Subaru has a zombie car problem. The company is recalling tens of thousands of its vehicles after reports of malfunctioning key fobs mistakenly starting engines and turning on cars randomly.
Many Subarus, like a multitude of other cars on the road, feature a remote start function on their key fobs that will start the car’s engine from a certain distance. Most use this function to start their cars to get the heat going before they enter the car on chilly days.
But dropping the key fob of some Subarus can cause a malfunction that will randomly, remotely start the cars’ engines and then turn it off. The process can also repeat itself, starting and restarting the car over and over again without the owner ever realizing. It’s even possible that the cars can start and restart themselves indefinitely, restarting the ignition until the key fob runs out of battery power, or the car runs out of gas.
“The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to 15 minutes,” Subaru of America wrote in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, CNN reported. “The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause asphyxiation.”
The malfunction only seems to affect one type of Subaru key fob, remote start device. This Audiovox remote engine starter accessory only comes with Subarus with automatic transmissions. The Japanese car company is recalling 47,419 vehicles with a model year from 2010 to 2013. The models affected by the bizarre recall include Outbacks and Legacys from 2010 to 2013, Imprezas from 2012 to 2013 and 2013 XV Crossteks.
The recall will begin at the end of April, and Subaru owners can receive new, functional key fobs that won’t start a zombie car apocalypse.
