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Subaru Recalls 660k Cars Over Brake Line Rust Issue

Subaru is recalling an estimated 660,238 U.S. vehicles over brake lines prone to fail due to premature corrosion. All affected cars are located in 20 U.S. states that use salt to melt ice on the road during winter.
2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 1 photo
Photo: Subaru
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration informs that after the ice melts, the salty water may splash on the rear brake lines, thus accelerating the corrosion process. That translates to a potential perforation of the brake lines, leading to hydraulic brake fluid leak and a dramatic decrease in stopping power.

From the defect notice provided by the NHTSA we found out that Subaru and the agency started investigations after 24 owners have complained of premature corrosion affecting the rear brake lines. Only one of those owners complained about actual brake line perforation, but thankfully, no accidents or injuries have been identified as being related to the rust-laden issue.

Subaru models involved in the call back operation include the 2005 - 2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008 - 2011 Impreza and 2008 - 2014 Impreza WRX/STI, as well as the 2009 - 2013 Forester. These vehicles are currently or have been formerly registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Subaru will notify owners and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. Otherwise, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. Both types of operations come free of charge for the affected owners. If you're having doubts about your Subaru vehicle, call 1-800-782-2783 and don't forget to provide the operator with campaign number WQK-47.
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 Download: Defect Information Report – Brake Line Corrosion in Salt Belt States (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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