Subaru Recall 2013: Manufacturer Announces Recall Of 5,400 Outback & Legacy Cars For Steering Issue

Car manufacturer Subaru has announced plans to recall 5,379 Outback and Legacy vehicles due to an issue that could cause drivers to lose steering control, United Press International reports.

Subaru said that the recall will affect all 2013 model Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured between Feb. 15, 2012, and June 15, 2012.

The root of the problem stems from the inner and outer shaft of the steering column. In the affected vehicles, the two press-fitted parts could become disengaged. Once that happens, the driver will lose the ability to steer the car, dramatically increasing the likelihood of a crash.

While no accidents have yet been reported, Subaru and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are erring on the side of caution and issuing a recall of all the vehicles in question.

USA Today says that the problem was first discovered last June, in some factory vehicles that were due to be shipped out to dealers. After investigating and making a manufacturing change, Subaru believed the issued to be resolved.

In February and June of this year, however, the company received complaints from two separate customers who said they had experienced loss of steering control.

Subaru has notified owners and dealers of the recall. According to UPI, the car manufacturer will replace the steering column for free on all affected vehicles. Subaru also indicated that it would arrange to tow vehicles to dealerships to get the replacement, should owners feel unsafe driving their recalled car.

The 2013 Subaru Outback and Legacy recall is the latest hiccup in what has been a rocky year so far for the automaker.

Back in January, Subaru announced a recall of nearly 634,000 cars and SUVs due to the possibility of lights beneath the doors can overheating and catching fire.

In March, Subaru said it would recall nearly 50,000 Legacy, Outback and Impreza models produced between 2010 and 2013, in order to minimize the risk of vehicles starting on their own.

In April, the automotive giant called back over 200,000 Legacy & Outback vehicles due to an issue that could potentially lead to corrosion of the brake lines.