Subaru bulletin 18-232-23
What it saysThis Service Information Bulletin announces the revised break-in procedure for the A/C compressor. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Nov 15, 2023, received Dec 5, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 25 model years (2017–2023). 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 Service Information Bulletin announces the revised break-in procedure for the A/C compressor.
Trouble codes it names: B14A8 all 1 read from the document itself; NHTSA’s summary names none
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-232-23 | Service bulletin | Nov 15, 2023 | 10246109 | PDF, 455 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 25 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,205 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 890 of them name Electrical System — 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 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V907000 (Electrical System). The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
2022 Subaru Ascent · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 9, 2023 · ODI 11506378
I attempted to start my Subaru Ascent and it would not start. I contacted subaru's towing and they came and jumpstarted the car. The towing company informed me that subaru's Ascent batteries are defective and that they have been forced to jump a number of them. I drove to work. The next morning, I woke to the same problem.
2019 Subaru Ascent · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 4, 2019 · ODI 11217905
Radio turns on automatically at startup. Happens intermittently. Volume is loud and cannot reduce volume while backing up. Volume control works when car moving forward. At times volume control does not work and have to mute the radio. Most of the time I just keep the volume on zero and do not use the radio at all
2017 Subaru Impreza · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jan 13, 2018 · ODI 11062554
In depth: 2020 Subaru Ascent electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Ascent electrical problems → · 2019 Subaru Crosstrek electrical problems → · 2022 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group117 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07-244-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 29, 2026 | This Bulletin provides a repair procedure for increased dark current and unintended battery discharge that occurs in a small number of uniqu… |
| 18-244-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs: DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circ… |
| 15-333-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure… |
| 15-331-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 15-322-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen… |
| 15-304-22R | Service bulletin | Sep 14, 2026 | This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concern… |
| 12-258-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2026 | This bulletin provides additional examples, diagnostics tips and installation tips as helpful aids to be used when working with sunroof seal… |
| 15-343-26 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2026 | "This bulletin announces a design change to the cord assembly that connects the Center Infotainment Display (CID) to the CCU, addressing rep… |
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 18-232-23 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 18-232-23 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 18-232-23 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 25 model years: 2022 Subaru Ascent, 2021 Subaru Ascent, 2020 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.