Subaru to Recall 2.3M Forester, Impreza Crossovers

In what would be the automaker's biggest safety recall in its history, Subaru Corp. plans to recall an estimated 2.3 million 2008 to 2017 Forester and Impreza crossovers due to a brake light issue, reports Reuters.

Specifically, a fault in the brake light switch can lead to ignition problems. The recall has not yet begun, so the automaker has not announced the remedy and timing to fix the problem.

Affected vehicles include approximately 2 million in the U.S. and other countries. Another 300,000 vehicles are in Japan. If all of the identified vehicles are ultimately recalled, it will mark Subaru's biggest recall in terms of affected units, excluding the ongoing Takata airbag recall, according to the report.

Following rapid expansion, Subaru has been contending with a series of quality-related issues since 2017. For example, the automaker has experienced a host of problems ranging from faulty components to inspection re-dos — forcing Subaru to slash its full-year profit outlook to its weakest in six years, reports Reuters.

In addition, in January, Subaru stopped production at its only car factory in Japan for nearly two weeks, delaying roughly 60% of its global output after it found a defect in a power steering component. 

In late 2018, Subaru also announced a global recall of its signature boxer engines over an issue with its valve springs. During the same time period, the automaker launched a series of domestic recalls for re-inspections after it admitted to cheating on testing processes, according to the report.