Subaru bulletin 16-156-25
What it saysThis bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 30, 2025, received Oct 2, 2025, about the power train. It names 30 model years (2016–2023). 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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body. The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability.
Trouble codes it names: P06EF P2757 P2762 all 3 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-156-25 | Service bulletin | Sep 30, 2025 | 11023523 | PDF, 1,362 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “CVT Control Valve Body Design”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31825AA055 | TR580 equipped vehicles | — | eBay Motors → |
| 31825AA073 | TH58 equipped vehicles | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (6 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.
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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 30 model years this bulletin names have filed 8,841 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 396 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 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback, the 41 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 35,000 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 2016 Subaru Forester. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated and crashed into a parked vehicle without warning. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy. The failure recurred, but only when the contact attempted to shift into reverse. The failure was not diagnosed.
2016 Subaru Forester · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Sep 23, 2016
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
When vehicle is stationary and placed into park position, the gear shifter is able to be moved from park into drive, reverse, and neutral with the engine off. The key also becomes stuck in the ignition when the gear shifter is malfunctioning. Dealership stated that the shift interlock would need to be replaced to remedy the issue
2016 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Mar 15, 2019
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 group21 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.… |
| 16-154-25R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles… |
| 16-150-24R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | "This bulletin announces availability of new reprogramming files developed to address the two symptoms described below: SYMPTOM 1: A jerk or… |
| 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… |
| 16-155-25R | 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. |
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 16-156-25 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 16-156-25 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 16-156-25 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 30 model years: 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2018 Subaru Crosstrek and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.