform a Vehicle Inquiry on Subarunet to confirm WRC-21 applicability. If there is an OPEN WRC-21 recall, proceed to STEP 2, otherwise this bulletin does not apply. STEP 2: Visually inspect each tire and record the DOT Serial Number AND Mold Number of All four (4) Tires on the Repair Order. These numbers are REQUIRED to be entered during Claim Entry. Tires made for use in the United States are required to have the DOT Serial Number with production week and year on ONE sidewall of the tire near the wheel. The photo below shows 3119 meaning the tire was manufactured during the 31st week of 2019. • The DOT Serial Number for tires affected by WRC-21 is 3119. If the DOT Serial Number is not found, check the opposite side of the tire as they are only found on ONE sidewall. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 4 of 10 Continued… • The Mold Numbers for tires affected by WRC-21 are S-415721 and S-416291. Mold Numbers are located on BOTH sidewalls. VERY IMPORTANT: When performing these inspections, BOTH the DOT Serial Number and the Mold Number (circled in RED, Highlighted and In Parentheses) must match those provided in the photos above. If only one of the 2 numbers match, the tire(s) is not affected. IMPORTANT NOTE: There may be additional numbers next to the Mold Number (circled in BLUE above) which may be similar or the same as the Mold Number. IGNORE these additional numbers. STEP 3: Inspection Outcomes: 1. All four (4) tires pass inspection with no repair necessary. Document the DOT Serial and Mold Numbers for each of the 4 tires, as this information is REQUIRED to submit a recall claim. Proceed to the Claim Reimbursement and Entry Procedures section OR: 2. If any (1 or more) of the tires are identified as having BOTH the specific DOT Serial and Mold Numbers supplied in the STEP 2: Inspection section, proceed to STEP 4 below. STEP 4: What to Do When an Affected Tire(s) Is Identified: CRITICAL: How to repair will be based on if the vehicle involved is either CUSTOMEROWNED (customer has physically taken delivery of the vehicle at some point in the past) or a NEW, IN-STOCK or SSLP vehicle. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 5 of 10 Continued… • When the inspection is performed on a NEW, IN-STOCK or SSLP vehicle, if any 1 or more of the tires are found to have the specific DOT Serial and Mold Numbers shown above, replace ONLY the affected tire(s). • If the inspection is performed on an applicable CUSTOMER-OWNED vehicle and any of the tires are found to have the specific DOT and Mold Numbers shown above, ALL FOUR (4) tires MUST be replaced. When tire replacement is required, follow the Service Procedures supplied in the applicable Service Manual. NOTE: Use a tire crayon or equivalent marker to circle the affected DOT Serial and Mold numbers for easy identification of all affected tires. All removed tires must be tagged with a completed Subaru Warranty Parts Tag MSA5W1901A. Instruction for processing and return of any affected (removed) tires is provided in STEP 5 below. Helpful TIPS: • As long as any wheels removed from the vehicle are put back on the same vehicle, Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) re-registration is NOT REQUIRED after tire replacement. The only exception to this is if a TPMS sensor requires replacement. In that case, follow the TPMS registration procedure supplied in the applicable Service Manual. This also reduces post-repair drive time as tire pressure readings in the MID Combination Meter Display will not need to relearn, only adjust. • In the case of any tire replacement, road testing when the repair is complete is required to confirm a sound repair before returning the vehicle to the customer. STEP 5: Affected Tire Return Procedures: ALL tires identified as having BOTH the specific DOT Serial and Mold Numbers indicating the tire is affected (supplied in the STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION section) must be returned per the process below. Upon approval of a WRG20 recall claim that includes tire replacement, a part return will be created. Please be aware that you may not immediately see a part return notice. A part return notice might be generated a couple of days after your claim is approved. Once the part return is created, you will see the part return through your normal Part Return Notices report on Subarunet (Claims & Warranty Administration > Reports-Claims/Warranty). Carefully review and follow any special instructions on the part return request. IMPORTANT: The only part(s) you need to return is the tire that has BOTH the DOT Serial and Mold Numbers indicating the tire is affected (see STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION section). Please do not return any tires that have a DOT Serial and Mold Numbers indicating the tire good. NOTE: If only one of the 2 numbers match, the tire(s) is not affected and should NOT be returned. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 6 of 10 Continued… The affected tire(s), along with a copy of the part return and repair order, should be shipped UPS Ground to the following address (which will appear in the “ship to” box on the part return request): SOA Part Collection Center 3701 David Howarth Dr. Suite B Lafayette, IN 47909-9387 Part(s) that are not received or are received without all the required information will be subject to a claim debit for the full amount of the claim. Please see section 15.3.1.1 in the Claims Policies and Procedures Manual for detailed instructions relating to Part returns. CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT AND ENTRY PROCEDURES: Credit to perform this recall will be based on properly completed repair order information. Retailers may submit claims through Subarunet.com. Labor Description Labor Operation # Labor Time Fail Code WRC-21 INSPECTION ONLY (ALL 4 TIRES) * A113-158 0.2 WRC-21 WRC-21 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 1 TIRE ** A113-151 0.6 WRC-21 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 2 TIRES ** A113-152 0.9 WRC-21 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 3 TIRES ** A113-153 1.2 WRC-21 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 4 TIRES ** A113-154 1.5 * Enter the 4-digit DOT Serial followed by the 7-character Mold Numbers for all four tires in the four Claim Specific Data fields on the claim (Left Front Tire Number, Right Front Tire Number, Left Rear Tire Number, Right Rear Tire Number) as shown in the Claim entry screen shot below. Do not enter any spaces or dashes. ** Use part number SOA635325 to claim for the 205/55R 16.0 ProContact TX Continental tire. