Subaru bulletin 09-131-25R
What it saysThis bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures and availability of reprograming files to rectify the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 11, 2025, received Sep 2, 2025, about the engine. It names 6 model years (2016–2021). 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 diagnostic procedures and availability of reprograming files to rectify the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). • P2404: EVAP System Leak Detection Pump Sense Circuit Range/Performance. • P0420: Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 1. (not applicable for 15-18 models)
Trouble codes it names: P0420 P2404
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-131-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 11, 2025 | 11022300 | PDF, 1,194 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 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 192 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 108 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.
I purchased a 2016 Subaru Wrx (premium) used from a Subaru dealer in albany, ny with under 26k miles for approximately $25k in 2018. On a drive in december 2022 I experienced hesitation and/or stuttering under load or when attempting to accelerate, and car began getting very hot, and close to overheating, and the engine was knocking…
2016 Subaru WRX · Engine · filed with NHTSA Apr 10, 2023
Parasitic battery problem My car battery keeps dying on my Subaru sti 2020 after one day of not driving. I have had the car checked with Subaru dealership and a local shop but no issues were found. This morning I had to get my car jumped again after not driving it for one day. This battery was purchased brand new on nov 2024.
2020 Subaru WRX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 7, 2025
In October 2024, my vehicle, a 2021 Subaru WRX STI, was purchased from a Toyota dealership (Fort Bend Sterling McCall Toyota). The dealership sold the vehicle with an oil issue and a modified ECM. This issue caused catastrophic engine failure while driving. The vehicle stalled and could not be started.
2021 Subaru WRX · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 21, 2025
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 group24 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru WRX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 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. |
| 18-240-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 1, 2026 | "This bulletin provides a new diagnostic procedure for vehicles equipped with a Denso CP 1, 1.5 and 2.5 head units to provide an enhanced ve… |
| 18-230-26 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2026 | This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs B1571(REFERENCE CODE INCOMPATIBILITY IMMOBILIZER CM TO ECM) and B1572… |
| WRA-26 | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating a new voluntary emissions recall for certain 2018 m… |
| 15-300-22R | Service bulletin | Jan 12, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin provides the diagnostic procedure for the STARLINK® Remote Engine Start (RES). All Gen2 and Gen3 Telematic… |
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 09-131-25R 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 09-131-25R 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 09-131-25R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2021 Subaru WRX, 2020 Subaru WRX, 2019 Subaru WRX, 2018 Subaru WRX, 2017 Subaru WRX, 2016 Subaru WRX. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.