Subaru Recalls 215,000 Outbacks and Legacies for Corrosion in Brake Lines In a report posted Tuesday on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Subaru said it had discovered that a section of the brake lines was unacceptably vulnerable to corrosion after "seven or more winter seasons" and could eventually leak brake fluid. The recall covers 215,000 vehicles sold or registered in states that rely heavily on road salt, Michael McHale, a Subaru spokesman, wrote in an e-mail. That is thought to cover at least 215,000 vehicles, he said. But the automaker told the safety agency it was still doing research and would have a final number later. Those states are Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Such a regional recall," which is allowed by the agency, has been criticized by consumer advocates who say it saves automakers money, but in a mobile society may miss vehicles that need repairs. The agency and automakers have typically defended regional recalls as a safe, practical strategy that does not unnecessarily inconvenience owners who are not likely to have a problem. Mr. McHale said Subaru was unaware of the corrosion causing any leaks much less accidents. In other actions: After some calculating, Nissan now says a recall it announced last month involved about 82,000 vehicles in the United States and almost 7,800 more in Canada. The automaker informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the recall in mid-March, but said it was still working on the number of vehicles involved. Steve Yaeger, a Nissan spokesman, wrote in an e-mail Monday that the automaker had concluded that about 90,000 vehicles were affected. The models are the 2013 Nissan Altima, Leaf, Pathfinder, Sentra and Infiniti JX35. The sensors on the front passenger seat may malfunction and turn off the air bag. Ford is recalling about 3,000 of its 2012 Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans and 2013 Explorers because the gas tanks could leak, according to a report from the automaker posted over the weekend on the N.H.T.S.A. Web site. Ford said a "marginally sealed seam" could allow some fuel to leak and the tank "would not provide the expected strength in the event of an impact," the report said. But the automaker said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem. Ford told the agency it concluded in May 2012 that there had been a problem with the tank molding. However, it took until March to finish the investigation, determine which vehicles had been affected and conclude a recall was needed. Ford told the agency it considered the recall to be voluntary, although once a manufacturer is aware of a defect it has no choice but to notify the agency - within five business days - of its plan for a recall. The automaker also said it did not plan on issuing a news release but "will provide public comments when requested." Most major automakers routinely issue news releases announcing their recalls. A Ford spokeswoman couldn't immediately be reached to explain the policy. General Motors is recalling 144 of its new 2013 Buick Encores because the steering wheel may come off, according to a report posted today on the agency Web site. The automaker said its Korean assembly plant ran short of heated steering wheels and built the Encores with regular wheels. Later, when the heated steering wheels were available they may not have been property fastened. The automaker said it wasn't aware of any accidents related to the problem, which was discovered when there was a "separation" in Korea on a vehicle similar to the Encore.