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 7 of 10 Continued… SERVICE PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION LABEL: 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. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 8 of 10 Continued… Owner Name Owner Street Owner City, State Zip VIN IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL Dear Customer, Date: April 9, 2021 This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (“CTA”) has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain Continental and General brand passenger tires. As the owner of a 2019 or 2020 model year Subaru Impreza, you have been identified as the potential owner of an affected tire in the size P205/55R16 89V Continental ProContact TX. CTA has initiated a safety recall to remove these tires from service. Please read this notice carefully and follow the steps outlined in the instructions below. Why is CTA Taking this Action? CTA has determined that the affected tire may experience a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. These conditions could increase the risk of a crash, resulting in serious injury or death. Tires may experience a sudden air loss without warning while others may exhibit visible localized tread wear which may manifest as excessive vibration and/or bulging in the tread area. Affected Tires: The affected tires are identified as follows: Product Line: 205/55R16 89V Continental ProContact TX DOT TIN Range: A3T2 WC39 3119 Mold number: 416291 or 415721 The subject tires were fitted as original equipment on your Subaru Impreza. The tires must meet both DOT and mold number in order to be part of the recall: Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 9 of 10 Continued… 1. DOT serial number, also known as the Tire Identification Number, or TIN, found on the sidewall of each tire. If the week and year of manufacture is not present on one side, it will be located on the opposite side of the tire. Example: DOT A3T2 WC39 3119 DOT: A3 T2 WC39 31 19 Year of Manufacture (2019) Week of Manufacture Tire Type Code Tire Size Code Manufacturer’s Plant Code 2. Mold number is located on the sidewall of each tire. Example: for Mold number identification 416291: may be with or without the “S-“: NOTE: The pictures provided are only examples. You should visit your authorized dealer for tire inspection. What Should You Do? You should immediately contact your Subaru dealer to schedule an appointment to have your vehicle’s tires inspected and, if necessary, replaced at no cost to you. This is especially important if you notice visible localized tread wear which may manifest as excessive vibration and/or bulging in the tread area. If it is determined that your vehicle is fitted with an affected tire(s), your Subaru dealer will replace the affected tire(s) pursuant to Subaru’s Service Bulletin WRC-21 at no cost to you. If your Subaru dealer cannot assist you or to locate a CTA authorized dealer near you, please consult our website, www.continentaltire.com and select “Store Finder” or call CTA Customer Relations at 1-888-799-2168. If you have disposed of the affected tire already or sold the vehicle on to which it was mounted, please contact CTA Customer Relations at 1-888-799-2168 with the name and address of the new owner. Bulletin Number: WRC-21; Revised: 06/07/21 Page 10 of 10 What Will CTA Do for You? If you have an affected tire in service on the date you receive this notice, CTA, through your Subaru or tire dealer, will replace the affected tire with a new tire of the same or equivalent size and description free of charge through August 31, 2021, including mounting, balancing and taxes. If you have already replaced an affected tire prior to your receipt of this notice due to the condition described, CTA will reimburse you for the cost of the comparable replacement tire, including mounting, balancing and taxes. To be eligible for reimbursement, you must complete a Reimbursement Request Form and submit this form with the required documents to CTA before August 31, 2021. The Reimbursement Request Form is available at www.continentaltire.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on TIRE RECALL or you may request a form by calling CTA Customer Relations at 1-888-799-2168. The tires must meet both DOT and mold number in order to be part of the recall. For reimbursement requests submitted after August 31, 2021, CTA will pay you a prorated portion based on the percentage of useable tread remaining on the tire you are replacing. If you believe that CTA has failed or is unable to remedy the defect without charge within 60 days after your receipt of this notice, you may submit a complaint to the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, West Building, Washington, DC 20590 or call the toll free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Federal law requires that any vehicle leaser receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee by First Class Mail within ten days of your receipt of this notice. We apologize for any inconvenience that this action may cause you. Because we are concerned about your safety, we urge you to take immediate action. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions about these instructions, please refer to our website http://continentaltire.custhelp.com or contact CTA Customer Relations at 1-888-799-2168 for assistance. Sincerely, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC 1830 MacMillan Park Drive Ft. Mill, SC 29707

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