Subaru of America is recalling more than 541,000 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent SUVs across the United States due to inaccurate certification labels attached to the vehicles. The recall was announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week following a printing error that affects the gross axle weight rating, or GAWR, on compliance labels found inside the vehicles.
The GAWR is a critical specification that indicates the maximum weight each axle of a vehicle can safely support. Vehicles equipped with an incorrect GAWR rating on their certification label face a potential safety risk, as owners relying on the faulty information could unknowingly overload their vehicles. An overloaded vehicle can experience poor handling and tire failure, both of which increase the risk of losing control.
Specific model years affected by this recall include certain 2019-2026 Subaru Ascent SUVs, 2025-2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid models, and 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid vehicles. For the Forester, the recall affects both standard gasoline and hybrid powertrains, while only the Crosstrek Hybrid variant is included in the recall campaign.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned that an incorrect GAWR label on a vehicle may lead to an overloaded vehicle, which could increase the likelihood of a crash. However, Subaru has indicated in recall documents that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from this labeling issue in the United States to date.
Addressing the problem does not require any mechanical work or repairs. Instead, Subaru will mail impacted owners a corrective certification label to place over the faulty one at no cost. Owners who prefer not to apply the label themselves may have it installed by a Subaru dealer, also at no charge. The remedy represents an unusually straightforward fix for a recall involving such a large number of vehicles.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on August 25, with additional correspondence to follow once the corrected labels become available. In the interim, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that owners of affected vehicles avoid loading their cabin, cargo area, and any roof or hitch accessories to their maximum limits until the corrected label is installed. Owners should exercise caution when hauling heavy gear or towing until the remedy has been applied.
Vehicle owners can determine whether their specific vehicle is affected by entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number, or VIN, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall database or Subaru’s recall lookup tool. For those with additional questions, Subaru customer service can be reached at 844-373-6614. The manufacturer’s recall number for this campaign is WRH-26, and owners should reference this number when contacting either Subaru or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline for more information.