Subaru bulletin 07-223-23R
What it saysThis bulletin announces the availability of a new Genuine Subaru Replacement Battery introduced to replace the current battery (SOA821B400). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 13, 2023, received Aug 2, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 6 model years (2016–2019). 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 availability of a new Genuine Subaru Replacement Battery introduced to replace the current battery (SOA821B400). The new battery (SOA821B950) has a higher capacity and is slightly different in size.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-223-23R | Service bulletin | Jul 13, 2023 | 10240111 | PDF, 498 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “New Genuine Subaru Replacement Battery”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82123AN000 | BATTERY COVER | — | eBay Motors → |
| 82190AL000 | SPACER (3.6L ONLY) | — | |
| 82423AN000 | — | — |
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 2019 Legacy →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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,922 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,496 of them name Electrical System — 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 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, the 179 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 32,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
While backing out of my garage, the radio unit froze making the backup screen inoperable. This is a brand new car with 200 miles on it. According to the dealer, they will have to replace the head unit. They were able to get the unit working, hopefully until the new head unit arrives, by physically disconnecting the car battery.
2019 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 6, 2019 · ODI 11218229
Rear tail gate opens without activation at 35 MPH while vehicle is in motion. I have a video but it is too big to send. My wife and I were on a busy highway after just purchasing flowers and plants at a local nursery when the tailgate just started to open all by itself spilling some of the plants on the highway.
2018 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 4, 2018 · ODI 11091702
While exiting off highway, the can unexpectedly shut off nearly causing a wreck. Car would not restart. The entertainment screen remained working the entire time. The instrument cluster went black and remained this way. Automatic windows, entertainment screen, radio all worked but car would not start.
2018 Subaru Legacy · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 19, 2019 · ODI 11208538
In depth: 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback electrical problems → · 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Outback electrical problems → · 2018 Subaru Outback electrical 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 group91 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models 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… |
| 15-331-25R | 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… |
| 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… |
| 15-342-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly. |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4 Dens… |
| 16-150-24R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | "This bulletin announces availability of new reprogramming files developed to address the two symptoms described below: SYMPTOM 1: A jerk or… |
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 07-223-23R 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 07-223-23R 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 07-223-23R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2018 Subaru Legacy, 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2019 Subaru Outback, 2018 Subaru Outback. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.