ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER

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PARTS MANAGER

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CLAIMS PERSONNEL

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

SERVICE MANAGER

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© 2020 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

PRODUCT CAMPAIGN BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY:
SUBJECT:

2020MY Impreza

NUMBER: WRG-20

Continental Tire Safety Recall

DATE: 11/18/20

INTRODUCTION:
Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA) has issued a safety recall for multiple tire lines, within
the filing of NHTSA safety recall ID 20T-018. CTA’s recall includes 11,728 potentially defective tires
sold as original equipment (OE) tires and replacement tires, for various vehicle makes and models.
One of the tire lines included in CTA’s recall, the Continental ProContact TX P205/55R16 89V
tire, was an OE tire for Subaru installed on certain 2020 MY Impreza vehicles equipped with 16-inch
wheels.
NOTE: CTA notified Subaru that only one (1) tire with this condition may have been supplied to
Subaru, but the recall includes 5,950 20MY Impreza vehicles based on traceability of tire production
week and mold number, to ensure that the potentially defective tire is captured.
While tire-related warranty coverage is the tire manufacturer’s responsibility, CTA does not have
access to Subaru vehicle owner data for recall notification purposes. Therefore, Subaru will assist
CTA in conducting this tire recall for certain 2020 MY Impreza vehicles which may contain a
defective OE tire(s).
AFFECTED VEHICLES:
A total of 5,950 U.S. 2020 MY Impreza vehicles will be included in the CTA recall:
Model
Year

2020

Carline

Impreza

Vehicle Production
Dates*

6/30/2020 - 8/24/2020

Tire Production
Dates*

6/14/2020 - 6/20/2020

Tire line

Continental
ProContactTM TX
P205/55R16 89V

Tire identification marks
The combination of:
DOT Code 2420 + Mold
Number 416290
(refer to Service Procedure
for location detail)

* Not all vehicles in the vehicle production date range listed above are included in CTA’s tire
recall, and not all the tires within the tire production date range listed above are defective.
CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS COULD
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They
are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles,
or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly
trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to
do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this
Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.

Subaru of America, Inc. is
ISO 14001 Compliant
ISO 14001 is the international standard for
excellence in Environmental Management
Systems. Please recycle or dispose of
automotive products in a manner that is friendly
to our environment and in accordance with all
local, state and federal laws and regulations.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRG-20; Date: 11/18/20

Page 1 of 6

Coverage for all affected vehicles must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function
on subarunet.com. This information is now available.
REASON FOR THIS RECALL:
The affected tires were cured for a time beyond the manufacturing specification. An over-cured
tire may result in a carcass break in the sidewall with sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge
separation which could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. These conditions could increase the risk
of a crash.
SAFETY RISK:
These conditions could increase the risk of a crash.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REMEDY:
For all potentially affected vehicles, Subaru retailers will inspect all four tires for the tire
identification marks described above and in the Production Campaign Bulletin and replace any
affected tire(s) as necessary.
OWNER NOTIFICATION:
Continental is expected to arrange for Owner notification letters to be sent by first class mail later this
month.
RETAILER RESPONSIBILITY:
Please be advised that it is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor
vehicle covered by a recall under a sale or lease until the defect is remedied. Therefore,
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
may be subject to civil penalties of up to $21,000 per violation (i.e., for each vehicle), as
provided in 49 CFR §578.6 and will also be in breach of the Subaru Dealer Agreement

Any vehicles listed in any recall/campaign that are in retailer stock must be:
•

Immediately identified

•

Tagged or otherwise marked to prevent their delivery or use prior to repair

•

Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in the Product Campaign Bulletin

Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures, to correct all affected vehicles
in their inventory (new, used, demo & SSLP). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this safety
recall is taken into inventory or in for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the repair has
been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
SERVICE PROCEDURE:
This procedure requires inspection of the DOT Serial Number AND Mold Number of all four (4) tires
installed on an affected vehicle. These numbers are located on the sidewall of the tire near the bead
area where the tire and wheel meet.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRG-20; Date: 11/18/20

Page 2 of 6

The tires affected by WRG-20 are Continental P205/55 R16 89V ProContact TX, size P205/55
R16 89V ONLY.
STEP 1: Perform a Vehicle Inquiry on Subarunet to confirm WRG-20 applicability. If an OPEN
WRG-20 recall is shown, proceed to STEP 2 below, otherwise this bulletin does not apply.
STEP 2: Visually inspect each tire and record the DOT Serial Number AND Mold Number of all
four (4) tires on the Repair Order.
Tires made for use in the United States are required to have the DOT Serial Number with production
week and year on ONE sidewall of the tire near the wheel. The photo below shows 2420 meaning
the tire was manufactured during the 24th week of 2020.
•

The DOT Serial Number for tires affected by WRG-20 is 2420. If the DOT Serial Number is
not found, check the opposite side of the tire as they are only found on ONE sidewall.

The Mold Number for tires affected by WRG-20 is S-416290. Mold Numbers are on BOTH
sidewalls.

