Subaru bulletin WRC-25
What it says(Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2025 model year Forester Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (SHEV) to tighten the child seat anchor bolts to the proper torque specification. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 20, 2025, received Jul 1, 2025, about the seats. It names 1 model year (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 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2025 model year Forester Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (SHEV) to tighten the child seat anchor bolts to the proper torque specification.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRC-25 | Service bulletin | Jun 20, 2025 | 11019940 | PDF, 1,884 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 100 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 group2 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Forester 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. |
| 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 WRC-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 WRC-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. Every Subaru warranty extension on file lists the ones Subaru has filed.
Which vehicles does WRC-25 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2025 Subaru Forester. 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: 2025 Forester (SHEV): built 28 Nov 2024 – 5 Mar 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.