Subaru bulletin 12-249-23R
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 13, 2026, received Aug 2, 2023, about the equipment — 2 documents under this number. It names 68 model years (2016–2026). 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.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on painted surfaces on vehicles imported from Japan. This bulletin does not apply to SIA built vehicles.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-249-23R | Service bulletin | May 13, 2026 | 11033062 |
| 12-249-23R | Service bulletin | Jul 11, 2023 | 10240110 |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5; the full text comes from the manufacturer or a dealer. 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. Quote it at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themand 27 more model years on this site.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2021 Subaru BRZ.
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Subaru 12-249-23R 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 12-249-23R 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 12-249-23R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 68 model years: 2026 Subaru BRZ, 2024 Subaru BRZ, 2023 Subaru BRZ, 2022 Subaru BRZ, 2020 Subaru BRZ, 2019 Subaru BRZ and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.