ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER
PARTS MANAGER
CLAIMS PERSONNEL
SERVICE MANAGER

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IMPORTANT - All
Service Personnel
Should Read and
Initial in the boxes
provided, right.

PRODUCT CAMPAIGN BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY: 2004-2005

Subaru Impreza, WRX, STI
SUBJECT: Takata Front Passenger Air Bag
Inflator Replacement

NUMBER:
DATE:
REVISED:
NHTSA ID:

WQR-53R
June 2, 2015
August 24, 2015
15V-323

THIS IS A NATIONAL EXPANSION OF RECALL NUMBER WQP-51 (14V-763)
FOR IMPREZA (including WRX and STI) MODELS ONLY
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is expanding regional recall number WQP-51 (14V-763) on
certain 2004-2005 model year Impreza (including WRX/STI) vehicles to a national recall.
The subject vehicles are equipped with front air bag SPI-type inflators which are described in
a Defect Information Report (NHTSA Recall number 15E-041) submitted by Takata on May
18, 2015. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, the inflator may rupture due
to exposure to persistent conditions of high absolute humidity and/or due to manufacturing
variability.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, a
susceptible inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously
injuring the vehicle occupants.
Although the percentage of affected vehicles is unknown, this recall will involve replacing the
front passenger air bag inflator on all of the potentially affected vehicles.

AFFECTED VEHICLES
This condition may exist on certain 2004-2005 model year Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles
listed below.
MODEL YEAR

MODEL

STARTING
PRODUCTION DATE

ENDING
PRODUCTION DATE

2004

Impreza, WRX, STI

January 2003

February 2004

2005

Impreza, WRX, STI

February 2004

May 2005

Vehicle coverage for this recall must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry
function on subarunet.com.
All Subaru Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles affected by the WQP-51 regional recall that
were not yet repaired will be included in the WQR-53 national recall. Any open WQP-51
coverage for Impreza (including WRX and STI) vehicles has been expired, and added as
WQR-53 coverage.

OWNER NOTIFICATION
Notification letters will be sent to owners of all potentially affected vehicles. Owner
notification will occur within 60 days. A copy of the June 17, 2015 letter mailed to owners
identified based on registration data in areas of high absolute humidity (FL, HI, PR, GU, VI,
AL, GA, MS, TX, LA) has been added to this bulletin. A copy of the July 24, 2015 letter to
all other owners has also been added to this bulletin.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 1

RETAILER AFFECTED VIN LISTS
Each Subaru retailer will receive an affected VIN list from their Zone Office when owner
notification begins. Vehicles will be assigned to retailers in the affected VIN list as follows:
•

Original vehicle owners are assigned to the original selling retailer when their current
address is within a 100 mile radius of that retailer.

•

If the original selling retailer is inactive, the VIN has been assigned to the nearest
active retailer.

•

For any new owners or when original owners live more than 100 miles from the
original selling retailer, the VIN has been assigned to the nearest active retailer.

Important: Retailer affected VIN lists include owner name and address information for
vehicles affected by this recall. This information will enable retailers to follow-up with
owners of potentially affected vehicles. The lists contain owners’ names and addresses
obtained from State Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle
registration data for any other purpose is unlawful. Accordingly, retailers are required
to limit the use of these lists for the purpose of completion of this safety recall.

SUBARU RETAILER PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITY
Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures to correct all affected
vehicles in their inventory. Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this recall is taken into
inventory or in for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the recall correction has
been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
Any vehicles listed in a recall/campaign that are in the retailer’s 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 this Product Campaign
Bulletin.

Please be advised that it is a violation of Federal law for a retailer to deliver a new motor
vehicle covered by a recall under a sale or lease until the defect is remedied. In addition,
any Authorized Subaru Retailer failing to perform the applicable service procedures to
correct all affected vehicles in their inventory prior to the vehicle being placed in service
will be in breach of the Subaru Dealer Agreement.

PARTS INFORMATION
The part required for this recall is listed below:
PART NUMBER

APPLICABILITY

DESCRIPTION

ORDER
QUANTITY

98279FE000

Impreza, WRX, and STI

Air Bag Inflator Module Kit

1

These parts are available through normal parts ordering channels. In order to maintain an
adequate part supply, SOA requests that retailers only order quantities necessary to satisfy
anticipated demand.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 2

PART RETURN PROCEDURES
Please read the ‘Inflator Returns’ instructions included as ‘Appendix A’ of this bulletin
carefully, as the return procedure has changed.
•

FedEx will no longer handle the return shipments.

