Subaru bulletin 12-254-24
What it saysThis bulletin announces the design change made to the rear gate glass, it is intended to address cases of rust build up along the edge of the rear gate opening of the rear quarter panel. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 19, 2024, received Oct 2, 2024, about the visibility/wiper. It names 5 model years (2019–2023). 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 design change made to the rear gate glass, it is intended to address cases of rust build up along the edge of the rear gate opening of the rear quarter panel.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-254-24 | Service bulletin | Sep 19, 2024 | 11008270 | PDF, 408 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.
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.
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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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 971 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 172 of them name Visibility/Wiper — 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 2019 Subaru Ascent, the 60 owners who gave an odometer reading for Visibility/Wiper reported it at a median of 15,910 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
My car was parked. I saw a crack in the windshield (cause unknown) on the passenger side that began at the top glass and descended, then heading inwards towards the mirror. Over the course of 2 days, it has extended past the mirror into the driver view. The Subaru glass (agc automotive, dot-376, m8h4 as1, 30e, lamisafe) could be faulty
2019 Subaru Ascent · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Jan 9, 2019 · ODI 11166069
Purchased a 2020 Subaru Ascent today. On the way home on the freeway my wife noticed the windshield had a crack in it that was not present at dealership. Upon further inspection when arriving home, there is a pitted area inside of the windshield on the drivers side
2020 Subaru Ascent · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Apr 26, 2020 · ODI 11322246
I own 4 Subarus I’ve replaced 4 windshields and since replacing the windshields, I have 4 broken windshields. The oldest Subaru I own is a 2020. The smallest rock cracks the windshield, many think it’s the eye sight system and a much thinner windshield.
2022 Subaru Ascent · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Jan 2, 2024 · ODI 11563177
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 visibility/wiper
Source: same model, same component group4 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Ascent under the same component group (visibility/wiper), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-268-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2026 | This bulletin announces a repair procedure developed to address cases of the driver side mirror glass vibrating at highway speeds. This is a… |
| 12-268-25 | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | This bulletin announces a repair procedure developed to address cases of the driver side mirror glass vibrating at highway speeds. |
| 07-189-21R | Service bulletin | Apr 29, 2025 | This bulletin announces availability of new door window regulator assemblies and door glass run channel seals in response to limited concern… |
| 12-257-25R | Service bulletin | Mar 24, 2025 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the Front Win… |
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 12-254-24 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 12-254-24 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 12-254-24 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2023 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.