Subaru bulletin 06-97-26
What it saysThis bulletin announces a design change to the front brake pads which have been redesigned with a new friction material and shape to enhance the removal of rust and debris that can accumulate on the rotor surface… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 30, 2026, received May 4, 2026, about the service brakes. It names 7 model years (2024–2026). 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 announces a design change to the front brake pads which have been redesigned with a new friction material and shape to enhance the removal of rust and debris that can accumulate on the rotor surface, causing unevenness.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06-97-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 30, 2026 | 11032042 | PDF, 1,692 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Front Brake Pad / Design Change”.
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26296FN060 | — | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (2 pages), read Sep 29, 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.
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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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 303 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 18 of them name Service Brakes — 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.
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while their son was driving approximately 45 MPH, a loud pop sound came from the right side of the engine department, and then the steering wheel seized. The driver attempted to apply the brakes; however, the brakes failed.
2025 Subaru Impreza · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Apr 20, 2026
The contact stated that while pulling into a parking spot with the brake pedal pressed, the vehicle displayed unintended acceleration, crashing into the wall of the building in front of the parking space. The air bags did not deploy.
2025 Subaru Forester · Service Brakes · filed with NHTSA Jul 18, 2025
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 service brakes
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (service brakes), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06-97-26R | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | "This bulletin announces a design change to the front brake pads with a new friction material and shape that is intended to enhance the remo… |
| 06-94-25 | Service bulletin | Feb 24, 2025 | This bulletin announces availability of new Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) & Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) module reprogramming files devel… |
| 06-84-22 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2024 | This bulletin announces availability of a Vehicle Dynamics Control Module (VDC) reprogramming file to address DTCs B2809 & B2C22. |
| 06-90-24 | Service bulletin | Jun 25, 2024 | This bulletin provides diagnosis and procedure information to be applied when diagnosing potential fluid leaks on front and rear brake calip… |
| 06-89-23 | Service bulletin | Aug 10, 2023 | This bulletin announces availability of new reprogramming files for the Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) system designed to address cases of a… |
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 06-97-26 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 06-97-26 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.
Which vehicles does 06-97-26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2026 Subaru Crosstrek, 2025 Subaru Crosstrek, 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, 2025 Subaru Forester, 2026 Subaru Impreza, 2025 Subaru Impreza and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.