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Subaru Recalls by VIN

Paste the VIN of any Subaru below to see every recall for its model and year. Every one of the 166 NHTSA campaigns across 17 Subaru models is listed underneath — including how long Subaru takes to admit a defect: 6.31 years on average.

NHTSA campaigns · 166 campaigns · 17 models · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Subaru has 166 recall campaigns across 17 models. A defect is admitted 6.31 years after the car was built on average, and 60.8% of campaigns come five years or later.

What gets recalled on a Subaru

By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.

FIG.01·Subaru — what gets recalled
SystemCampaignsShare
Air Bags2615.7%
Power Train1911.4%
Engine And Engine Cooling137.8%
Fuel System, Gasoline127.2%
Electrical System127.2%
Suspension116.6%
Exterior Lighting116.6%
Steering95.4%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

How long a defect stays unadmitted

Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Subaru acts once a defect exists.

FIG.02·Subaru — how fast defects are admitted
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average gap6.31 yearsBetween the car being built and the defect being admitted
Admitted 5+ years later60.8%Share of campaigns on cars already well used
Campaigns on record166Across 17 models, 1981–2026
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar, computed from NHTSA campaign numbers

Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.

Subaru recalls by model

17 Subaru models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the Solterra a defect is admitted in 0.8 years, on the Baja it takes 11.7 — the same company, the same paperwork, 10.9 years of difference.

FIG.03·Subaru recalls by model
ModelCampaignsYears coveredMost recalled systemAvg gap before admission
Subaru Legacy831990–2026Air bags6 yrs
Subaru Impreza581993–2026Air bags7.3 yrs
Subaru Outback572005–2026Air bags6 yrs
Subaru Forester441998–2026Air bags5.1 yrs
Subaru Baja162003–2006Air bags11.7 yrs
Subaru Ascent132019–2026Equipment1.8 yrs
Subaru Crosstrek132016–2026Electrical system1.4 yrs
Subaru WRX72015–2026Exterior lighting2.6 yrs
Subaru DL61981–1989Suspension10.5 yrs
Subaru GL61981–1989Suspension10.5 yrs
Subaru BRZ52013–2026Fuel system, gasoline2.2 yrs
Subaru Solterra52023–2026Visibility0.8 yrs
Subaru XT51985–1991Fuel system, gasoline9.3 yrs
Subaru Justy41987–1994Seat belts3.4 yrs
Subaru Loyale41990–1994Power train2.1 yrs
Subaru XV CrossTrek32012–2015Engine and engine cooling1.7 yrs
Subaru XT621988–1991Fuel system, gasoline8.5 yrs
ROWS 17·SOURCE NHTSA + ForCar

Check your own car

Subaru has 166 campaigns on record across 17 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 166 figure says nothing about any particular Subaru: decoding the VIN narrows those 166 down to the recalls for one model and year. Whether the free fix was already carried out on that exact car, NHTSA's own VIN lookup or any Subaru dealer can tell you.

FIG.05·How to check a recall by VIN
StepWhat you get
Enter the VIN aboveEvery recall for that model and year, straight from NHTSA
Check the repair statusNHTSA's own VIN lookup or a dealer shows if this car was fixed
Book at any franchised dealerRecall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar

Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Subaru stands among all makes on record →

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Everything on Subaru
Fuel economy120 mpg bestReliabilityEvery model rankedCommon problems24,809 complaintsCheck a VINBy production runCargo space10 models measuredDimensionsSize and weightWhat yours is worthValuation by modelInsurance costPer model, per stateWindow stickersOriginal Monroney labelsDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout the brand21 models tracked

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does Subaru have?

166 campaigns across 17 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.

Is Subaru slow to admit defects?

On average a Subaru defect is admitted 6.31 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 60.8% of campaigns come five years or later.

Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?

It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.

How do I check my own Subaru?

By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.

Recall campaigns from NHTSA, published as filed. Years elapsed before admission computed by ForCar from the campaign number, which encodes the year it was announced. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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