•

A company called Stericycle will arrange pick up of the inflators and return them
to Takata.

•

Once a month or upon accumulating 200 kits for return (whichever comes first)
please call Stericycle at 1-877-650-3476 for pick up. Please see step 6 of the return
instructions.

•

Starting in September, 2015 the new inflator return instructions for pick up by
Stericycle will be included with each new air bag inflator kit. .

•

If you continue to receive inventory of inflators with the original FedEx
documentation, please follow the instructions in step 4b. of the new ‘Inflator
Returns’ instructions. DO NOT CALL FEDEX.

•

Upon claim approval, Subaru of America, Inc. will generate a Part Return Notice
requesting the old and new inflator serial number information only. DO NOT
WAIT FOR STERICYCLE TO PICK UP THE INFLATOR TO SEND THIS
INFORMATION TO THE PARTS COLLECTION CENTER (PCC).

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 label, 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 newlyinstalled 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.”
•

IMPORTANT: When affixing the shipping label to the shipping box do not obstruct
the bar code label.

•

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.
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 old and new inflator serial numbers must be
recorded on the Part Return Notice and sent to SOA Part Collection Center (PCC) as
instructed on the return notice.

•

The completed Part Return Notice should then be sent using the YRC web portal and
utilizing the “Ship Small Parcel” link which will direct the user to the appropriate
UPS web page application to complete the shipment. Please keep the UPS tracking
number for your records.

•

DO NOT WAIT FOR STERICYCLE TO PICK UP THE PART TO SEND THIS
INFORMATION TO THE PCC.

Under no circumstances should the air bag inflator be sent to Subaru of America, Inc.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 3

SERVICE PROCEDURE
This Campaign involves the replacement of the inflator portion of the passenger-side front
airbag assembly. This procedure will outline removal of the passenger-side airbag assembly and
replacement of the inflator component and related wiring harness.
VERY IMPORTANT: Failure to follow these service procedures carefully and correctly
may result in an accidental deployment of the inflator and potentially cause serious injury.
Please read through and understand these procedures COMPLETELY before beginning
repairs. In addition, proper operation of the airbag after reassembly may be compromised
if these service procedures are not followed.
Tools Required
DESCRIPTION

BRAND OR TYPE

QUANTITY

Pliers

-

1

Wire Cutters

-

1

Needle-Nose Pliers

-

1

Torque Wrench

Inch-Pound

1

Safety Goggles

-

1

Flat-Blade Screwdriver

-

1

Scissors

-

1

Ratchet
8 mm and 10 mm Socket
Airbag Deployment Fixture

1/4” Drive
J-39401-B

1
1 ea.
1

CAUTION: Before starting this service procedure, perform a visual inspection of both front
airbags looking for any damage or abnormality. Next, turn the ignition switch to the “ON”
position and confirm the airbag warning lamp illuminates then extinguishes normally. If it
does not or if ANY concern is noted with the airbag system, STOP and report these findings
to the customer BEFORE proceeding further. Any concerns identified with the airbag system
(when no airbag deployment has occurred), are not related to this campaign and must be addressed separately. Even if the system has a concern, this may not preclude completion of this
campaign. If you are unsure about proceeding, document and fully diagnose the concern then
contact the SOA Technical Helpline to review your findings. It is in the best interest of the
retailer to fully document any concerns found during this preliminary inspection and review
with the customer BEFORE proceeding with the campaign service procedure.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 4

•

Vehicles that do not contain Genuine Subaru air bags are not eligible for this
recall repair. For more information on identifying counterfeit air bags and how
to address related customer situations, please refer to STIS for the “Counterfeit
Air Bag Information” Dealer Advisory Bulletin dated October 25, 2012 by going
to Subarunet>Service>STIS>Online Reference - choose Publication Type: ‘Other/
Miscellaneous’ and search keywords: ‘Air Bag’).

•

Do not proceed with this repair if your inspection reveals a non-Genuine Subaru
air bag module has been installed in the vehicle. Follow the instructions described
in the “Counterfeit Air Bag Information” Dealer Advisory Bulletin and contact the SOA
Warranty Helpline to close out the recall coverage on the vehicle.

•

IMPORTANT: Always examine airbag modules closely before and during removal.
Confirm they match the photos of the Genuine Subaru airbag components supplied
throughout this bulletin BEFORE proceeding. The photos below are just 2 examples
of aftermarket or counterfeit airbag components identified by retailers since the release
of this campaign bulletin. These photos are being provided as only 2 examples of what
may be a wide variety of non-OEM components.

