Subaru bulletin 12-253-23
What it saysThis bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files developed to address two symptoms: Cooling fans inoperable with EyeSight camera exposed to high humidity/temperature conditions; Temporary halt mode… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 29, 2023, received Jan 3, 2024, about the forward collision avoidance. It names 3 model years (2022–2024). 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.
Get the next Subaru Forester bulletin by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files developed to address two symptoms: Cooling fans inoperable with EyeSight camera exposed to high humidity/temperature conditions; Temporary halt mode detected by the EyeSight system.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-253-23 | Service bulletin | Dec 29, 2023 | 10248207 | 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.
Email me new Subaru bulletins for the Forester
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Subaru files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 64 of them name Forward Collision Avoidance, Electrical System — 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.
We were traveling on a limited access highway at approximately 65 miles an hour. Both the adaptive cruise control and the driver assist were engaged. A car approximately four car lengths ahead of us exited the highway into the breakdown lane. My car slammed on its brakes and reduced speed to less than 40 miles an hour with no warning.
2023 Subaru Forester · Forward Collision Avoidance · filed with NHTSA Jun 19, 2024
I am writing to formally request that the NTSB investigate an apparent defect in the EyeSight driver assistance system installed on the 2024 Subaru Forester. I have experienced repeated instances of unreliable and unsafe behavior, including unexpected alerts and the EyeSight system disengaging on multiple occasions, including during…
2024 Subaru Forester · Forward Collision Avoidance · filed with NHTSA Apr 23, 2026
The vehicles battery does not hold a charge during short term, (3-5 weeks of storage). I understand that some prior years of Subaru vehicles have this same problem and there is currently a recall for this. I wonder if this battery problem exists in newer Subaru Foresters.
2023 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 26, 2024
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 forward collision avoidance
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against the Subaru Forester under the same component group (forward collision avoidance), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-241-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide removal and installation tips to be followed when working with EyeSight Stereo Ca… |
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 12-253-23 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 12-253-23 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 12-253-23 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2024 Subaru Forester, 2023 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Forester. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.