Subaru bulletin 15-270-20R
What it saysFOTA update operation has been suspended. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 10, 2025, received Nov 2, 2021, about the electrical system — 8 documents under this number. It names 11 model years (2020–2024). 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 communicationFOTA update operation has been suspended. Until FOTA update is resumed, this bulletin has been replaced by TSB 15-261-20R revised in October 2021 and entitled “Reprogramming File Availability for Optimization of Gen 4 Denso CP1 Infotainment Systems”. Please refer to this bulletin for the latest information regarding this condition.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Oct 10, 2025 | 11024850 | PDF, 6,592 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Nov 7, 2024 | 11010914 | PDF, 3,637 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Oct 15, 2024 | 11009692 | PDF, 3,637 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Apr 30, 2024 | 10254003 | PDF, 3,162 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Mar 15, 2023 | 10233892 | PDF, 2,670 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 2, 2022 | 10219470 | PDF, 8,321 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Oct 15, 2021 | 10202822 | PDF, 916 KB |
| 15-270-20R | Service bulletin | Oct 11, 2021 | 10202812 | PDF, 2,918 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 11 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,903 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 415 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.
The car has randomly on multiple occasions failed to accelerate then jump forward hitting the rev limiter. This has happened while merging back into traffic including 55 mph roads creating concern for being rear ended and also concerns for hitting vehicles in front when the car jumps forward as there is no control over it.
2022 Subaru WRX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2026 · ODI 11749460
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
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 group108 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… |
| 15-343-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | "This bulletin announces a design change to the cord assembly that connects the Center Infotainment Display (CID) to the CCU, addressing rep… |
| 15-342-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly. |
| 15-261-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4 Dens… |
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 15-270-20R 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 15-270-20R 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 15-270-20R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 11 model years: 2024 Subaru BRZ, 2023 Subaru BRZ, 2022 Subaru BRZ, 2022 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.