Subaru bulletin 18-228-25
What it saysThis bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs P2096 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO LEAN BANK 1) and P2097 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO RICH BANK 1) are detected by the Engine Control… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 20, 2025, received Dec 1, 2025, about the engine. It names 62 model years (2016–2025). 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 the diagnostic procedures to be used when DTCs P2096 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO LEAN BANK 1) and P2097 (POST CATALYST FUEL TRIM SYSTEM TOO RICH BANK 1) are detected by the Engine Control Module (ECM).
Trouble codes it names: P2096 P2097
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-228-25 | Service bulletin | Nov 20, 2025 | 11025790 | PDF, 4,587 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 22 more on this site: 2020 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Subaru Legacy, 2018 Subaru Legacy, 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, 2016 Subaru Legacy/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, 2024 Subaru WRX, 2023 Subaru WRX, 2022 Subaru WRX, 2021 Subaru WRX, 2020 Subaru WRX, 2019 Subaru WRX, 2018 Subaru WRX, 2017 Subaru WRX, 2016 Subaru WRX.
A 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 62 model years this bulletin names have filed 10,889 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3,672 of them name Electrical System, Engine — 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 2017 Subaru Legacy/Outback, the 179 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 32,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Warning light on infotainment screen for Eyesight and Transmission Oil issues. Warning from MySubaru System via website. Warning on Infotainment screen while using CarPlay "There was a problem loading this content." Contacted Subaru of America Britt Senior Customer Service Advocate telling them dealer is not making appointment to fix car…
2024 Subaru Legacy · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 11, 2024
Driving my car as any person would, at the 3519 mile mark on the odometer the engine low oil light came on, it took (1.5Q) of oil to top it off. This is a brand new car no one buys a new car to add oil to it, then to get told by the dealership that it’s normal for up to (2Q) of oil to be added because it’s the only AWD boxer, but yet the…
2024 Subaru WRX · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 24, 2025
At around the 2000 mile mark I noticed a drastic reduction in fuel econemy. I also started noticing metal particles in the engine oil. I also noticed a significant drop in engine power as well. This is a sign of debris getting in the engine and causing metal particles to become broken off. My mileage went from 460-480 mpt to 360-380 mpt.
2019 Subaru Crosstrek · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 27, 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 engine
Source: same model, same component group57 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-98-22R | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces the availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTC… |
| 02-196-26R | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2026 | This service bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. This is an revise… |
| 07-231-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 5, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service procedure for battery replacement on 2025-2026MY Impreza and Crosstrek. |
| 02-193-24R | Service bulletin | Jun 30, 2026 | This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject… |
| 09-74-21R | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel inject… |
| 02-196-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 23, 2026 | This bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. |
| 18-243-26 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | This bulletin announces the elimination of oil spacers from both left- and right side camshaft carriers on FB2.5 engines. |
| 09-130-25R | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | This bulletin announces the design change made to the exhaust manifold flange nut material that has been changed from stainless steel to med… |
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 18-228-25 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 18-228-25 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 18-228-25 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 62 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.