Subaru bulletin 07-242-26
What it saysThis bulletin outlines a repair procedure to be performed if DTC B2781 is set in the steering lock control module. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 15, 2026, received Aug 4, 2026, about the engine. It names 12 model years (2024–2025). 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
This bulletin outlines a repair procedure to be performed if DTC B2781 is set in the steering lock control module.
Trouble codes it names: B2781
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-242-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | 11035637 | PDF, 1,628 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “DTC B2781 / Repair Procedure”.
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 83126VC000 | ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 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 12 model years this bulletin names have filed 544 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 26 of them name Steering, 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.
Driving my car as any person would, at the 3519 mile mark on the odometer the engine low oil light came on, it took (1.5Q) of oil to top it off. This is a brand new car no one buys a new car to add oil to it, then to get told by the dealership that it’s normal for up to (2Q) of oil to be added because it’s the only AWD boxer, but yet the…
2024 Subaru WRX · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 24, 2025 · ODI 11650068
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was revving, and the RPM became elevated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired.
2024 Subaru Outback · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 28, 2024 · ODI 11597569
I noticed that when I am driving on the freeway/highway for extended periods of time (30+ minutes) the wheel will start locking up. It stiffens enough that I have to force the wheel in a different direction. When it occurs there is no warning lights or messages from the car, it just suddenly stiffens.
2025 Subaru Crosstrek · Steering · filed with NHTSA Feb 12, 2026 · ODI 11717698
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 engine
Source: same model, same component group57 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-84-22R | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | This bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some cust… |
| 02-196-26R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This service bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. This is an revise… |
| 07-231-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service procedure for battery replacement on 2025-2026MY Impreza and Crosstrek. |
| 02-193-24R | Service bulletin | Jun 30, 2026 | This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject… |
| 09-74-21R | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject… |
| 02-196-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 23, 2026 | This bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. |
| 18-243-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | This bulletin announces the elimination of oil spacers from both left- and right side camshaft carriers on FB2.5 engines. |
| 09-130-25R | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | This bulletin announces the design change made to the exhaust manifold flange nut material that has been changed from stainless steel to med… |
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 07-242-26 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 07-242-26 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 07-242-26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 12 model years: 2025 Subaru BRZ, 2024 Subaru BRZ, 2025 Subaru Crosstrek, 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, 2025 Subaru Forester, 2024 Subaru Forester and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: built on or after 15 Nov 2023; built before 15 Nov 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.