Subaru bulletin 18-224-24
What it saysThis Service Information Bulletin announces the Service Manual Correction when diagnosing the following DTCs; B1792: Front Right Occupant Detection Sensor Failure, B1793: Rear Left Occupant Detection Sensor Failure… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 14, 2024, received Jun 4, 2024, about the seats. It names 4 model years (2020–2021). 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 communicationThis Service Information Bulletin announces the Service Manual Correction when diagnosing the following DTCs; B1792: Front Right Occupant Detection Sensor Failure, B1793: Rear Left Occupant Detection Sensor Failure, B1794: Rear Right Occupant Detection Sensor Failure.
Trouble codes it names: B1792 B1793 B1794
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-224-24 | Service bulletin | May 14, 2024 | 11000832 | PDF, 658 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.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 1,356 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 363 of them name Electrical System, Air Bags — 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 2020 Subaru Outback, the 115 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 5,000 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 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V227000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
2021 Subaru Legacy · Air Bags · filed with NHTSA Feb 18, 2025 · ODI 11643453
I bought this 2021 Subaru Outback in jan 2, 2021. In mid feb, I drove the Outback to lake tahoe. On my way, I went to costco gas station for gas after 1 hour highway driving. The car was just dead after refueling. I called roadside assistance not knowing what happened. The car was jumpstarted.
2021 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Apr 18, 2021 · ODI 11408679
1. The backup and front camera are downgraded from previous models of Outback. Subaru of america denies this. The night visibility is dangerous. The dealership agrees. I have purchased four outbacks in six years and I know what I AM talking about. It is totally dangerous at night.
2020 Subaru Outback · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Dec 23, 2019 · ODI 11290939
In depth: 2021 Subaru Outback electrical problems → · 2020 Subaru Outback electrical 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 seats
Source: same model, same component group5 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (seats), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17-22-26 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | This Bulletin provides parts ordering and service guidance when replacing passenger seat assemblies and other passenger seat components. |
| WRA-24R | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2020-2022 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles to replace all… |
| 12-273-25 | Service bulletin | Nov 18, 2025 | This bulletin announces a design change to the driver front lower seat cushion cover, addressing cases of tearing at the bottom corner of th… |
| WRA-24 | Service bulletin | Feb 3, 2025 | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2020-2022 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles to replace all… |
| 12-299-20R | Service bulletin | Sep 28, 2023 | "This bulletin announces a design change made to the outer hinge cover on the driverâs 10-way adjustable power seats." |
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 18-224-24 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 18-224-24 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 18-224-24 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2021 Subaru Legacy, 2020 Subaru Legacy, 2021 Subaru Outback, 2020 Subaru Outback. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.