2021 Subaru Impreza recalled; some owners told not to drive their cars

Subaru just issued a recall for the 2021 Impreza (both the sedan and hatchback), and with it comes a warning not to drive the vehicle. Your Impreza may or may not be a part of the recall population, which is quite low at just 802 cars total. However, the problem is a serious one.

According to the recall documents, these Imprezas “may be fitted with a left front lower control arm with an improper weld near a connection joint between the lower control arm and the crossmember.” This poor weld could cause the control arm to separate from the crossmember while driving, which is something you certainly don’t want to happen.

Subaru says that if the weld fails, “the tire could contact the wheel well, resulting in a loss of control.” This, of course, could then lead to an accident. Subaru’s investigation showed that equipment on the control arm’s assembly line was damaged, which ultimately caused interference with the welding torch, causing it to trace an improper welding path and an incomplete weld.

The affected vehicles are identified by the lower control arm’s lot number. Subaru knows which Imprezas could be fitted with the bad lower control arm, so it’s recalling those potentially affected cars — notification letters to owners are being mailed on September 3. If the part is identified as defective, Subaru will replace it with a new one.

Until the recalled Imprezas are fixed, Subaru is telling the owners of those cars not to drive them. You’ll have to arrange with your local dealer to have the vehicle towed in, but Subaru says it’s offering a mobile inspection in some areas, so check on that before going through the hassle of having the car towed. Per usual with recalls, all the above will be fully covered by Subaru at no cost to the customer.

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