2013 Subaru Impreza Wrx Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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NHTSA investigating 33k Subaru Imprezas for airbag sensor flaw

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is beginning an investigation into an estimated 33,500 units of the 2012 Subaru Impreza because of a potential flaw with the sensor for the airbag system. The government agency has 26 complaints about possible faults with the Occupant Detection System for the front passenger seat, and this is the sensor that decides whether a person is an adult, petite, child seat or some other object and adjusts the deployment of the airbag accordingly. However, these reports allege that it was incorrectly turned off when someone was in the vehicle, which caused the airbag not to activate. Subaru put out a Technical Service Bulletin in May 2012 that attempted to address a similar problem. For now, this investigation is classified as a preliminary evaluation and is gathering more data about the potential problem to "assess the scope, frequency, and consequence," according to NHTSA. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression Date Investigation Opened: APR 10, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15012 Component(s): AIR BAGS All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) SUBARU IMPREZA 2012 Details Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc. SUMMARY: The Office of Defects Investigation has received 26 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire reports involving the passenger frontal air bag in MY 2012 Subaru Impreza vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type Occupant Detection System, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The reports allege that the Occupant Detection System, failed to operate properly and incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied. In a frontal crash sufficient to warranty deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat. Additionally, ODI notes that Subaru published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) No. 17-16-12 on May 29, 2012 to address conditions with the Occupant Detection System that can lead to suppression of the passenger air bag when the passenger seat is occupied. ODI is opening this this investigation to assess the scope, frequency, and consequence of incorrect air bag suppression and any connection that may exists to the TSB.

Revisit the charms of the 1978 Subaru Brat

The Subaru Brat is the automotive equivalent of a teenager with a mullet: weird, a little reckless but brimming with enough self-confidence to make it cool.
The Brat came from Subaru's desire to compete in the burgeoning light pickup market of the late-1970s. To get around the so-called Chicken Tax that added a 25 percent tariff on imported pickup trucks, Subaru threw two seats in the bed, which technically allowed it to be classified it as a passenger car. The result was a great, weird combination of a complete lack of safety, with a low price and lots of driving fun.
In the video below, Motor Trend's Johnny Lieberman takes a 1978 Brat through the desert and shows just how much fun a little pickup can be.

Subaru teases Impreza sedan concept for LA

When the doors open at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month, Subaru will be on hand to preview its upcoming Impreza. But before it does, it's giving us an idea of what to expect. Although we can only see so much of it from the teaser image above, the Impreza Sedan Concept pictured here for the first time looks similar to the Impreza 5-Door Concept we saw in Tokyo mere days ago. It seems to bear the same headlights and the same sculpted flank as the hatchback show car. Only as you might have discerned by now, it has a trunk instead of a tailgate. And instead of that blueish-silver, this one's done up in metallic red. For more than that, we'll have to wait. And it's entirely possible that even when it does arrive, Subaru won't tell us much about the technical specifications. Many of these concepts don't actually have engines, after all, When the new Impreza does reach production, it will in all likelihood feature a boxer four engine and all-wheel drive. Subaru to Debut "Impreza Sedan Concept" at 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show Tokyo, November 10, 2015 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the "Impreza Sedan Concept" will make its world debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show (Press day: November 17 – 19 / Open to the public: November 20 – 29, 2015). The Impreza Sedan Concept will be unveiled at the press briefing scheduled for 2:35 PM PST on November 18 at Subaru booth following a speech by FHI President & CEO, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga. The special site opens today on the Subaru Global Site. http://www.subaru-global.com/2015la.html The site will feature information updates relating to the Los Angeles Auto Show including Subaru's press conference. Related Video: