Subaru bulletin 07-218-23R
What it saysThis bulletin announces availability of a new Genuine Subaru Alternative Replacement Battery introduced to satisfy current supply demands. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 14, 2025, received Apr 6, 2023, about the electrical system — 8 documents under this number. It names 7 model years (2019–2025). 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 availability of a new Genuine Subaru Alternative Replacement Battery introduced to satisfy current supply demands. The alternative replacement battery has a higher capacity and is slightly larger in size.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Jan 14, 2025 | 11013505 | PDF, 398 KB |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2024 | 11002715 | PDF, 398 KB |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | 10252545 | PDF, 398 KB |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Dec 21, 2023 | 10248205 | not found |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2023 | 10244891 | PDF, 398 KB |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Aug 10, 2023 | 10241808 | PDF, 398 KB |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | May 24, 2023 | 10237279 | PDF, 603 KB |
| 07-218-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 27, 2023 | 10233910 | PDF, 722 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Genuine Alternative Battery Replacement”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82190AN000 | TRAY-BATTERY | — | eBay Motors → |
| 82123AN000 | BATTERY COVER | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 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 12v/24v/48v battery for the 2025 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 7 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,958 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 545 of them name Electrical System, 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 Forester, the 39 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 9,565 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. While turning the vehicle, the entire electrical system shut off, including the power steering and emergency braking system. The contact was almost involved in a crash due to the failure. The contact pulled over, shut off the engine, and restarted the vehicle, but the electrical failures remained.
2019 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 25, 2019 · ODI 11191388
On march 2, 2021 I needed to get to an appointment and my car wouldn't start, nor would my fob work to even open the doors. After calling for assistance they jumped the battery. Then I brought it to Subaru where they did a complete diagnostics test and found that the battery was defective. I had bought the car nov.
2021 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 6, 2021 · ODI 11406803
The vehicles battery does not hold a charge during short term, (3-5 weeks of storage). I understand that some prior years of Subaru vehicles have this same problem and there is currently a recall for this. I wonder if this battery problem exists in newer Subaru Foresters.
2023 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 26, 2024 · ODI 11568075
In depth: 2020 Subaru Forester electrical problems → · 2020 Subaru Forester engine problems → · 2019 Subaru Forester electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Forester 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group79 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Forester under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-244-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs: DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circ… |
| 15-333-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure… |
| 15-322-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen… |
| 15-304-22R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 12-269-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area. This is… |
| 15-343-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | "This bulletin announces a design change to the cord assembly that connects the Center Infotainment Display (CID) to the CCU, addressing rep… |
| 15-342-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly. |
| 15-341-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Bulletin provides best practices for troubleshooting and resolving Subaru Connect telematics concerns on 2026MY Solterra, Trailseeker… |
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 07-218-23R 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 07-218-23R 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 07-218-23R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 7 model years: 2025 Subaru Forester, 2024 Subaru Forester, 2023 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Forester, 2021 Subaru Forester, 2020 Subaru Forester and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.