Scion bulletin S-SB-0021-15
What it saysSSB: some 2015 2016 model year FR-S vehicles may exhibit a condition where the engine idle speed fluctuates (typically 500 1000 RPM) only when the transmission is in the park or neutral shift position. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Scion filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 17, 2016, received Mar 30, 2017, about the power train — 3 documents under this number: S-SB-0021-15 Rev and 2 more. It names 1 model year (2016). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationSSB: SOME 2015 2016 MODEL YEAR FR-S VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CONDITION WHERE THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED FLUCTUATES (TYPICALLY 500 1000 RPM) ONLY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS IN THE PARK OR NEUTRAL SHIFT POSITION. THIS CONDITION OCCURS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 25 MILES OR MORE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM) LOGIC HAS BEEN REVISED TO ADDRESS THIS CONDITION. USE THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE FOR REPROGRAMMING THE TCM.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-SB-0021-15 Rev | Service bulletin | Oct 17, 2016 | 10132861 | not found |
| S-SB-0021-15 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2015 | 10111447 | not found |
| S-SB-0021-15 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2015 | 10096724 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) for the 2016 FR-S →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 2 of them name Power Train, Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
Throw out bearing failing at 48,500 miles. Dealer refused to cover repair. This is a known issue for which there is a dealer TSB with a revised part and better grease that does not dry out. Issue is revealed by squealing sound at start up, which dealer replicated and confirmed issue is bad throw out bearing.
2016 Scion FR-S · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Feb 27, 2019 · ODI 11182719
There was a recall on the power train system for the 2016 Scion frs models and mines just failed. I was never notified about this recall. Can the recall be reopened
2016 Scion FR-S · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 30, 2024 · ODI 11611888
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against the Scion FR-S under the same component group (power train), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-SB-0012-17 | Service bulletin | Apr 10, 2017 | TSB: Some 2013 ? 2016 model year FR-S vehicles equipped with a manual transmission may exhibit an abnormal noise, such as a squeak, grind or… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Scion, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Scion S-SB-0021-15 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the S-SB-0021-15 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does S-SB-0021-15 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2016 Scion FR-S. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.