Subaru Australia has announced a recall this week on models in its Impreza, XV and Forester lines, over potential for a wiring harness malfunction.

Forming part of a global 236,000 vehicle campaign, the local recall centres on a fault in the steering column, where friction between the wire harness and a metal plate may lead to a short circuit.

“The metal plate may cause excessive wear of the harness coating due to vibration, which in turn, could trigger a short circuit due to exposure of the metal wire,” the recall notice states.

Subaru says the recall involves 54,572 vehicles in Australia, although it expects the failure rate of the fault to be no more than 0.007 percent.

If a short circuit occurs, it could cause deactivation or malfunction of the airbag, while a fuse blowout could disrupt the Engine Control Unit’s power supply, potentially causing engine stalls.

Other effects can include malfunction of steering-mounted controls, including cruise control, wipers, head lights, horn and mobile phone use.