Suburu Recalling 275,000 Foresters

Subaru of America Inc. will recall approximately 275,000 Forester cars made from 2009 to 2012 because of a problem with the back-seat child restraints.

The restraints fail to comply with a federal Occupant Crash Protection standard requiring safe installation of child restraints in the back seats of cars, said a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dated March 12.

The seat belt assemblies in the rear center seats of the affected Foresters prevent the proper installation of child safety restraints, a flaw which may increase the risk of injury to a child during a crash, the report said.

Subaru will notify owners by April 13, and Subaru dealers will replace the rear center seat belt assembly with a modified assembly, free of charge.

The problem with the Forester's rear seat belt was discovered during testing, but it's unclear if it has resulted in any injuries, The Associated Press reported.

Subaru representatives were not available for comment.