Subaru bulletin WRB-23R
What it saysDue to an inaccurate internal timer within the telematics data communications module (DCM), STARLINK remote services from the MySubaru app or MySubaru.com including remote engine start (RES), remote door lock/unlock… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Aug 1, 2023, received Apr 6, 2023, about the electrical system — 4 documents under this number. It names 4 model years (2022–2023). 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
Due to an inaccurate internal timer within the telematics data communications module (DCM), STARLINK remote services from the MySubaru app or MySubaru.com including remote engine start (RES), remote door lock/unlock request, remote horn/lights, and vehicle locator will not operate after 388 days from the date that the DCM was activated.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRB-23R | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | 10241800 | PDF, 1,407 KB |
| WRB-23R | Service bulletin | Jul 5, 2023 | 10240102 | PDF, 1,469 KB |
| WRB-23R | Service bulletin | Apr 20, 2023 | 10235296 | PDF, 1,454 KB |
| WRB-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 27, 2023 | 10233888 | PDF, 1,401 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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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 136 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 14 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.
The car has randomly on multiple occasions failed to accelerate then jump forward hitting the rev limiter. This has happened while merging back into traffic including 55 mph roads creating concern for being rear ended and also concerns for hitting vehicles in front when the car jumps forward as there is no control over it.
2022 Subaru WRX · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 10, 2026 · ODI 11749460
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 group100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| 15-322-25R | 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… |
| 12-269-25R | Service bulletin | Sep 10, 2026 | This bulletin announces the service procedures to be followed when encountering instances of water intrusion from the sunroof area. This is… |
| 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… |
| 15-342-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces an inspection procedure for the Smart Rear View Mirror Assembly. |
| 10-107-26 | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin announces design changes to the front seat bottom heat unit. |
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 WRB-23R 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 WRB-23R 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 WRB-23R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2023 Subaru BRZ, 2022 Subaru BRZ, 2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru WRX. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2022 Forester: built 23 Sep 2021 – 4 Oct 2022; 2022 WRX: built 21 Jan 2022 – 2 Nov 2022; 2022-2023 BRZ: built 2 Sep 2021 – 3 Oct 2022 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.