The rapid advances in automotive technology come with both advantages and perils. New tech can be finicky, buggy, and often hard to learn. And that last quality is what’s at the heart of a recent recall of 4,615 Subaru WRXs from the 2022 model year.
The recall relates to a handy feature called high beam assist that can be found in a variety of new vehicles. When in operation, the feature automatically switches from the high-beams to the low-beams and back when other vehicles are approaching.
A boon to those of us who suffer the dazzling high beams of forgetful drivers coming our way on country roads, some Subaru WRX drivers may, unfortunately, still be blinding oncoming traffic through no fault of their own.
Read: High Beam Issue Prompts Another Recall Of 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L
That’s because the owner’s manual provided by Subaru has been found to contain incorrect instructions on how to operate the high beam assist function. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the bad instructions could “cause the driver to misunderstand the system status, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Specifically, the manual mistakenly references the operation of a different kind of dimmer switch in the vehicle, instead of the high beam assist function. And that’s why good editors are worth their weight in gold (he said, brown-nosing).
Subaru first became aware of the issue in October and conducted an analysis to determine how many manuals might be out in the field. Fortunately, it has not become aware of any warranty claims, field reports, crashes or injuries related to this issue.
Given the nature of the recall, it will be a relatively simple one to fix. Subaru says that it will send out a new manual that contains the correct information. Owners can also opt to have a dealer “install a corrected insert” in their manual. Either way, the fix will come at no cost to customers, and Subaru plans to start informing them of the fix on March 21.
