Subaru recalls 2023 Ascent for potential tire deflation

Subaru has suffered another snafu around the tire region. A couple of months ago, the Japanese automaker needed to recall a small number of Solterra crossovers a second time due to for loose lug nuts. This time, the 2023 Ascent is the affected model, but only trims with the 20-inch wheels. A potentially damaged internal tire bead is the culprit. According to the Safety Recall Report that Subaru filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the bead guide arm on a tire mounting machine at the factory was found to be out of alignment. This placed too much stress on the tired bead when the tire was mounted. A dealer tech alerted the company to a problem after reporting a flat tire with a break in the sidewall. Obviously, broken sidewall are no bueno, as they can lead to sudden tire deflation and increase the risk of a crash. 

The recall population includes 4,409 Ascents built between December 5, 2022 and January 10, 2023. A routine inspection detected the bead arm had been knocked out of alignment, and the situation was corrected. Subaru received ten technical reports on the issue from dealers, however, the company isn’t aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the matter. The fix is a trip to the dealer to have all four Falken tires replaced free of charge. 

Dealers were notified on April 5. Subaru plans to begin sending notification letters to Ascent owners on June 6. Until then, owners can contact the automaker’s customer service line at 844-373-6614 and refer to internal recall number WRH-23. Or they can get in touch with the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) and refer to campaign number 23V258.

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