Subaru bulletin 15-219-18R
What it saysWhen attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 16, 2026, received Jul 16, 2018, about the electrical system — 13 documents under this number. It names 87 model years (2016–2026). 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 communicationWhen attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully. These codes both relate to the multi-stage CommCheck process which introduces the Data Communications Module (DCM) to the AT&T cellular network the Telematics system operates on. The Telematics Service Provider (TSP) cannot communicate with the vehicle (DCM) until the CommCheck completes successfully.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | 11030567 | PDF, 1,235 KB |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2025 | 11023524 | PDF, 1,308 KB |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2025 | 11016172 | PDF, 1,103 KB |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | 10252491 | PDF, 376 KB |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Feb 28, 2023 | 10232237 | PDF, 371 KB |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Jan 14, 2021 | 10186391 | PDF, 375 KB |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Dec 14, 2020 | 10185076 | not found |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Jul 17, 2020 | 10177820 | not found |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Apr 8, 2020 | 10174512 | not found |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Oct 31, 2018 | 10150953 | not found |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Oct 31, 2018 | 10150928 | not found |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Jul 31, 2018 | 10143884 | not found |
| 15-219-18R | Service bulletin | Jun 21, 2018 | 10142837 | not found |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Error Code 202 and / or 204 Generated During”.
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2019MY | TELEMATICS COM CHECK A067-903 | 0.4 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 pages), read Sep 29, 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.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themand 45 more on this site: 2026 Subaru Impreza, 2025 Subaru Impreza, 2024 Subaru Impreza, 2023 Subaru Impreza, 2022 Subaru Impreza, 2021 Subaru Impreza, 2020 Subaru Impreza, 2019 Subaru Impreza, 2018 Subaru Impreza, 2017 Subaru Impreza, 2016 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport, 2025 Subaru Legacy, 2024 Subaru Legacy, 2023 Subaru Legacy, 2022 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2018 Subaru Legacy, 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2026 Subaru Outback, 2025 Subaru Outback, 2024 Subaru Outback, 2023 Subaru Outback, 2022 Subaru Outback, 2021 Subaru Outback, 2020 Subaru Outback, 2019 Subaru Outback, 2018 Subaru Outback, 2026 Subaru Solterra, 2025 Subaru Solterra, 2024 Subaru Solterra, 2023 Subaru Solterra, 2026 Subaru WRX, 2025 Subaru WRX, 2024 Subaru WRX, 2023 Subaru WRX, 2022 Subaru WRX, 2021 Subaru WRX, 2020 Subaru WRX, 2019 Subaru WRX, 2018 Subaru WRX, 2017 Subaru WRX, 2016 Subaru WRX.
Also filed against model years this site has no page for: 2021 Subaru BRZ; 2022 Subaru Levorg.
A 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 85 model years this bulletin names have filed 12,850 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3,192 of them name Electrical System — 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 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, the 179 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 32,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Warning light on infotainment screen for Eyesight and Transmission Oil issues. Warning from MySubaru System via website. Warning on Infotainment screen while using CarPlay "There was a problem loading this content." Contacted Subaru of America Britt Senior Customer Service Advocate telling them dealer is not making appointment to fix car…
2024 Subaru Legacy · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 11, 2024 · ODI 11619239
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 contact owns a 2026 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the engine sputtered before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with an inoperable fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure returned three weeks later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer.
2026 Subaru Forester · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 9, 2026 · ODI 11770139
In depth: 2020 Subaru Ascent electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Ascent electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Crosstrek electrical problems → · 2020 Subaru Forester 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group160 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-244-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This Bulletin provides a repair procedure for increased dark current and unintended battery discharge that occurs in a small number of uniqu… |
| 18-244-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs: DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circ… |
| 15-333-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure… |
| 15-331-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 15-322-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen… |
| 15-304-22R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 12-269-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area. This is… |
| 12-258-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2026 | This bulletin provides additional examples, diagnostics tips and installation tips as helpful aids to be used when working with sunroof seal… |
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 15-219-18R 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 15-219-18R 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 15-219-18R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 87 model years: 2026 Subaru Ascent, 2025 Subaru Ascent, 2024 Subaru Ascent, 2023 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.