Subaru bulletin 15-261-20R
What it saysThis 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. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis 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.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | 11036823 | PDF, 16,715 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | May 15, 2026 | 11033066 | PDF, 16,624 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Oct 1, 2024 | 11009683 | PDF, 6,180 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2023 | 10248199 | not found |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Nov 10, 2023 | 10246097 | PDF, 6,113 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Mar 13, 2023 | 10233880 | PDF, 5,503 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Feb 13, 2023 | 10232220 | PDF, 7,572 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 12, 2023 | 10231304 | PDF, 17,224 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Oct 31, 2022 | 10225775 | PDF, 17,227 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | May 2, 2022 | 10213170 | PDF, 15,179 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2022 | 10210833 | PDF, 15,179 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Apr 22, 2022 | 10210832 | PDF, 15,179 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 28, 2022 | 10207180 | PDF, 7,453 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Jul 19, 2021 | 10199951 | PDF, 3,510 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2020 | 10185073 | not found |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Nov 20, 2020 | 10183705 | PDF, 4,136 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Sep 9, 2020 | 10180686 | PDF, 4,136 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2020 | 10179384 | PDF, 4,145 KB |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | May 21, 2020 | 10176026 | PDF, 3,615 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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,855 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 412 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 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.
I bought this 2021 Subaru Outback in jan 2, 2021. In mid feb, I drove the Outback to lake tahoe. On my way, I went to costco gas station for gas after 1 hour highway driving. The car was just dead after refueling. I called roadside assistance not knowing what happened. The car was jumpstarted.
2021 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 18, 2021 · ODI 11408679
1. The backup and front camera are downgraded from previous models of Outback. Subaru of america denies this. The night visibility is dangerous. The dealership agrees. I have purchased four outbacks in six years and I know what I AM talking about. It is totally dangerous at night.
2020 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Dec 23, 2019 · ODI 11290939
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during colder weather, the heater failed to operate as intended. Additionally, the Eyesight system was inoperable. The check engine and other unknown warning lights were displayed.
2021 Subaru Legacy · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 27, 2025 · ODI 11695854
In depth: 2022 Subaru Outback electrical problems → · 2021 Subaru Outback electrical problems → · 2020 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group91 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 15-342-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly. |
| 16-150-24R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | "This bulletin announces availability of new reprogramming files developed to address the two symptoms described below: SYMPTOM 1: A jerk or… |
| 15-308-23R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experienc… |
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 15-261-20R 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. Every Subaru warranty extension on file lists the ones Subaru has filed.
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.