Subaru bulletin 15-240-19R
What it says"This bulletin announces availability of new Harman audio unit amplifier units with revised internal logic designed to optimize efficiency while addressing the following customer concerns: Symptom 1: No audio output… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 29, 2023, received Jul 1, 2019, about the equipment — 16 documents under this number. It names 35 model years (2017–2023). 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 availability of new Harman audio unit amplifier units with revised internal logic designed to optimize efficiency while addressing the following customer concerns: Symptom 1: No audio output is heard but, the volume level displayed changes when turning the knob Symptom 2: Audio volume increases to maximum intermittently without turning the knob Symptom 3: A buzzing, screeching or crackling-type sound is heard coming through the speakers Symptom 4: Loss of audio output after turning the head unit off and back on again in a short amount of time Symptom 5: Audio volume is temporarily louder than expected after ending a Bluetooth call while using navigation guidance Symptom 6: No response from the volume control knob."
Trouble codes it names: B2244 B2A05 B2A06 B2A0E all 4 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Jun 29, 2023 | 10238470 | PDF, 322 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Mar 15, 2023 | 10233886 | PDF, 321 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Nov 17, 2022 | 10226863 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Mar 2, 2022 | 10209913 | PDF, 333 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Jan 13, 2022 | 10207185 | PDF, 312 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Dec 15, 2021 | 10205924 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Sep 20, 2021 | 10201802 | PDF, 311 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Apr 9, 2021 | 10191586 | PDF, 311 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Feb 5, 2021 | 10188168 | PDF, 306 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Oct 30, 2020 | 10182249 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Sep 22, 2020 | 10180730 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2020 | 10177815 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Mar 31, 2020 | 10173195 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Sep 11, 2019 | 10165501 | not found |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | Aug 22, 2019 | 10164389 | PDF, 278 KB |
| 15-240-19R | Service bulletin | May 8, 2019 | 10161816 | not found |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “New Harman Audio Amplifiers”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86221FL016 | Crosstrek | — | eBay Motors → |
| 86221SJ004 | Forester models with Cloth upholstery | — | eBay Motors → |
| 86221SJ014 | Forester models with Leather upholstery | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (5 pages), read Sep 30, 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.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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.
Find the radio/tape deck/cd etc. for the 2023 Ascent →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
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 35 model years this bulletin names have filed 8,169 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1,898 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 2018 Subaru Outback, the 137 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 17,000 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 contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V907000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
2022 Subaru Ascent · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 9, 2023 · ODI 11506378
While backing out of my garage, the radio unit froze making the backup screen inoperable. This is a brand new car with 200 miles on it. According to the dealer, they will have to replace the head unit. They were able to get the unit working, hopefully until the new head unit arrives, by physically disconnecting the car battery.
2019 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 6, 2019 · ODI 11218229
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group30 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-249-23R | Service bulletin | May 13, 2026 | This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on pain… |
| 15-130-08R | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2025 | This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way som… |
| 15-256-19R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | This bulletin provides information on a new reprogramming procedure (FOTA) to optimize the Harman Gen 3.1 Audio and Navigation head units… |
| 09-116-24R | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2024 | This bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address cases of the internal val… |
| 03-91-23R | Service bulletin | Apr 23, 2024 | This bulletin announces the design change made to the front drive axle shaft assemblies to address cases of a clicking/cracking-type sound h… |
| FAQ 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2024 | T16 VoLTE Warranty Extension (15-318-24R) Frequently Asked Questions. |
| 09-118-24 | Service bulletin | Apr 4, 2024 | This bulletin the announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM) reprogramming files to address DTC P24… |
| 09-80-21R | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2024 | This bulletin announces availability of a new thermo control valve assembly. The new valve contains an enhanced stainless steel internal sha… |
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 15-240-19R 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 15-240-19R 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 15-240-19R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 35 model years: 2023 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.