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NHTSA campaign 19V065000 · manufacturer recall WUC-88

2019 Subaru Crosstrek and 1 other Subaru model: steering recall

Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.

high 10,417 vehicles affected 100% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance. Risk Loss of power steering assist would require higher steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix None of the affected vehicles have been sold yet. Subaru has notified dealers and they will inspect the steering gearbox, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUC-88.

Reported to NHTSA Feb 6, 2019 by Subaru of America, Inc, owners notified Feb 7, 2019.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

A short circuit in the EPS unit can cause loss of power steering assist, requiring significantly higher steering effort and increasing crash risk, but this is a degradation of steering assistance rather than a complete, sudden loss of vehicle control.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Yes: the bulletin says the vehicle may not be sold or delivered until repaired
Remedy Instructions filed: the dealer bulletin exists

Parts named

Part numberDescriptionQty
34110SJ040FORESTER
34110FL130CROSSTREK
44616AA290Exhaust Pipe GasketsGASKET-EXHAUST PIPE REAR1
44022AA123GASKET-EXHAUST PIPE FRONT 1 Exhaust Pipe GasketsGASKET-EXHAUST PIPE REAR1

The advisory, as filed: “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.”

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign WUC-88). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 19V065000

Vehicles built Dec 27, 2018 to Jan 16, 2019 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2019 Subaru CrosstrekCompact SUVD8
2019 Subaru ForesterCompact SUVC3

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 100%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 19V065000 · the manufacturer calls it WUC-88

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is WUC-88 the same recall as 19V065000?

Yes. WUC-88 is the number Subaru of America, Inc uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 19V065000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Dec 27, 2018 to Jan 16, 2019. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.