Affected owners to receive corrective labels at no cost
Subaru of America is recalling more than 541,000 of its Crosstrek, Forester and Ascent SUVs due to an inaccurate certification label, according to a notice published this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The label on the affected vehicles incorrectly states the gross axle weight rating, or GAWR — the maximum weight that each axle of a vehicle can support.
The NHTSA warned that the wrong GAWR “may lead to an overloaded vehicle,” which could increase the likelihood of a crash. The defect is limited to the label itself rather than any underlying mechanical component.
The recall covers certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles, according to the recall documents. Subaru has not been aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the issue in the U.S., the company said.
No mechanical repair is required. Subaru plans to mail impacted owners a corrective certification label to place over the faulty one. Customers may also choose to have a dealer apply the new label on their vehicles, free of charge.