Subaru bulletin 05-97-26
What it saysThis Bulletin provides the diagnostic procedures to be followed when addressing customer concerns of steering wheel/vehicle body vibration when driving at highway speeds when tire/wheel balance is suspected. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 20, 2026, received May 4, 2026, about the steering. It names 88 model years (2016–2026). 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 provides the diagnostic procedures to be followed when addressing customer concerns of steering wheel/vehicle body vibration when driving at highway speeds when tire/wheel balance is suspected.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-97-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 20, 2026 | 11032035 | PDF, 2,292 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 themand 47 more on this site: 2026 Subaru Impreza, 2025 Subaru Impreza, 2024 Subaru Impreza, 2023 Subaru Impreza, 2022 Subaru Impreza, 2021 Subaru Impreza, 2020 Subaru Impreza, 2019 Subaru Impreza, 2018 Subaru Impreza, 2017 Subaru Impreza, 2016 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport, 2025 Subaru Legacy, 2024 Subaru Legacy, 2023 Subaru Legacy, 2022 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2018 Subaru Legacy, 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2026 Subaru Outback, 2025 Subaru Outback, 2024 Subaru Outback, 2023 Subaru Outback, 2022 Subaru Outback, 2021 Subaru Outback, 2020 Subaru Outback, 2019 Subaru Outback, 2018 Subaru Outback, 2026 Subaru Solterra, 2025 Subaru Solterra, 2024 Subaru Solterra, 2023 Subaru Solterra, 2026 Subaru Trailseeker, 2026 Subaru Uncharted, 2026 Subaru WRX, 2025 Subaru WRX, 2024 Subaru WRX, 2023 Subaru WRX, 2022 Subaru WRX, 2021 Subaru WRX, 2020 Subaru WRX, 2019 Subaru WRX, 2018 Subaru WRX, 2017 Subaru WRX, 2016 Subaru WRX.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2021 Subaru BRZ.
A 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 87 model years this bulletin names have filed 12,920 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 186 of them name Steering, Wheels — 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 2018 Subaru Outback, the 30 owners who gave an odometer reading for Steering reported it at a median of 4,900 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I have issues with surging, AC system, suspension, extreme tire wear, tires wear unevenly, steering assist, inability to align steering, windows roll down for no reason and won't roll back up unless you roll them all the way down and then up but they usually just roll back down half way again (it's a battle!) windows scratch just from…
2017 Subaru WRX · Steering · filed with NHTSA Apr 12, 2021 · ODI 11407791
When driving, especially at highway speeds, the steering will unexpectedly push the car across the lane, sometimes harshly, especially around curves. This is more than a simple nudge for lane assist, it scares the heck out of you as you fight the steering wheel to maintain control. At least on our car it's enough to cause an accident!
2019 Subaru Crosstrek · Steering · filed with NHTSA Oct 9, 2019 · ODI 11267281
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while stopped, the steering ceased. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact stated that the failure was also experienced while driving at approximately 20 MPH, with the steering being difficult to operate. No warning light was illuminated.
2020 Subaru Outback · Steering · filed with NHTSA Feb 5, 2020 · ODI 11307232
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 steering
Source: same model, same component group2 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (steering), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| WRL-21R | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated this safety recall for certain 2020 model year Ascent vehicles in which the front axle housin… |
| 04-29-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 13, 2024 | This bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files for the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) control module developed to addr… |
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 05-97-26 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 05-97-26 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 05-97-26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 88 model years: 2026 Subaru Ascent, 2025 Subaru Ascent, 2024 Subaru Ascent, 2023 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.