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: 2003-2005 Subaru Legacy and Outback
2003-2005 Subaru Baja
2004-2005 Subaru Impreza
(including WRX and STI)

NUMBER: WQM-49
DATE: September 2014
NHTSA ID: 14V-471

SUBJECT: Regional Front Passenger Air Bag Inflator Replacement
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is conducting a limited regional recall on certain 2003-2005
model year Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles and certain 2004-2005 model year Impreza
(including WRX/STI) vehicles currently or previously registered in Florida, Puerto Rico,
Hawaii, or the U.S. Virgin Islands to replace the front passenger air bag inflators produced by
TK Holdings, Inc. (Takata).
At the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Takata,
SOA and several other vehicle manufacturers are participating in a regional field action to
collect and return certain air bag inflators to Takata for evaluation. This regional field action
is classified by NHTSA as a safety recall.
Takata’s evaluation is focused on these geographic areas due to isolated air bag inflator
rupture incidents that have occurred in Florida and Puerto Rico in other manufacturers’
vehicles equipped with Takata front passenger air bag inflators. Takata wants to determine
if exposure to high levels of absolute humidity may be a contributing factor to the risk of a
rupture.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of an affected passenger frontal air bag, it is
possible that the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously
injuring the vehicle occupants.

AFFECTED VEHICLES
This limited regional recall will cover certain 2003-2005 model year Legacy, Outback, and
Baja vehicles, and certain 2004-2005 model year Impreza (including WRX/STI) vehicles
currently or previously registered in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
The production dates of the vehicles included in this recall are listed in the following table.
Not all vehicles produced within these date ranges are included in this recall. The vehicles
chosen for this recall were identified based on a certain production date range of the front
passenger air bag inflators installed during vehicle production, and each vehicle’s registration
history.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQM-49; Date: September 2014

Page 1

MODEL YEAR

MODEL

STARTING
PRODUCTION DATE

ENDING
PRODUCTION DATE

2003

Legacy

2/18/2003

6/6/2003

2004

Legacy

3/17/2003

3/1/2004

2005

Legacy

2/23/2004

1/26/2005

2003

Outback

2/18/2003

6/11/2003

2004

Outback

3/13/2003

3/15/2004

2005

Outback

2/6/2004

10/6/2004

2003

Baja

2/18/2003

6/6/2003

2004

Baja

4/7/2003

7/21/2004

2005

Baja

3/16/2004

10/27/2004

1/28/2003

2/13/2004

2/11/2004

12/10/2004

2004
2005

Impreza,
WRX, STI
Impreza,
WRX, STI

Vehicle coverage for this recall must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry
function on subarunet.com. This data will be available when owner notification begins.

OWNER NOTIFICATION
Notification letters will be sent to owners of all vehicles included in this recall. Owner
notification will begin on or about September 29, 2014. A copy of the Owner Notification
Letter is included at the end of this bulletin.

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 urged to
limit the use of these lists for the purpose of completion of this safety recall.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQM-49; Date: September 2014

Page 2

SUBARU RETAILER PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITY
Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures to correct all affected
vehicles in their inventory (used, demo & SSLP). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to
this recall is taken into retailer 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 retailer 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.

PARTS INFORMATION
The parts required for this recall are listed below:
PART NUMBER

APPLICABILITY

DESCRIPTION

ORDER
QUANTITY

98279AE00A

2003-2004 Legacy and Outback

WQL-48/WQM-49 Air Bag
Inflator Module Kit

1

98279AE00A

2003-2005 Baja

WQL-48/WQM-49 Air Bag
Inflator Module Kit

1

98279AG00A

2005 Legacy and Outback

WQM-49 Air Bag Inflator
Module Kit

1

98279FE000

2004-2005 Impreza, WRX, and STI

WQL-48/WQM-49 Air Bag
Inflator Module Kit

1

SOA963W110**

2005 Legacy & Outback

Non-Woven Material,
8” X 11” Sheet

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.
**NOTE: 1 sheet of the SOA963W110 non-woven material is enough for approximately
8 vehicles.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQM-49; Date: September 2014

Page 3

PART RETURN PROCEDURES
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.
As the shipper, you are responsible for proper packing and document completion. The person
packaging the inflator must have received hazardous material training per 49CFR 172.702, and
the training records must be on file at your dealership. The US Department of Transportation
will impose substantial fines and/or penalties on the shipper if either packaging, labeling or
documentation is not properly prepared and the Customer Copy of OP 900PRP form is not kept on
file for a minimum of 2 years.
IMPORTANT: Do not deploy any inflator. Return the used inflator within 1-2 business days. The
person packing the used inflator must read and follow the provided instructions.

•

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 newly-installed 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.
• Prepaid FedEx shipping documents and shipping instructions will be included with
each new air bag inflator kit. A copy of this information is included as ‘Appendix A’
of this bulletin.
• 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.
• Takata USA has assigned each Subaru retailer a ChemTrec Contract Number
(CCN). As shown in step 5 of the shipping documentation instructions, the shipping
retailer must fill in their name, address, and CCN.
оо ChemTrec is a company that provides 24-hour emergency response and
information to hazardous material shippers.
оо The assigned CCN allows the Subaru retailer to ship hazardous material as an
affiliate to Takata USA’s registration with ChemTrec. This number is required
on the return shipping form.
A list of all Subaru retailers along with their assigned CCN information is included as
‘Appendix B’ of this bulletin. A copy of this list will be included with each new air bag
inflator kit for reference. If a Subaru retailer is unable to find their CCN, they should contact
Takata USA as described in step 5 of the shipping documentation instructions.
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 following information must be recorded
on the SOA Part Return Notice and sent to SOA Part Collection Center (PCC) as instructed on
the return notice:
• The FedEx Shipper Receipt # (from shipping form)
• The OLD and NEW air bag inflator serial numbers
The Part Return Notice should then be returned using UPS 3rd party billing to the address
listed at the bottom of the notice. Please keep the UPS tracking number for your records.
Under no circumstances should the air bag inflator be returned to Subaru of America, Inc.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WQM-49; Date: September 2014

Page 4

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

NOTE: Although the service procedure is similar for both 2003-04MY Legacy / Outback,
2003-05MY Baja and 2003-05MY Impreza models, there are significant differences in the
procedures, especially for 2005MY Legacy / Outback models. For this reason, three different
procedures covering all the models listed will be outlined.
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: WQM-49; Date: September 2014

Page 5

•

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 WQL-48 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: WQM-49; Date: September 2014

Page 6

*SERVICE PROCEDURE FOR 2003-04MY LEGACY, OUTBACK AND 2003-05MY
BAJA 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 any 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 and using the tips below.