Subaru bulletin 03-91-23
What it saysThis bulletin announces the design change made to the front drive axle shaft assemblies to address cases of a clicking/cracking-type sound heard when driving with the steering wheel in the fully locked (left or right)… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 8, 2024, received Feb 2, 2024, about the power train. It names 9 model years (2019–2023). 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 bulletin announces the design change made to the front drive axle shaft assemblies to address cases of a clicking/cracking-type sound heard when driving with the steering wheel in the fully locked (left or right) position.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03-91-23 | Service bulletin | Jan 8, 2024 | 10249602 | PDF, 424 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Clicking/Cracking-Type Sound on Slow Turns”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28321AN030 | OUTBACK DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY-FRONT | — | eBay Motors → |
| 28321SJ010 | FORESTER DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY-FRONT | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (5 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Subaru’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’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.
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 axle assembly for the 2023 Forester →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 9 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,585 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 157 of them name Power Train — 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.
My new 2022 Forester Wildness is equipped with an automate "Start and Stop" function which (while driving) shuts the engine off if the sits still too long in traffic or a stop light. While the car has a button to disable this function. You must press the button every time you start the car to disable the auto SS.
2022 Subaru Forester · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 6, 2022 · ODI 11483112
Vehicle vibrate starting at 50 MPH and gets excessive at 65mph and up, while cruising in the highway. The vibration can be felt on the steering wheel and the driver seat seat
2020 Subaru Forester · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 30, 2019 · ODI 11292190
In depth: 2020 Subaru Outback transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group19 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-158-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions us… |
| 16-156-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which enhancement was implemented to prevent abnormal operations.… |
| 16-154-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles… |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip c… |
| 16-151-24R | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR690 model CVT transmissions us… |
| 16-157-26 | Service bulletin | May 12, 2026 | This bulletin announces a design change to the TR690 CVT control valve body which features an enhanced line pressure sensor O-ring, designed… |
| 16-155-25R | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Powertrain Warranty coverage for th… |
| 03-97-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures. |
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 03-91-23 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 03-91-23 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 03-91-23 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 9 model years: 2023 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Forester, 2021 Subaru Forester, 2020 Subaru Forester, 2019 Subaru Forester, 2023 Subaru Outback and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.