Subaru bulletin 16-132-20R
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 20, 2026, received Jan 5, 2021, about the power train — 12 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.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip condition on the TR580 and TR690 model CVT transmissions used 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | 11036806 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Jun 28, 2023 | 10238456 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Apr 27, 2023 | 10235289 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 12, 2023 | 10231299 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Nov 17, 2022 | 10226904 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Jul 12, 2022 | 10216984 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Feb 8, 2022 | 10208688 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 10, 2022 | 10207174 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Jul 22, 2021 | 10199954 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Feb 23, 2021 | 10188160 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Jan 18, 2021 | 10186416 | not yet checked |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Dec 29, 2020 | 10185089 | not yet checked |
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.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Subaru 16-132-20R 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 16-132-20R 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 16-132-20R 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.