Subaru has announced a recall of 541,237 vehicles in the US due to an error on a mandatory factory information sticker. The campaign affects 2019–2026 model year Subaru Ascent, 2025–2026 Forester and Forester Hybrid, and 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid.

The cause was an incorrectly specified maximum permissible Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the rear axle. Although the vehicles' design is completely sound, incorrect data could lead owners to overload the car beyond its calculated limit, increasing the load on the rear axle and the potential risk of an accident.

According to Subaru, the problem was identified after an inspection initiated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). After analyzing the calculated load values for vehicles produced since the 2003 model year, the company decided to conduct a recall campaign.

The method of resolving the issue turned out to be unusual. Instead of a mandatory visit to a service center, owners will receive a new certification sticker with the correct specifications by mail, along with instructions for self-installation over the old one. For those who do not wish to perform the procedure themselves, official dealers will apply the corrected marking free of charge.

Subaru emphasizes that it has no information about accidents, injuries, warranty claims, or technical malfunctions related to this error. The company also did not specify how much the erroneous and correct values for the permissible rear axle load differ.