Subaru bulletin 12-249-23R
What it saysThis 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. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
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.
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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 | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-249-23R | Service bulletin | May 13, 2026 | 11033062 | PDF, 1,109 KB |
| 12-249-23R | Service bulletin | Jul 11, 2023 | 10240110 | PDF, 724 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 themand 27 more on this site: 2022 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2018 Subaru Legacy, 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2026 Subaru Outback, 2024 Subaru Outback, 2023 Subaru Outback, 2022 Subaru Outback, 2021 Subaru Outback, 2020 Subaru Outback, 2019 Subaru Outback, 2018 Subaru Outback, 2026 Subaru Solterra, 2026 Subaru Trailseeker, 2026 Subaru Uncharted, 2026 Subaru WRX, 2023 Subaru WRX, 2022 Subaru WRX, 2021 Subaru WRX, 2020 Subaru WRX, 2019 Subaru WRX, 2018 Subaru WRX, 2017 Subaru WRX, 2016 Subaru WRX.
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.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 67 model years this bulletin names have filed 11,525 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
2019 Subaru Outback. Consumer writes with concerns for faulty navigation system that displays the wrong posted legal speed limit while driving
2019 Subaru Outback · Equipment · filed with NHTSA Oct 25, 2018 · ODI 11143129
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 group33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01-184-22R | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) procedure for Solterra. |
| 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… |
| 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… |
| 09-116-24R | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2024 | This bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address cases of the internal val… |
| 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… |
| 09-80-21R | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2024 | This bulletin announces availability of a new thermo control valve assembly. The new valve contains an enhanced stainless steel internal sha… |
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 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. Every Subaru warranty extension on file lists the ones Subaru has filed.
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.