Subaru bulletin 09-84-22R
What it saysThis bulletin announces Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some customers regarding an odor or a rattle-type noise/fluttering sound coming from… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 16, 2026, received Dec 1, 2022, about the engine — 2 documents under this number. It names 2 model years (2017–2018). 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 Warranty Extension and design changes made to the front exhaust pipe and covers to address the concerns of some customers regarding an odor or a rattle-type noise/fluttering sound coming from the undercarriage, during acceleration. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09-84-22R | Service bulletin | Sep 16, 2026 | 11037934 | PDF, 1,330 KB |
| 09-84-22R | Service bulletin | Nov 1, 2022 | 10226829 | not found |
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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,090 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 80 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 2017 Subaru Forester, the 27 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 20,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Upon starting, RPM surged to over 4500, and there was loud grinding noise, sounded as if the engine was destroying itself. Sounded like severe metal to metal slapping with vibration that stopped when key turned off ignition. Subsequent start appeared normal.
2017 Subaru Forester · Engine · filed with NHTSA Dec 12, 2017 · ODI 11054169
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 group28 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Forester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-242-26 | 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… |
| 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… |
| 18-228-25R | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs P2096 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO LEAN BANK 1) and P2097… |
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 09-84-22R 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 09-84-22R 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 09-84-22R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2018 Subaru Forester, 2017 Subaru Forester. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.