SM02 - WQL-48

Subarunet Announcement
To: All Subaru Retailers
From: Subaru of America, Inc.
Date: August 11, 2014
Update: WQL‐48 Front Passenger Air Bag Inflator Recall (NHTSA ID 14V‐399)
On July 3, 2014, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) announced that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle
safety, may exist on the following potentially affected vehicles. The subject vehicles are equipped with
front passenger air bag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured
propellant wafers.
Affected Vehicles
This condition may exist on certain 2003‐2004 model year Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles, and certain
2004 model year Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles.
Model Year
2003
2004
2003
2004
2003
2004
2004
Model
Legacy
Legacy
Outback
Outback
Baja
Baja
Impreza, WRX, STI
Starting production date
01/22/2003
03/17/2003
02/18/2003
02/28/2003
01/22/2003
03/03/2003
01/08/2003
Ending production date
05/14/2003
02/10/2004
04/15/2003
02/11/2004
05/06/2003
07/21/2004
05/15/2003
Not all vehicles within these production date ranges are affected by this recall. The potentially affected
vehicles were identified based on the serial number of the front passenger air bag inflator installed during
vehicle production.
Coverage for all potentially affected vehicles must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry
function on subarunet.com. This data will be available when owner notification begins.
Description of the Safety Defect and Safety Hazard
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, improperly
manufactured propellant wafers inside the inflator could cause the inflator to rupture with metal
fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the vehicle occupants.
Description of the Remedy
Although the percentage of affected vehicles is unknown, replacement of the vehicle’s front passenger air
bag inflator will be performed on all of the potentially affected vehicles.
Retailer Program Responsibility
Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures to correct all affected vehicles in their
inventory (used, demo & SSLP). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this 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.
New, used, demo or SSLP 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 inspection and/or repair.
 Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in the Product Campaign Bulletin
Owner Notification
Owner notification will begin on August 12, 2014. In addition to notification by mail, vehicle owners with
a valid email address and MySubaru subscribers will be notified electronically on August 13, 2014. A copy
of the owner notification letter is included at the end of the WQL‐48 campaign bulletin.
Since owner notification will occur this week, retailers are requested to order parts to support scheduled
customer service appointments. Retailer affected VIN Lists will be distributed by the Zone Offices.
Product Campaign Bulletin
The WQL‐48 product campaign bulletin is posted on the Subaru Technical Information System (STIS)
website under “Information/What’s New.” Please refer to the bulletin for repair instructions and
additional information including parts information, part return procedures, and claim submission
instructions.
IMPORTANT:
Each removed air bag inflator must be returned directly to the supplier, Takata USA, in the same box in
which the new one was received.
The shipping box contains a bar code with the serial number of the new air bag inflator, which will be
used by Takata USA to document the replacement of the old inflator with the new inflator. Therefore, it is
very important that the removed inflator be returned in the exact same box that contained the newly‐
installed inflator for that vehicle. If the original box cannot be re‐used, please refer to the shipping
instructions under “Requesting a new box/shipping labels.”
Prepaid FedEx shipping documents and shipping instructions will be included with each new air bag
inflator kit. A copy of this information is included as ‘Appendix A’ of the bulletin. A completed SOA
Warranty Parts Tag (MSA5W402A) must be attached to the returned inflator. The tag must contain the
following information: claim number, repair date, full 17‐digit VIN, and mileage.
Takata USA has assigned each Subaru retailer a ChemTrec Contract Number (CCN). As shown in step 5 of
the shipping documentation instructions, the shipping retailer must fill in their name, address, and CCN.
ChemTrec is a company that provides 24‐hour emergency response and information to hazardous
material shippers. The assigned CCN allows the Subaru retailer to ship hazardous material as an affiliate
to Takata USA’s registration with ChemTrec. This number is required on the return shipping form.
As the shipper, you are responsible for proper packing and document completion. The person packaging
the inflator must have received hazardous material training per 49CFR 172.702, and the training records
must be on file at your dealership. The US Department of Transportation will impose substantial fines
and/or penalties on the shipper if either packaging, labeling or documentation is not properly prepared
and the Customer Copy of OP 900PRP form is not kept on file for a minimum of 2 years.
IMPORTANT: Do not deploy any inflator. Return the used inflator within 1‐2 business days. The person
packing the used inflator must read and follow the provided instructions.
A list of all Subaru retailers along with their assigned CCN information is included as ‘Appendix B’ of the
bulletin. It is SOA’s intention to include a copy of this list with each new air bag inflator kit. However, the
first shipment of parts did not include this list as it was not available at the time the parts were packed by
Takata. Future shipments will include this document for reference.
The CCN list included with future shipments will be updated periodically to include new Subaru retailer
information. If a Subaru retailer is unable to find their CCN, they should contact Takata USA as described
in step 5 of the shipping documentation instructions.
SOA PART RETURN NOTICE
Upon claim approval, Subaru of America, Inc. will generate a Part Return Notice requesting information
only. To ensure proper claim credit, the following information must be recorded on the SOA Part Return
Notice and sent to SOA Part Collection Center (PCC) as instructed on the return notice:


The FedEx Shipper Receipt # (from shipping form)
The OLD and NEW air bag inflator serial numbers
The Part Return Notice should then be returned using UPS 3rd party billing to the address listed at the
bottom of the notice. Please keep the UPS tracking number for your records.
Under no circumstances should the air bag inflator be returned to Subaru of America, Inc.