NHTSA Campaign Number

12V602000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Reported to NHTSA: December 26, 2012

Key Takeaways

Recall 12V602000 currently maps to 15 tracked vehicle-year pages across 1 make.
This page summarizes the official defect description, safety consequence, and remedy text published by NHTSA for this campaign.
This is a campaign-level lookup, not a VIN-level clearance result. Use a VIN lookup before assuming your specific vehicle is still open.

Useful Next Steps

Check a VIN for an open recall Read what to do after a recall notice Browse more lighting recalls Open an affected vehicle page

Defect Description

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).

Safety Consequence

Over time, migration of the moisture into the circuit board and/or into the connector cavity, may result in a short circuit of the puddle light system. This may generate heat which may melt the plastic resulting in smoke or fire.

Remedy

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fused-harness, free of charge. The recall began February 19, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.

What This Recall Page Shows

This page summarizes a single NHTSA recall campaign, including the defect description, safety consequence, and manufacturer's remedy. The affected vehicles listed below are the make/model/year combinations tracked in our database — this is not a VIN-specific result. To check whether your individual vehicle is covered by this recall, enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Click any vehicle below to view its full safety profile.

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Affected Vehicles (15)

Year	Make	Model
2009	Subaru	Forester
2010	Subaru	Forester
2011	Subaru	Forester
2012	Subaru	Forester
2010	Subaru	Legacy
2011	Subaru	Legacy
2010	Subaru	Outback
2011	Subaru	Outback
2006	Subaru	Tribeca
2007	Subaru	Tribeca
2008	Subaru	Tribeca
2009	Subaru	Tribeca
2010	Subaru	Tribeca
2011	Subaru	Tribeca
2012	Subaru	Tribeca

Browse Affected Vehicles

This recall information is from NHTSA campaign 12V602000. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA. Contact your dealer or call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.

Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026