RideLust

Subaru Issues Baja Recall

Subaru rarely receives any bad press given that they have built an extremely loyal following of their sometimes quirky, but always reliably-built lineup of all-wheel drive vehicles. But even mighty Subaru is not immune to the recall bug. Just today they issued a recall notice for 2005 and 2006 Baja trucks due to a fuel line defect that could lead to a vehicle fire.

Just last month Subaru posted a 3.4 percent sales increase totaling 18,620 units, fueled mainly by increased demand for the Japanese automaker’s Legacy and Impreza models. That was a June sales record. Unfortunately Subaru’s killed-off Baja has spoiled a bit of the celebration with a potentially serious fuel issue that may ignite a fire. Subaru is recalling 15,633 Baja sport-trucks from the 2005 and 2006 model years to fix faulty fuel system hardware. The fuel pump nipple may crack leading to a fuel leak and fire if near any kind of ignition source.

In the defect notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released today, the automaker explains, “Cracks may develop in the fuel hose connection on the outlet pressure side of the fuel pump. Fuel can leak from the house connection. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.”

Inexplicably, Subaru is not expected to notify Baja owners formally until September, but those who wish to make early repair arrangements may contact Subaru at (800) 782-2783 and hustle on down to their dealer who will replace the fuel pump bracket with a new, redesigned part, free of charge