•

If an aftermarket or counterfeit passenger airbag or inflator is identified at any point
during the campaign service procedure, STOP IMMEDIATELY. NEVER attempt to
remove or otherwise disable any aftermarket or counterfeit device.

•

Document the presence of the aftermarket or counterfeit device on the repair order and
with photos. Report this information immediately on a Quality Monitoring Report (QMR).

•

Once the QMR has been submitted, contact the Subaru Claims Helpline to discuss the
details. They will advise you on how to proceed with treatment of the open campaign.

The shape, holes, and
copper-colored stud indicate this
not a Genuine Subaru inflator.
No visible stopper plates, a
6-nut configuration and rubber
harness boots are other examples
to indicate this is not a Genuine
Subaru airbag module.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 5

*SERVICE PROCEDURE FOR 2004-05MY IMPREZA, WRX and STI MODELS*
CAUTION: Refer to the “CAUTION” section in the General Description portion
of Airbag System AB in the Body Section of the Service Manual before handling or
servicing the airbag module!
STEP 1- PREPARATION:
•
•
•

Turn the ignition “OFF”.
Disconnect the Negative (ground) cable from the battery and wait at least 20 seconds
before proceeding further.
Remove the glove box assembly following the procedure in the applicable Service
Manual.

IMPORTANT: Whenever beginning to remove (or install) the airbag assembly, and
periodically while performing the procedure or after stepping away, remove any possible
static charge from your body by momentarily touching a clean, bare metal ground point
on the vehicle (e.g. the door striker). Remove from your person all electronic devices
including cellphones before proceeding.
•

Disconnect the airbag module harness connector
from the support beam bracket.

•

Remove the 3 retaining bolts and CAREFULLY
remove the airbag module from the vehicle and
place it on a clean cloth to protect the dash trim
surface portion from damage.

NOTE: There may be a Security Module secured
with the lower airbag module mounting bolt on some
models.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT destroy or damage the kit box as it MUST be used for the
original inflator’s return shipping.
•

Open the Kit Box and confirm all the necessary components are included:
4 Self-Locking nuts
New Inflator (yellow tape applied to one end to identify it as the replacement part)
New Inflator Harness
Electro-Tap (red shorting crimp connector)
1 ½” X 2 ¼” piece of self-adhesive Sponge Tape
Shipping Declaration document, FedEx document pouch and return shipping label

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 6

•

IMPORTANT: The removed airbag module must be mounted to the Airbag
Deployment Fixture (part number J-39401-B) as shown in the photo below to
better secure it during the inflator and wiring harness component replacement
procedures. Always perform this work in an area away from others to reduce chances
of inadvertent injury should any deployment occur. Take your surroundings into
account to avoid possible hazards should inadvertent deployment occur or sources of
static or other electricity that could potentially induce such a deployment.

STEP 2- Peel the Sponge Tape and remove the harness clip from the retainer bracket by
pushing the tangs inward with a flat-blade screwdriver as shown below. Always remove any
Sponge Tape adhesive residue from the airbag mounting bracket using mild solvent on a clean
shop cloth. CAUTION: Never use any silicone-based products for this purpose.

STEP 3- CAREFULLY cut the yellow harness cover enough (approximately 2 inches) to
expose the 2 red or yellow wires inside and provide enough room to install the Electro-Tap
(shorting) connector using a wire cutter or scissor (no knives or razors). TAKE YOUR
TIME AND BE CAREFUL TO NOT CUT THE 2 WIRES!

Red Wires

Yellow Wires

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQR-53R; Revised: August 24, 2015

Page 7

STEP 4- Short the 2 wires together by installing the Electro-Tap connector. The connector
creates a short circuit which acts as a safeguard to prevent against static discharge that may
deploy the removed inflator. The tab portion of the Electro-Tap connector MUST be cut off
prior to use to insure a good short-circuit is made as shown in the illustration below. Follow
the sequence below for installing the Electro-Tap connector. Use pliers to squeeze closed the
two sections of the connector together, one section at a time.
This tab MUST
be cut off

Insert 1 wire in
the Electro-Tap

Fold
2

3

Place the other
wire in the
Electro-Tap,
fold then crimp
closed with pliers

Crimp closed
with pliers

4

5

STEP 5- Once the Electro-Tap connector is fully crimped in place, cut the 2 wires on the
body harness connector side of the Electro-Tap connector.
CUT

STEP 6- Remove the two 8mm self-locking nuts securing the stopper plate. Loosen but do