Subaru Recalls Cars to Fix Glitch Possibly Caused by Fabric Softener

Japanese auto maker says defect can affect a car’s brake lights and up to 2.3 million vehicles

Chieko Tsuneoka and

Mike Colias

Updated March 1, 2019 5:52 p.m. ET

TOKYO—Subaru Corp. said it plans to recall as many as 2.3 million vehicles globally to fix a defect that can affect a car’s brake lights, increasing the risk of a crash.

The auto maker said Friday that the vehicles may have a flaw that prevents the brake-light switch from working properly, which could render the brake lights inoperable and even prevent the engine from starting. The problem affects certain models of Impreza, Crosstrek and Forester vehicles from model years 2008 to 2017, the company said.

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