Subaru bulletin 02-136-12R
What it saysThe purpose of this Bulletin is to provide procedures for the diagnosis and repair of oil seepage which may be coming from the areas listed in this bulletin. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 29, 2023, received Feb 1, 2021, about the engine — 3 documents under this number. It names 5 model years (2016–2020). 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 communicationThe purpose of this Bulletin is to provide procedures for the diagnosis and repair of oil seepage which may be coming from the areas listed in this bulletin.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02-136-12R | Service bulletin | Jun 29, 2023 | 10238464 | PDF, 938 KB |
| 02-136-12R | Service bulletin | Jul 11, 2022 | 10216978 | PDF, 3,103 KB |
| 02-136-12R | Service bulletin | Jan 22, 2021 | 10186346 | PDF, 1,503 KB |
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.
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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3 of them name 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.
Engine hiccups while engine temperature gets enough level. Nothing comes on dashboard but I can definitely felt the car's hiccup very randomly
2019 Subaru BRZ · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 15, 2023 · ODI 11511987
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group18 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru BRZ under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-242-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin outlines a repair procedure to be performed if DTC B2781 is set in the steering lock control module. |
| 18-240-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2026 | "This bulletin provides a new diagnostic procedure for vehicles equipped with a Denso CP 1, 1.5 and 2.5 head units to provide an enhanced ve… |
| 18-230-26 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs B1571(REFERENCE CODE INCOMPATIBILITY IMMOBILIZER CM TO ECM) and B1572… |
| 15-300-22R | Service bulletin | Jan 12, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin provides the diagnostic procedure for the STARLINK® Remote Engine Start (RES). All Gen2 and Gen3 Telematic… |
| 18-228-25R | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs P2096 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO LEAN BANK 1) and P2097… |
| 18-228-25 | Service bulletin | Nov 20, 2025 | This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs P2096 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO LEAN BANK 1) and P2097… |
| 15-319-24R | Service bulletin | Oct 28, 2025 | This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be followed when encountering cases of the Remote Engine Start (RES) system being the o… |
| 07-235-25 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2025 | In the interest of customer satisfaction Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage in the models list… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Subaru, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Subaru 02-136-12R 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 02-136-12R 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. Every Subaru warranty extension on file lists the ones Subaru has filed.
Which vehicles does 02-136-12R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2020 Subaru BRZ, 2019 Subaru BRZ, 2018 Subaru BRZ, 2017 Subaru BRZ, 2016 Subaru BRZ. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.