VERY IMPORTANT: When performing these inspections, BOTH the DOT Serial Number and
the Mold Number (circled in RED, Highlighted and In Parentheses) must match those provided
above. If only one of the 2 numbers match, the tire(s) is not affected.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There may be additional numbers next to the Mold Number (circled in
BLUE above) which may be similar or the same as the Mold Number. IGNORE these additional
numbers.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRG-20; Date: 11/18/20

Page 3 of 6

STEP 3: Inspection Outcomes:
1. All four (4) tires pass inspection with no repair necessary. Document the DOT Serial and
Mold Numbers for each of the 4 tires inspected, as this information is REQUIRED to submit a
recall claim. Proceed to the Claim Reimbursement and Entry Procedures section OR:
2. If any (1 or more) of the tires are identified as having BOTH the specific DOT Serial and
Mold Numbers supplied in the STEP 2: Inspection section, proceed to STEP 4 below.
Document the DOT Serial and Mold Numbers for each of the four tires inspected, as this
information is REQUIRED to submit a recall claim.
STEP 4 : What to Do When an Affected Tire(s) Is Identified:
CRITICAL: How to repair will be based on if the vehicle involved is either CUSTOMEROWNED (customer has physically taken delivery of the vehicle at some point in the past) or a NEW,
IN-STOCK or SSLP vehicle.
•

When the inspection is performed on a NEW, IN-STOCK or SSLP vehicle, if any 1 or
more of the tires are found to have the specific DOT Serial and Mold Numbers shown above,
replace ONLY the affected tire(s).

•

If the inspection is performed on an applicable CUSTOMER-OWNED vehicle and any of
the tires are found to have the specific DOT and Mold Numbers shown above, ALL FOUR
(4) tires MUST be replaced.

When tire replacement is required, follow the Service Procedures supplied in the applicable Service
Manual.
NOTE: Use a tire crayon or equivalent marker to circle the affected DOT Serial and Mold numbers
for easy identification of all affected tires. All removed tires must be tagged with a completed Subaru
Warranty Parts Tag MSA5W1901A. Instruction for processing and return of any affected (removed)
tires is provided in STEP 5 below.
Helpful TIPS:
•

As long as any wheels removed from the vehicle are put back on the same vehicle, Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) re-registration is NOT REQUIRED after tire replacement.
The only exception to this is if a TPMS sensor requires replacement. In that case, follow the
TPMS registration procedure supplied in the applicable Service Manual. This also reduces
post-repair drive time as tire pressure readings in the MID Combination Meter Display will
not need to relearn, only adjust.

•

In the case of any tire replacement, road testing when the repair is complete is required to
confirm a sound repair before returning the vehicle to the customer.

STEP 5: Affected Tire Return Procedures:
ALL tires identified as having BOTH the specific DOT Serial and Mold Numbers indicating the tire
is affected (supplied in the STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION section) must be returned per the process
below.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRG-20; Date: 11/18/20

Page 4 of 6

Upon approval of a WRG20 recall claim that includes tire replacement, a part return will be created.
Please be aware that you may not immediately see a part return notice. A part return notice might be
generated a couple of days after your claim is approved. Once the part return is created, you will see
the part return through your normal Part Return Notices report on Subarunet (Claims & Warranty
Administration > Reports-Claims/Warranty). Carefully review and follow any special instructions on
the part return request.
IMPORTANT: The only part(s) you need to return is the tire that has BOTH the DOT Serial and
Mold Numbers indicating the tire is affected (see STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION section). Please do
not return any tires that have a DOT Serial and Mold Numbers indicating the tire good.
NOTE: If only one of the 2 numbers match, the tire(s) is not affected and should NOT be
returned.
The affected tire(s), along with a copy of the part return and repair order, should be shipped UPS
Ground to the following address (which will appear in the “ship to” box on the part return request):
SOA Part Collection Center
3701 David Howarth Dr.
Suite B
Lafayette, IN 47909-9387
Part(s) that are not received or are received without all the required information will be subject to a
claim debit for the full amount of the claim. Please see section 15.3.1.1 in the Claims Policies and
Procedures Manual for detailed instructions relating to Part returns.
CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT AND ENTRY PROCEDURES:
ALL WRG20 recall claims will require the DOT Serial and Mold Numbers from all four tires existing on the vehicle when it came into the retailer. See above sections for DOT Serial and Mold Number
locations. Credit to perform this recall will be based on properly completed repair order information.
Retailers may submit claims through Subarunet.com.
Labor Description

Labor
Operation #

Labor
Time

WRG-20 INSPECTION ONLY (ALL 4 TIRES) 1

A113-158

0.2

WRG-20 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 1 TIRE 1,2

A113-151

0.6

WRG-20 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 2 TIRES

1,2

A113-152

0.9

WRG-20 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 3 TIRES

1,2

A113-153

1.2

WRG-20 INSPECTION (ALL 4 TIRES) AND REPLACE 4 TIRES

1,2

A113-154

1.5

Fail Code

WRG-20

Enter the 4-digit DOT Serial followed by the 7-character Mold Numbers for all four inspected tires
(the original tires on the vehicle when arriving at the retailer) in the four Claim Specific Data fields
on the claim (Left Front Tire Number, Right Front Tire Number, Left Rear Tire Number, Right Rear
Tire Number). Do not enter any spaces or dashes. An EXAMPLE screen shot image is provided
below for reference.

1

Use part number SOA635325 to claim for the 205/55 16.0 PROCONTACT TX CONTINENTAL
tire.
2

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRG-20; Date: 11/18/20

Page 5 of 6

SERVICE PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION LABEL:

WRG-20

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
•

SOA strongly discourages the printing and/or local storage of service information as previously
released information and electronic publications may be updated at any time.

•

Always check for any open recalls or campaigns anytime a vehicle is in for servicing.

•

Always refer to STIS for the latest service information before performing any repairs.

Bulletin Number: WRG-20; Date: 11/18/20

Page 6 of 6