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Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Subaru bulletin 09-120-24R

What it says"This bulletin announces availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 1 Sensor… NHTSA’s full summary ↓

Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 4, 2025, received Apr 1, 2025, about the electrical system. It names 18 model years (2017–2023). 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 availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: • P0016: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 1 Sensor A • P0017: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 1 Sensor B • P0018: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 2 Sensor A • P0019: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 2 Sensor B • P0087: Fuel Rail/System Pressure – Too Low Bank 1 These files contain enhanced logic for the self-diagnosis program of the ECM and to optimize stabilization of fuel pressure. "

Trouble codes it names: P0016 P0017 P0018 P0019 P0087 3 of 5 read from the document itself

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Mar 4, 2025 Received by NHTSA Apr 1, 2025 Components Electrical System, Engine

Document filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA idAt NHTSA
09-120-24RService bulletinMar 4, 202511016165PDF, 737 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 18 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,193 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 821 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 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.

At around the 2000 mile mark I noticed a drastic reduction in fuel econemy. I also started noticing metal particles in the engine oil. I also noticed a significant drop in engine power as well. This is a sign of debris getting in the engine and causing metal particles to become broken off. My mileage went from 460-480 mpt to 360-380 mpt.

2019 Subaru Crosstrek · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 27, 2019

To Whom It May Concern, I am filing a formal dispute and safety complaint regarding my 2022 Subaru Crosstrek Limited. On November 12, 2025, while driving at approximately 70 mph on the highway, the vehicle suddenly stopped operating automatically without warning. This was a terrifying and dangerous event for me and my family.

2022 Subaru Crosstrek · Engine · filed with NHTSA Nov 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. After stopping the vehicle and inspecting under the hood, the engine was restarted and the vehicle operated as designed. The failure recurred on multiple occasions.

2020 Subaru Impreza · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jul 29, 2020

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 group

138 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.

NumberKindDatedNHTSA’s summary
15-342-26Service bulletinAug 31, 2026This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly.
15-261-20RService bulletinAug 31, 2026This bulletin announces reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4 Dens…
15-341-26Service bulletinAug 20, 2026This Bulletin provides best practices for troubleshooting and resolving Subaru Connect telematics concerns on 2026MY Solterra, Trailseeker…
15-308-23RService bulletinAug 20, 2026This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experienc…
15-305-22RService bulletinAug 20, 2026This bulletin announces a reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4.5…
15-331-25RService bulletinAug 14, 2026This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern…
15-304-22RService bulletinAug 13, 2026This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern…
15-333-25RService bulletinAug 1, 2026This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure…

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 09-120-24R 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 09-120-24R 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 09-120-24R cover?

The manufacturer filed it against 18 model years: 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2023 Subaru Forester and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.