Subaru bulletin 12-278-26
What it saysThis bulletin announces the repair procures to be followed when encountering cases of loose fitment of the interior dome lamp. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 30, 2026, received May 4, 2026, about the exterior lighting. It names 2 model years (2025–2026). 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 repair procures to be followed when encountering cases of loose fitment of the interior dome lamp.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-278-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 30, 2026 | 11032043 | PDF, 1,339 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 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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 8 of them name Exterior Lighting — 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.
Both headlights have a shadow of the light bulb at the top center of both headlights causing a distraction/confusion under certain conditions at night. I have never had a shadow show up in my line of sight in all the many vehicles I have owned in the past from my headlights.
2025 Subaru Forester · Exterior Lighting · filed with NHTSA May 30, 2025 · ODI 11664035
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 exterior lighting
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against the Subaru Forester under the same component group (exterior lighting), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-59-07R | Service bulletin | Dec 13, 2024 | This bulletin is for information purposes only. The bulletin adresses design changes of the headlamps and rear combination lamps, where mois… |
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 12-278-26 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 12-278-26 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 12-278-26 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2026 Subaru Forester, 2025 Subaru Forester. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.