Japanese automaker Subaru has announced a voluntary recall of over 69,000 vehicles, including 2026 Crosstrek and 2025 Forester Hybrid models, due to a detected fuel system defect. The company recommends owners park their cars exclusively outdoors and not fill the fuel tank more than halfway until the malfunction is rectified. This is reported by Autoblog, writes UNN.
Details
Subaru's investigation revealed that when the air heats up significantly, pressure inside a nearly full tank increases, causing the tank to expand and push gasoline up the filler neck.
Due to insufficient sealing, fuel can leak out, which, if there is a source of a spark, creates a real fire hazard. Currently, 33 technical reports of leakage incidents have been recorded in the US market, but no official data on injuries or fires due to this problem have been received yet.
Repair timelines and tips for safe operation
To solve the problem, dealers will install a new improved gasket with an O-ring, which will ensure the system's tightness. The necessary parts will arrive at service centers by the end of March, and official notification to owners about the start of the repair campaign is scheduled for March 25, 2026.
Until the technical work is completed, the manufacturer strongly asks customers to keep the fuel level within 50%, noting that a completely empty tank is also undesirable due to the risk of damage to the fuel pump.