Subaru bulletin 16-154-25R
What it saysThis Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 20, 2026, received Sep 3, 2026, about the power train. It names 55 model years (2017–2026). 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.
Get the next Subaru bulletin for your model by email Weekly, only when something new is filed. Nothing else; one-click unsubscribe.
What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-154-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | 11036809 | PDF, 3,738 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 themand 15 more on this site: 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2018 Subaru Legacy, 2026 Subaru Outback, 2025 Subaru Outback, 2024 Subaru Outback, 2023 Subaru Outback, 2022 Subaru Outback, 2021 Subaru Outback, 2020 Subaru Outback, 2019 Subaru Outback, 2018 Subaru Outback, 2025 Subaru WRX, 2024 Subaru WRX, 2023 Subaru WRX, 2022 Subaru WRX.
A 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 one of these models
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 55 model years this bulletin names have filed 8,900 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 424 of them name Power Train — 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 Ascent, the 35 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 18,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start and was jumpstarted several times by a dealer’s mobile technician. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was determined that the battery was in good condition, and the failure could be related to the manual transmission.
2022 Subaru Crosstrek · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Jul 22, 2025 · ODI 11675423
When shifting quickly into 4th gear on the manual transmission at higher rpm's (above 3000), the gear grinds. If you shift slowly, it doesn't. It seems to be only the 4th gear doing this. My car has 1300 miles on it. I AM wondering if it because the rpm's hang way too long. I have been driving a manual daily for 28 years.
2019 Subaru Impreza · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Nov 22, 2019 · ODI 11281776
The transmission jerks and slips after accelerating from stops. It causes the car to jitter and not accelerate when necessary while in traffic. After taking it to the service center multiple times, the problem was reproduced with a service technician in the car. The tech had a computer connected to the diagnostic box.
2022 Subaru Ascent · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 31, 2023 · ODI 11552904
In depth: 2020 Subaru Ascent transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2019 Subaru Ascent transmission and drivetrain problems → · 2020 Subaru Outback transmission and drivetrain 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 power train
Source: same model, same component group23 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-158-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions us… |
| 16-156-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body which enhancement was implemented to prevent abnormal operations.… |
| 16-132-20R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip c… |
| 16-151-24R | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2026 | This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR690 model CVT transmissions us… |
| 16-157-26 | Service bulletin | May 12, 2026 | This bulletin announces a design change to the TR690 CVT control valve body which features an enhanced line pressure sensor O-ring, designed… |
| 16-155-25R | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Powertrain Warranty coverage for th… |
| 03-97-26 | Service bulletin | Apr 24, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures. |
| 16-156-25 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2025 | This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body. The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to… |
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 16-154-25R 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 16-154-25R 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 16-154-25R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 55 model years: 2025 Subaru Ascent, 2024 Subaru Ascent, 2023 Subaru Ascent, 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Ascent and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.