Subaru bulletin WRJ-23R
What it says(Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2023 model year Ascent vehicles that may be equipped with a front lower control arm with a loose castle nut. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 2, 2023, received Jul 3, 2023, about the suspension. It names 1 model year (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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2023 model year Ascent vehicles that may be equipped with a front lower control arm with a loose castle nut.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRJ-23R | Service bulletin | Jun 2, 2023 | 10238432 | PDF, 906 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 45 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 suspension
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Ascent under the same component group (suspension), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05-62-18R | Service bulletin | Aug 31, 2026 | This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the fro… |
| 05-95-25 | Service bulletin | Dec 8, 2025 | This bulletin announces availability of new front wheel hub assemblies incorporating bearing surfaces having increased resistance to imperfe… |
| 03-94-24 | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2024 | This bulletin outlines the judgment criteria to be used when inspecting front transverse link bushings to reduce unnecessary bushing replace… |
| 05-91-24 | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2024 | This Bulletin provides guidance for diagnosing a leaking front or rear suspension strut. |
| 05-90-24R | Service bulletin | Mar 11, 2024 | This bulletin announces changes in design to the front strut assemblies which will address cases of rumbling and/or rattling coming from the… |
| 05-90-24 | Service bulletin | Feb 5, 2024 | This bulletin addresses rumbling and or rattling coming from the undercarriage while traveling over bumps. Subaru has made a design change t… |
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 WRJ-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 WRJ-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 WRJ-23R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2023 Subaru Ascent. 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: 2023 Ascent: built 31 Mar 2023 – 3 Apr 2023 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.