A recent Collision Advice webinar in the US highlighted a lengthy list of inspections necessary on a Subaru Impreza or Crosstrek (know as an XV in Australia) following a collision — “even if it is a slight collision,” as a service manual states. The webinar gave repairers a look at the various key category tabs on the service manual shared by what appeared to be both the 2018 Subaru Impreza and Crosstrek.
While presenting a slide featuring the work necessary after a driver airbag module assembly experiences a crash, Collision Advice CEO Mike Anderson noted that Subaru gave shops “a pretty comprehensive list” of checks that must be made. (You’ll want to verify this information on Subaru’s actual repair procedure site, ideally by a VIN lookup, before starting work on a real Impreza or Crosstrek from 2018 or any other model year.)
These could include multiple part replacements, Anderson pointed out on the webinar, which was co-hosted by two Subaru collision representatives. According to the Crosstrek/Impreza directions displayed in the slide, any time a driver’s airbag module activates, a repairer must always replace the modules for airbag control, the driver’s airbag and the knee airbag.
Other “must-replaces” include the steering wheel, roll connector, steering column assembly, right and left front sub sensors, right and left seat belt pretensioners, right and left locking tongues of the front seat and the passenger’s-side lap pretensioners.
The right and left curtain airbag modules and passenger’s airbag module also must be replaced if deployed. If the passenger’s airbag module is deployed, the instrument panel assembly must also be swapped out.
Even if the crash doesn’t activate a driver’s airbag module, a shop needs to visually inspect a variety of items and replace anything damaged on the Crosstrek/Impreza. An occupant detection procedure is also required. Even if the collision isn’t frontal, a repairer must still inspect airbag modules and check the passenger’s seat occupant detection system (a diagnostic procedure), according to the repair instructions.
The webinar demonstrated that the list of things Subaru wants inspected or even replaced after a “slight collision” involving the Crosstrek/Impreza goes on much longer, encompassing items like the passenger’s seat and roll connector, as the webinar demonstrated. “We need to make sure we do these things,” Anderson said.
He also said he understood that sometimes insurers don’t want to pay for work — “I get that” — but “it starts with us. We must accept personal responsibility.” However, if a shop isn’t aware of such items, how can it blame an insurer? he concluded.
This article courtesy of John Huetter of Repairer Driven Education (RDE). Check out their website at; Repairer Driven News for this and many other informative and educational articles on the collision repair industry.