Subaru bulletin 15-318-24R
What it saysThis bulletin announces the availability of the DCM Bypass Box designed to be used as an alternative replacement part for Data Communication Module (DCM) in vehicles with no active STARLINK subscription. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Apr 28, 2025, received Apr 2, 2024, about the electrical system — 5 documents under this number. It names 5 model years (2019–2021). 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 communicationPicked out of NHTSA’s summary below, word for word. The document itself is the record, and the dealer checks the VIN.
This bulletin announces the availability of the DCM Bypass Box designed to be used as an alternative replacement part for Data Communication Module (DCM) in vehicles with no active STARLINK subscription. There will be a warranty extension for the DCM up to 8 years (96 months) or 150,000 miles.
One of the 357 warranty extensions and special-coverage programs on file — every make, with the term each runs to.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Apr 28, 2025 | 11017446 | PDF, 2,301 KB |
| 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Feb 21, 2025 | 11014843 | PDF, 1,392 KB |
| 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Apr 23, 2024 | 10253955 | PDF, 2,377 KB |
| 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | 10252465 | PDF, 2,322 KB |
| 15-318-24R | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | 10252463 | PDF, 2,322 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Data Communication Module (DCM) Bypass Box”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86229VA200 | WRX TELEMATICS UNIT | — | eBay Motors → |
| 86229VA210 | — | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (12 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.
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 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,218 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 423 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 2019 Subaru Outback, the 103 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 13,563 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
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
Parasitic battery problem My car battery keeps dying on my Subaru sti 2020 after one day of not driving. I have had the car checked with Subaru dealership and a local shop but no issues were found. This morning I had to get my car jumped again after not driving it for one day. This battery was purchased brand new on nov 2024.
2020 Subaru WRX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 7, 2025
There is a current drain (approximately 135mA) by the built-in telematics system (DCM) even when the car is completely powered off. The drain will drop battery voltage levels beyond recharge/repair.
2019 Subaru WRX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA May 1, 2023
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 15-341-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Bulletin provides best practices for troubleshooting and resolving Subaru Connect telematics concerns on 2026MY Solterra, Trailseeker… |
| 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… |
| 15-305-22R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin announces a reprogramming file availability and provides a software update installation procedure to optimize the new Gen 4.5… |
| 15-331-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 14, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 15-304-22R | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 15-333-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2026 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure… |
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 15-318-24R 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 15-318-24R 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 15-318-24R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Subaru Outback, 2021 Subaru WRX, 2020 Subaru WRX, 2019 Subaru WRX. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.