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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© 2023 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

PRODUCT CAMPAIGN BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY:

2004-2005 Impreza (including WRX)

SUBJECT:

Improper Air Bag Inflator Installation

NUMBER: WRF-23
DATE: 02/27/23
NHTSA ID: 23V-076

INTRODUCTION
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating this safety recall for certain 2004-2005 model year
Impreza (including WRX) vehicles in which the replacement frontal passenger-side air bag inflator
may have been incorrectly installed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEFECT AND SAFETY RISK
The vehicles included in this safety recall had a previous mobile air bag recall repair performed
by a third-party contractor on behalf of Subaru. The replacement air bag inflator may have been
incorrectly installed during that repair.
An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly inflate the passenger-side airbag, which
could increase the risk of an injury during a crash.
REMEDY
For all potentially affected vehicles, Subaru will inspect the passenger-side inflator installation and, if
necessary, install a new inflator kit at no cost to the customer.
AFFECTED VEHICLES
A total of 130 vehicles will be affected by this recall, as listed below:
Model Year

Carline

Production Date Range

2004-2005

Impreza (including WRX)

January 14, 2003 – March 19, 2005

Not all vehicles in the production range listed above are affected by this recall. Coverage must be
confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com prior to repair. This
information is now available.
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: WRF-23; Date: 02/27/23

Page 1 of 18

RETAILER RESPONSIBILITY
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 (used, demo & SSLP). Whenever a vehicle subject to this recall is taken into retailer
inventory necessary steps should be taken to ensure the recall correction has been made before selling
or releasing the vehicle.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Subaru is in the process of obtaining current owner registration data and will notify affected vehicle
owners by first class mail within 60 days. Retailer will be advised when notification begins.
As a reminder, if a customer requests a loaner car, retailers should make every effort to comply with
that request and follow normal warranty procedures to obtain reimbursement for the loaner car. See
Section 8.4.7 (Alternate Transportation Program) of the Claims Policies and Procedures Manual on
subarunet.com under ‘Claims & Warranty Administration’ for details.
PART INFORMATION
Inflator Kit Part Number

Order Quantity

98279FE070

1

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

-

Scissors

-

1
1

Ratchet
8 mm and 10 mm Socket
Airbag Deployment Fixture

1/4” Drive
J-39401-B

1
1 each
1

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRF-23; Date: 02/27/23

Page 2 of 18

INSPECTION PROCEDURE
The repair procedures for this recall include a required inspection prior to replacement, to confirm
whether the (98279FE070) inflator is correctly installed.
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 60 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.
STEP 2: Visually inspect the airbag inflator positioning.

INCORRECT: When incorrectly installed (backwards) the inflator cylinder (silver

colored) metal is exposed, and a gap can be seen between the inflator and the end bracket.
Further action will be required. Follow this service procedure. If inspection confirms the inflator
is installed incorrectly (backwards), photograph the incorrectly installed inflator in the bracket
and attach photo to the claim, then proceed to the “INFLATOR REPLACEMENT” section of this
campaign.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRF-23; Date: 02/27/23

Page 3 of 18

CORRECT:

When correctly installed, no inflator cylinder metal is exposed and there
are no gaps between the inflator and the end brackets on both sides. If inspection confirms the
affected vehicle has the inflator installed correctly in the bracket, do not remove inflator from the
bracket. Photograph the inflator in the bracket and attach photo to the claim. Reinstall the airbag
assembly as per the applicable Service Manual.

INFLATOR REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE
IMPORTANT: DO NOT destroy or damage the kit box as it MUST be used for the removed
inflator’s return shipping.
•

Open the Kit Box and confirm all the necessary components are included:
4 Self-Locking nuts
New Type 2 Inflator (pink collars on each end identify it as the replacement part)
New Inflator Harness
New Stopper Plate
Electro-Tap (red shorting crimp connector)
1 ½” X 2 ¼” piece of self-adhesive Sponge Tape
Shipping Documentation and Instructions

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRF-23; Date: 02/27/23

Page 4 of 18

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 1- 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 2- 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!

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRF-23; Date: 02/27/23

Page 5 of 18

STEP 3- 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.

STEP 4- 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.