Subaru bulletin 09-73-20R
What it saysThis bulletin provides a revised service procedure to follow when repairing minor coolant seepage identified to be coming from the air plug at the top of the radiator. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 14, 2024, received Jun 4, 2024, about the engine. It names 8 model years (2017–2021). 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 provides a revised service procedure to follow when repairing minor coolant seepage identified to be coming from the air plug at the top of the radiator.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-73-20R | Service bulletin | May 14, 2024 | 11000825 | PDF, 896 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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,224 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 128 of them name 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 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 7,990 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 · ODI 11271271
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 · ODI 11342076
Car caught fire on the morning of sunday, january 5, 2020 while stationary in a parking lot. The car had been stationary for approximately 12 hours. The attending fire department felt the fire started in the engine compartment, and consumed the entire car by the time it was extinquished. The car was a total loss.
2019 Subaru Impreza · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jan 6, 2020 · ODI 11297486
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 group30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-231-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service procedure for battery replacement on 2025-2026MY Impreza and Crosstrek. |
| 07-242-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin outlines a repair procedure to be performed if DTC B2781 is set in the steering lock control module. |
| 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… |
| 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. |
| 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… |
| 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 09-73-20R 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 09-73-20R 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 09-73-20R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2020 Subaru Impreza, 2019 Subaru Impreza and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.