Subaru bulletin 12-299-20R
What it says"This bulletin announces a design change made to the outer hinge cover on the driverâs 10-way adjustable power seats." NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 28, 2023, received Feb 1, 2021, about the seats — 4 documents under this number. It names 19 model years (2018–2023). 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 communication"This bulletin announces a design change made to the outer hinge cover on the driverâs 10-way adjustable power seats."
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-299-20R | Service bulletin | Sep 28, 2023 | 10243401 | PDF, 298 KB |
| 12-299-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 15, 2023 | 10241830 | PDF, 298 KB |
| 12-299-20R | Service bulletin | Sep 20, 2021 | 10201805 | PDF, 1,055 KB |
| 12-299-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 18, 2021 | 10186385 | PDF, 1,052 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 19 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,451 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 831 of them name Electrical System, Seats — 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 2020 Subaru Outback, the 115 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 5,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. While turning the vehicle, the entire electrical system shut off, including the power steering and emergency braking system. The contact was almost involved in a crash due to the failure. The contact pulled over, shut off the engine, and restarted the vehicle, but the electrical failures remained.
2019 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 25, 2019 · ODI 11191388
The car has randomly on multiple occasions failed to accelerate then jump forward hitting the rev limiter. This has happened while merging back into traffic including 55 mph roads creating concern for being rear ended and also concerns for hitting vehicles in front when the car jumps forward as there is no control over it.
2022 Subaru WRX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2026 · ODI 11749460
On march 2, 2021 I needed to get to an appointment and my car wouldn't start, nor would my fob work to even open the doors. After calling for assistance they jumped the battery. Then I brought it to Subaru where they did a complete diagnostics test and found that the battery was defective. I had bought the car nov.
2021 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 6, 2021 · ODI 11406803
In depth: 2019 Subaru Crosstrek electrical problems → · 2020 Subaru Forester electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Forester electrical problems → · 2022 Subaru Outback electrical problems →
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 seats
Source: same model, same component group7 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (seats), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17-22-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | This Bulletin provides parts ordering and service guidance when replacing passenger seat assemblies and other passenger seat components. |
| WRA-24R | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2020-2022 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles to replace all… |
| 12-273-25 | Service bulletin | Nov 18, 2025 | This bulletin announces a design change to the driver front lower seat cushion cover, addressing cases of tearing at the bottom corner of th… |
| 12-272-25 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2025 | "This bulletin provides additional steps to follow when replacing seat covers on 24-25MY Crosstrek Premium." |
| WRC-25 | Service bulletin | Jun 20, 2025 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2025 model year Forester Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (SHEV) t… |
| WRA-24 | Service bulletin | Feb 3, 2025 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2020-2022 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles to replace all… |
| 18-224-24 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2024 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the Service Manual Correction when diagnosing the following DTCs; B1792: Front Right Occupant De… |
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 12-299-20R 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 12-299-20R 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 12-299-20R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 19 model years: 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2018 Subaru Crosstrek and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.