Subaru bulletin 16-146-24R
What it saysIn the interest of providing continued customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 30, 2024, received Feb 2, 2024, about the equipment. It names 2 model years (2019–2020). 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 communicationIn the interest of providing continued customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is implementing Warranty Extensions and additional benefits for owners and lessees of certain 2019- 20MY Ascent models.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-146-24R | Service bulletin | Jan 30, 2024 | 10249607 | PDF, 360 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.
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.
Email me new Subaru bulletins for the Ascent
A weekly email, sent only in a week when Subaru files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.
What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 763 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group16 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Ascent under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-130-08R | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2025 | This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way som… |
| 17-17-13R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | NOTE: The Airbag systems used on previous and current WRX, STI and Tribeca models are NOT equipped with EDR functionality. This Bulletin p… |
| 15-256-19R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | This bulletin provides information on a new reprogramming procedure (FOTA) to optimize the Harman Gen 3.1 Audio and Navigation head units… |
| 7-219-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | To satisfy current supply demands, a new Subaru alternative replacement battery is now available. |
| 7-213-22R | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | "This bulletin announces a new Genuine Subaru Replacement battery for use in applications where the current SOA821B700 battery is specified… |
| 15-242-19R | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | This Service Information bulletin has been developed for use as a quick reference tool to aid in diagnosing operational concerns of the Gen… |
| 18-225-22R | Service bulletin | Mar 5, 2024 | This bulletin provides the diagnostic procedure for Harman Infotainment Systems when DTC B2255 is detected. This update should prevent unnec… |
| 15-315-23 | Service bulletin | Nov 17, 2023 | This bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files for the DCM. |
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 16-146-24R 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 16-146-24R 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 16-146-24R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.