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Subaru Legacy and Outback fuel gauge software reads wrong

NHTSA campaign 18V773000 · Reported 2018-11-01 · Subaru of America, Inc.

medium How serious is it? About this label

Moderately serious — the car itself is not failing, so you can keep driving it, but do not trust the fuel gauge or the miles-to-empty number until the software is updated, because an unexpected stall in traffic can cause a crash.

What's wrong, in plain English

A software mistake in your Subaru's dashboard gauges means the fuel readings can mislead you. The low fuel warning light may not come on when it should, and the display showing how many miles you have left may still show fuel remaining when the tank is actually empty. Because of that, you could run out of gas with no warning and the engine could quit while you are driving. A dealer reloads corrected software into the gauge.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your car is included. 2. Call any Subaru dealer or Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614 (recall WTW-82) and book the software reprogramming, which is free. 3. Until it is fixed, fill up early and go by your odometer and past fill-ups rather than the gauge.

Affected vehicles (2)

2018 Subaru Legacy
2018 Subaru Outback

Who to contact

Subaru — official Subaru recall lookup

Customer service: 1-844-373-6614

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Subaru electrical recalls: stalling, melting wiring and false fuel readings · all 6 Subaru recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
Safety risk: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.