Subaru bulletin WRL-21R
What it says(Subaru) has initiated this safety recall for certain 2020 model year Ascent vehicles in which the front axle housings may have been manufactured with improperly tapered tie rod mounting holes. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 28, 2024, received Apr 3, 2024, about the equipment. It names 1 model year (2020). 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 this safety recall for certain 2020 model year Ascent vehicles in which the front axle housings may have been manufactured with improperly tapered tie rod mounting holes.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRL-21R | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | 10252498 | PDF, 1,051 KB |
What the document itself lists
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34161SA001 | TIE ROD END ASSEMBLY | 2 | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (7 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Subaru’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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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 322 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
New 2020 Subaru Ascent limited. Heard clunking or weird sound from front suspension/struts on bumpy road or potholes
2020 Subaru Ascent · Suspension · filed with NHTSA Apr 6, 2020
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 equipment
Source: same model, same component group16 other manufacturer communications filed against the Subaru Ascent under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-130-08R | Service bulletin | Oct 29, 2025 | This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way som… |
| 17-17-13R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | NOTE: The Airbag systems used on previous and current WRX, STI and Tribeca models are NOT equipped with EDR functionality. This Bulletin p… |
| 15-256-19R | Service bulletin | Jul 10, 2025 | This bulletin provides information on a new reprogramming procedure (FOTA) to optimize the Harman Gen 3.1 Audio and Navigation head units… |
| 7-219-23R | Service bulletin | Mar 28, 2024 | To satisfy current supply demands, a new Subaru alternative replacement battery is now available. |
| 15-242-19R | Service bulletin | Mar 19, 2024 | This Service Information bulletin has been developed for use as a quick reference tool to aid in diagnosing operational concerns of the Gen… |
| 18-225-22R | Service bulletin | Mar 5, 2024 | This bulletin provides the diagnostic procedure for Harman Infotainment Systems when DTC B2255 is detected. This update should prevent unnec… |
| 16-146-24R | Service bulletin | Jan 30, 2024 | In the interest of providing continued customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is implementing Warranty Extensions and addition… |
| 18-224-22R | Service bulletin | Oct 12, 2023 | This Service Information Bulletin is to inform you of the diagnosis procedure of the CP1/ CP1.5 Infotainment System when DTC B2256 is detect… |
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 WRL-21R 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 WRL-21R 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 WRL-21R cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2020 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: 2020 Ascent: built 22 Feb 2020 – 5 Mar 2020 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.