Subaru of America announced a major recall for the 2012 model year versions of its Legacy, Outback and Impreza cars. The company has received hundreds of reports of "greater than usual" brake pedal travel in the vehicles.

According to Subaru's parent, Fujitsu Heavy Industries, the vehicles' brakes are operational. However, the company has received approximately 130 complaints of excessive brake travel among the roughly 3,000 new model year vehicles it has already sold in North America. The company has also confirmed the issue in three vehicles.

A Subaru spokesman told AutoWeek that there have been no reports of accidents or complete brake failures. But the company believes the brake travel issue may be tied to a faulty batch of brake master cylinders, a part common to the affected Legacy and Outback models (both built in Lafayette, Ind.) and a select few Impreza cars built in Japan.

The company has issued to its U.S. dealers a "stop-sell" order on all three vehicle lines and is working with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin notifying owners affected by this recall.

Subaru has not disclosed how many of its vehicles may be affected by faulty brake master cylinders. However the company says it takes about an hour for mechanics to replace the part.

2012 Subaru Impreza, Legacy and Outback models recalled over excessive brake pedal travel [AutoBlog]
Subaru stops sales of three 2012 nameplates for brake problem [AutoWeek]