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Home›Bulletins›Subaru› 15-261-20R
Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Subaru bulletin 15-261-20R

Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 31, 2026, received Jun 2, 2020, about the electrical system — 19 documents under this number. It names 6 model years (2020–2022). 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.

2022 Subaru Legacy: every bulletin →Every Subaru bulletin on file →Subaru’s own VIN lookup →

What the bulletin says

Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communication

This bulletin announces reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4 Denso CP1 Audio and Navigation head units utilized in the models listed. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Aug 31, 2026 Received by NHTSA Jun 2, 2020 Components Electrical System, Equipment First dated May 21, 2020

Documents filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA id
15-261-20RService bulletinAug 31, 202611036823
15-261-20RService bulletinMay 15, 202611033066
15-261-20RService bulletinOct 1, 202411009683
15-261-20RService bulletinDec 18, 202310248199
15-261-20RService bulletinNov 10, 202310246097
15-261-20RService bulletinMar 13, 202310233880
15-261-20RService bulletinFeb 13, 202310232220
15-261-20RService bulletinJan 12, 202310231304
15-261-20RService bulletinOct 31, 202210225775
15-261-20RService bulletinMay 2, 202210213170
15-261-20RService bulletinApr 22, 202210210833
15-261-20RService bulletinApr 22, 202210210832
15-261-20RService bulletinJan 28, 202210207180
15-261-20RService bulletinJul 19, 202110199951
15-261-20RService bulletinDec 18, 202010185073
15-261-20RService bulletinNov 20, 202010183705
15-261-20RService bulletinSep 9, 202010180686
15-261-20RService bulletinAug 13, 202010179384
15-261-20RService bulletinMay 21, 202010176026

The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5; the full text comes from the manufacturer or a dealer. 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. Quote it at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.

Model years it names

Source: as the manufacturer filed them
2022 Subaru Legacy2021 Subaru Legacy2020 Subaru Legacy2022 Subaru Outback2021 Subaru Outback2020 Subaru Outback

A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5

Is Subaru 15-261-20R 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 15-261-20R 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.

Which vehicles does 15-261-20R cover?

The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2022 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy, 2022 Subaru Outback, 2021 Subaru Outback, 2020 Subaru Outback. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.

From here
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