Subaru bulletin 09-80-21R
What it saysThis bulletin announces availability of a new thermo control valve assembly. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 1, 2024, received Oct 4, 2022, about the equipment — 3 documents under this number. It names 8 model years (2019–2021). 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 availability of a new thermo control valve assembly. The new valve contains an enhanced stainless steel internal shaft for optimized durability along with advanced water proofing for the sensor portion.
Trouble codes it names: P2682 all 1 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-80-21R | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2024 | 10253903 | PDF, 472 KB |
| 09-80-21R | Service bulletin | May 16, 2023 | 10237281 | PDF, 469 KB |
| 09-80-21R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2022 | 10222348 | PDF, 1,583 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “DTC # P2682 & P26Ax** / Thermo Control”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21319AA010 | — | — | |
| 21319AA040 | VALVE ASSEMBLY-THERMO CONTROL or | — | eBay Motors → |
| 14035AA750 | GSKT-INT MANIF (Crosstrek & Forester) | — | eBay Motors → |
| 17540AA460 | PIPE AY-FUEL DLVY | — | eBay Motors → |
| 14738AA210 | EGR GASKET | — | eBay Motors → |
| 45192FL000 | O-Ring | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (4 pages), read Sep 30, 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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 3,104 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 321 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 Forester, the 23 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 30,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I was crossing two lanes of a very busy ocean front street when the engine “bogged down” . I let off on the gas pedal and then depressed it again, which then caused the engine to go off. I the quickly restarted the engine and was able to get out of the way of oncoming traffic.
2021 Subaru Crosstrek · Engine · filed with NHTSA Aug 31, 2021
Vehicle: 2021 Subaru Legacy Base 2.5i Mileage:~65,000 miles My engine suddenly began making loud internal knocking/tapping noises with no warning lights, no overheating, and no prior symptoms. The vehicle immediately became unsafe to operate.
2021 Subaru Legacy · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 4, 2026
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group26 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-249-23R | Service bulletin | May 13, 2026 | This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on pain… |
| 15-130-08R | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2025 | This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way som… |
| 17-17-13R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | NOTE: The Airbag systems used on previous and current WRX, STI and Tribeca models are NOT equipped with EDR functionality. This Bulletin p… |
| 15-256-19R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | This bulletin provides information on a new reprogramming procedure (FOTA) to optimize the Harman Gen 3.1 Audio and Navigation head units… |
| 03-91-23R | Service bulletin | Apr 23, 2024 | This bulletin announces the design change made to the front drive axle shaft assemblies to address cases of a clicking/cracking-type sound h… |
| FAQ 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2024 | T16 VoLTE Warranty Extension (15-318-24R) Frequently Asked Questions. |
| 09-118-24 | Service bulletin | Apr 4, 2024 | This bulletin the announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM) reprogramming files to address DTC P24… |
| 12-321-21R | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2024 | This bulletin announces the design change made to the cowl panel. The change was made to address a small number of cases where the rubber se… |

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 09-80-21R 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 09-80-21R 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 09-80-21R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, 2021 Subaru Forester, 2020 Subaru Forester, 2019 Subaru Forester, 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.