Subaru bulletin 12-253-23R
What it saysThis bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files developed to address the following two symptoms:SYMPTOM #1 : 2022-23MY ONLY: After the EyeSight camera has been exposed to high… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 30, 2025, received Apr 3, 2024, about the electrical system — 3 documents under this number. 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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files developed to address the following two symptoms:SYMPTOM #1 : 2022-23MY ONLY: After the EyeSight camera has been exposed to high humidity/temperatureconditions without any operation, the cooling fans become inoperable, and DTC B28C7 is detected by the EyeSight Stereo Camera Assembly. SYMPTOM #2 : 2022-24MY ONLY: The EyeSight system enters into a temporary halt mode with an E5 halt code detected by the EyeSight Stereo Camera Assembly.
Trouble codes it names: B28C7
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-253-23R | Service bulletin | Apr 30, 2025 | 11017463 | PDF, 1,464 KB |
| 12-253-23R | Service bulletin | Apr 18, 2024 | 10253973 | PDF, 557 KB |
| 12-253-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 22, 2024 | 10252493 | PDF, 557 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “EyeSight Reprogramming Files /Before: E5 Error”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87501SJ411 | — | — | |
| 87501SJ400 | FORESTER .pk | — | eBay Motors → |
| 87501SJ410 | — | — | |
| 87501SJ422 | — | — | |
| 87501SJ420 | FORESTER .pk | — | eBay Motors → |
| 87501SJ421 | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (7 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the warning for the 2024 Forester →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 71 of them name Forward Collision Avoidance, Electrical System, Lane Departure — 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group83 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Forester under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-342-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly. |
| 15-341-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Bulletin provides best practices for troubleshooting and resolving Subaru Connect telematics concerns on 2026MY Solterra, Trailseeker… |
| 15-308-23R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experienc… |
| 15-305-22R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin announces a reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4.5… |
| 15-304-22R | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 15-333-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2026 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure… |
| 16-159-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | This bulletin provides new diagnostic steps for DTC P0851 and P0852 to be used in conjunction with the applicable Service Manual. |
| 15-311-23R | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This bulletin provides instruction for use (FOTA) of a new reprogramming procedure to optimize the Denso Gen 4.5 Audio and Navigation system… |
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 12-253-23R 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 12-253-23R 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 12-253-23R 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.