Subaru bulletin 12-300-20R
What it saysThis bulletin announces design changes made to the trim cover for the rear gate PRG control switches located on the bottom of the rear gate inner trim panel. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 22, 2025, received Dec 5, 2020, about the structure — 4 documents under this number. It names 5 model years (2019–2020). 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 design changes made to the trim cover for the rear gate PRG control switches located on the bottom of the rear gate inner trim panel.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-300-20R | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2025 | 11017450 | PDF, 1,235 KB |
| 12-300-20R | Service bulletin | Apr 7, 2021 | 10191582 | PDF, 944 KB |
| 12-300-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 15, 2021 | 10186381 | PDF, 1,057 KB |
| 12-300-20R | Service bulletin | Nov 9, 2020 | 10183694 | PDF, 1,022 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 3,110 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
On the 2019 Subaru Forester, the 15 owners who gave an odometer reading for Structure reported it at a median of 4,389 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I had the new 2019 Subaru Forester for not even a month yet, and I have been in the dealership for 5 times regard of power rear gate not opening and cracked right rear quarter glass, which of the two I considered manufacturer defects, but they denied on both issues but could not provide me the reason and proper way of how they're going…
2019 Subaru Forester · Structure · filed with NHTSA May 12, 2019 · ODI 11207122
I went on an extended road trip and received two cracks in my windshield in a single day. I have owned several cars in my life, and never have had a car with such a sensitive windshield. I would not expect the windshield to crack so easily.
2020 Subaru Forester · Structure · filed with NHTSA Feb 17, 2020 · ODI 11309651
Driving on highway, 65 MPH. Hear a small "click." look over and discover a 6" crack in the windshield. I've been driving for 40 year and know what it sounds like when a stone hits the windshield. This wasn't a stone
2020 Subaru Outback · Structure · filed with NHTSA Jan 22, 2020 · ODI 11301273
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 structure
Source: same model, same component group18 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-259-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This bulletin announces the repair procedures to be followed when encountering cases of excessive gap reported between the left and right re… |
| 12-283-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This service bulletin announces a repair procedure for the weatherstrips on the front of the rear doors. This is an revised version of the o… |
| WRF-26R | Service bulletin | Jul 13, 2026 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2026 model year Forester vehicles equipped with a power moonroof… |
| 12-268-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | This bulletin announces a design change to the front hood release lever, which in certain circumstances, after the vehicle’s interior latch… |
| WRH-25R | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating a service program for certain 2026 model year Fores… |
| WRG-25R | Service bulletin | Mar 3, 2026 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2026 model year Forester Vehicles to replace the rear gate stay a… |
| WRG-25 | Service bulletin | Jan 30, 2026 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2026 model year Forester Vehicles to replace the rear gate stay a… |
| WRH-25 | Service bulletin | Jan 15, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating a service program for certain 2026 model year Fores… |
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 12-300-20R 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 12-300-20R 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 12-300-20R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Forester, 2019 Subaru Forester, 2020 Subaru Outback. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.