Subaru and Toyota Recall Over 400,000 Vehicles for Stalling Issue

Subaru Corporation has issued an auto defect recall for more than 400,000 vehicles worldwide to repair a faulty engine part that may cause the vehicles to stall. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the recall affects its popular Forester SUVs and Impreza compact cars as well as the BRZ sports car. It also affects the Subaru-made Toyota 86 sports car, which was sold in the U.S. as the Scion FR-S during the period covered by the recall. All of the recalled cars were made in 2012 and 2013. 

Details of the Recall

Subaru said the valve springs in the recalled cars might fracture and cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of an accident. These springs keep the engine valves closed when the fuel is being combusted. Failure can cause severe engine damage. Subaru has indicated that the repair work would take more than 12 hours for each vehicle. Toyota said its vehicles account for 80,000 of the total number being recalled. In the U.S. the automaker is recalling around 25,000 Scion FR-S models manufactured between March 2012 and July 2013.

The company said it would contact affected U.S. owners by mail starting in December. The Subaru models that were recalled were manufactured between January 2012 and September 2013. A company spokesman declined to say how many were being recalled in the United States. Subaru sold nearly 270,000 of the three affected models in the U.S. during the period covered by the recall.

Auto Product Liability Issues

Many different types of product defects including those arising from component failure and/or design flaws may lead to a vehicle stalling. In such cases, the occupants of the stalling vehicle are at risk of serious injury or death as other vehicles may be unable to stop in time and avoid a collision. When a vehicle is stranded in the middle of the roadway, the likelihood of it being hit especially, by impaired, distracted or otherwise negligent drivers increases considerably. If your vehicle becomes stalled on the roadway for whatever reason, it is important that you get off the roadway soon as possible, turn on your headlights so other vehicles can see you and call for help right away.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a defective vehicle or a faulty auto part, please remember that you have legal rights. Injured victims of defective autos can seek compensation for their injuries, damages and losses by filing an auto product liability claim against the manufacturer of the vehicle and/or the part. Injured victims can seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering and emotional distress. A knowledgeable auto defect attorney will be able to correctly advise victims and their families regarding their legal rights and options.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/subaru-and-toyota-to-recall-more-than-400-000-vehicles-globally-1541054737