Vehicle recall 03V153000 · April 22, 2003

Subaru Legacy and Outback

This recall applies to certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine,…

Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.

Summary: This recall applies to certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Certain rear suspension subframe components were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corrosive road salts for a period of several years, could result in rust-out of the component and possible breakage of the subframe.
Consequence: If such breakage occurs while the vehicle is being operated, control of the vehicle could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will clean and rust-proof the rear suspension subframe. Owner notification began July 14, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Notes: Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Recall details

NHTSA campaign: 03V153000
Reported to NHTSA: April 22, 2003
Filed by: SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
Manufacturer campaign: WWM-96
Owner notification: July 14, 2003
Vehicles potentially affected: 170,000
Initiated by: the manufacturer
Components: Suspension › Rear

Recall 03V153000 on nhtsa.gov, with the manufacturer’s documents

Vehicles covered

As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.

Subaru Legacy (2000-2003): 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
Subaru Outback (2000-2003): 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000

Has your Subaru been repaired?

Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.

Check your VIN with NHTSA

NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Subaru dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.