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Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Subaru bulletin 09-117-24

What it saysThis bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files developed to address cases of DTC P0890 (TCM Power Relay Sense Circuit Low) detected by the Engine Control Module (ECM). NHTSA’s full summary ↓

Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 9, 2024, received May 2, 2024, about the engine. It names 16 model years (2019–2024). 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 communication

This bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files developed to address cases of DTC P0890 (TCM Power Relay Sense Circuit Low) detected by the Engine Control Module (ECM).

Trouble codes it names: P0890

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Apr 9, 2024 Received by NHTSA May 2, 2024 Components Engine, Power Train, Electrical System

Document filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA idAt NHTSA
09-117-24Service bulletinApr 9, 202410253953PDF, 273 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 them

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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A weekly email, sent only in a week when Subaru files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.

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What owners reported

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Owners of the 16 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,101 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,210 of them name Electrical System, Power Train, 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 2020 Subaru Outback, the 115 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 5,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.

Warning light on infotainment screen for Eyesight and Transmission Oil issues. Warning from MySubaru System via website. Warning on Infotainment screen while using CarPlay "There was a problem loading this content." Contacted Subaru of America Britt Senior Customer Service Advocate telling them dealer is not making appointment to fix car…

2024 Subaru Legacy · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 11, 2024 · ODI 11619239

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V907000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

2022 Subaru Ascent · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 9, 2023 · ODI 11506378

I attempted to start my Subaru Ascent and it would not start. I contacted subaru's towing and they came and jumpstarted the car. The towing company informed me that subaru's Ascent batteries are defective and that they have been forced to jump a number of them. I drove to work. The next morning, I woke to the same problem.

2019 Subaru Ascent · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 4, 2019 · ODI 11217905

In depth: 2020 Subaru Ascent electrical problems → · 2020 Subaru Ascent transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2019 Subaru Ascent electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Ascent transmission and drivetrain 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 engine

Source: same model, same component group

38 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.

NumberKindDatedNHTSA’s summary
09-141-26Service bulletinSep 29, 2026This Bulletin provides a diagnostic procedure for customer concerns about hesitation, reduced acceleration, or lack of power when driving up…
02-196-26RService bulletinAug 20, 2026This service bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. This is an revise…
07-242-26Service bulletinJul 15, 2026This bulletin outlines a repair procedure to be performed if DTC B2781 is set in the steering lock control module.
02-193-24RService bulletinJun 30, 2026This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject…
09-74-21RService bulletinJun 26, 2026This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject…
02-196-26Service bulletinJun 23, 2026This bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup.
18-243-26Service bulletinJun 11, 2026This bulletin announces the elimination of oil spacers from both left- and right side camshaft carriers on FB2.5 engines.
09-130-25RService bulletinJun 3, 2026This 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.

Photo: Christian Buehner / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5

Is Subaru 09-117-24 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 09-117-24 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 09-117-24 cover?

The manufacturer filed it against 16 model years: 2024 Subaru Ascent, 2023 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.