Subaru bulletin 02-190-22R
What it saysThis Service Information Bulletin announces the proper diagnostic procedures regarding oil leakage from the oil level switch area. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 29, 2023, received Jul 3, 2023, about the engine. It names 10 model years (2019–2022). 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 communicationThis Service Information Bulletin announces the proper diagnostic procedures regarding oil leakage from the oil level switch area.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02-190-22R | Service bulletin | Jun 29, 2023 | 10238469 | PDF, 587 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 10 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,783 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 202 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.
On the 2019 Subaru Ascent, the 21 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 11,841 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Odometer: 1,289 miles vehicle was in motion on a city street, drove 3 miles away from home. Battery light came on, vehicle started to overheat and check coolant indicator came on. Opened hood to smoke and serpentine belt had shredded. Coolant was sprayed all over under the hood.
2020 Subaru Ascent · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 9, 2019 · ODI 11267561
The initial incident occurred on July 31, 2021. I used the push button start to start the car, put the vehicle in reverse, and the vehicle proceeded to roll uncontrolled down my driveway, which is on a slope. I had no power steering or power brakes.
2022 Subaru Outback · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 14, 2021 · ODI 11429109
Vehicle: 2021 Subaru Legacy Base 2.5i Mileage:~65,000 miles My engine suddenly began making loud internal knocking/tapping noises with no warning lights, no overheating, and no prior symptoms. The vehicle immediately became unsafe to operate.
2021 Subaru Legacy · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 4, 2026 · ODI 11742064
In depth: 2020 Subaru Outback engine problems →
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 group38 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-141-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This Bulletin provides a diagnostic procedure for customer concerns about hesitation, reduced acceleration, or lack of power when driving up… |
| 02-196-26R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This service bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. This is an revise… |
| 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. |
| 02-193-24R | Service bulletin | Jun 30, 2026 | This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject… |
| 09-74-21R | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject… |
| 02-196-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 23, 2026 | This bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. |
| 18-243-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | This bulletin announces the elimination of oil spacers from both left- and right side camshaft carriers on FB2.5 engines. |
| 09-130-25R | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | This bulletin announces the design change made to the exhaust manifold flange nut material that has been changed from stainless steel to med… |
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 02-190-22R 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 02-190-22R 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 02-190-22R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 10 model years: 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Legacy and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.