Impreza Recall for Faulty Brake-Pedal Assembly

CAMDEN, N.J. – Subaru of America, Inc. has agreed to recall certain model-year 2023 Impreza models which might have been assembled with an improperly adjusted stop-lamp switch. In addition to this defect potentially allowing the stop lamp to illuminate without depression of the brake pedal, it could also allow the vehicles to be shifted from “PARK” to “DRIVE” without depression of the brake pedal.

The 941 Impreza four-door sedans and 3,089 Impreza hatchbacks were produced Feb 1 – March 20, 2023, at the company’s Lafayette, Ind. facility.

The belief is that during the production of the pedal assembly, the brake-lamp switch may not have been properly fitted to allow the specified gap between switch and stopper.

According to the Natoinal Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-292, the safety risk presented by this situation is, “Brake lamp illumination without driver input may confuse other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. It may also be possible to start the vehicle and shift the transmission out of the Park position (P) without pressing the brake pedal. If this happens, the vehicle could move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.”

There were no reports of any accidents or injuries due to this condition in the NHTSA report. There have been four field reports of the condition, with one warranty claim.

The remedy consists of inspection of the pedal assembly by a technician at a certified Subaru dealer and, if necessary, an adjustment made to the components to rectify a misadjusted setup. There is no need to replace components.

Dealers were scheduled to be notified last month as to the recall. Owners are scheduled to be notified by June 23rd.

Mike Geylin
Mike Geylin

Mike Geylin is the Editor-in-Chief at Hagman Media. Geylin has been in automotive communications for five decades working in all aspects of the industry from OEM to supplier to motorsports as well as reporting for both newspapers and magazines on the industry.