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Manufacturer communication · Service bulletin

Subaru bulletin WRP-23

What it says(Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2023 model year WRX vehicles, certain 2024 model year Crosstrek and Impreza vehicles, and certain 2023-2024 model year Forester vehicles. NHTSA’s full summary ↓

Subaru filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Dec 19, 2023, received Jan 3, 2024, about the equipment. It names 5 model years (2023–2024). 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 communication

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2023 model year WRX vehicles, certain 2024 model year Crosstrek and Impreza vehicles, and certain 2023-2024 model year Forester vehicles.

Kind Service bulletin Manufacturer date Dec 19, 2023 Received by NHTSA Jan 3, 2024 Components Equipment, Power Train

Document filed under this number

DocumentKindDatedNHTSA idAt NHTSA
WRP-23Service bulletinDec 19, 202310248201not found

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 them

A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.

Email me new Subaru bulletins for one of these models

A weekly email, sent only in a week when Subaru files something new with NHTSA for the model you pick — service bulletins, campaigns, warranty extensions, over-the-air notices, every model year. Nothing else is sent; one-click unsubscribe in every message. Separate from recall alerts.

What owners reported

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Owners of the 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 266 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.

I own a 2024 Subaru Impreza (base trim, FB24 engine). The engine has developed repeated oil leaks into the spark plug wells due to failed spark plug tube seals / valve cover sealing on the same engine. The first occurrence was around 24,000 miles.

2024 Subaru Impreza · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Mar 4, 2026 · ODI 11722134

Safety Complaint Details: The vehicle is a 2023 Subaru WRX experiencing recurring, severe powertrain and engine management failures that present an immediate life-safety hazard on active roadways.

2023 Subaru WRX · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 21, 2026 · ODI 11772808

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 group

24 other manufacturer communications filed against these Subaru models under the same component group (equipment), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Subaru list.

NumberKindDatedNHTSA’s summary
12-249-23RService bulletinMay 13, 2026This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on pain…
15-130-08RService bulletinOct 29, 2025This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way som…
15-256-19RService bulletinJul 10, 2025This bulletin provides information on a new reprogramming procedure (FOTA) to optimize the Harman Gen 3.1 Audio and Navigation head units…
09-116-24RService bulletinApr 24, 2024This bulletin announces the availability of new reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address cases of the internal val…
03-91-23RService bulletinApr 23, 2024This bulletin announces the design change made to the front drive axle shaft assemblies to address cases of a clicking/cracking-type sound h…
FAQ 15-318-24RService bulletinApr 22, 2024T16 VoLTE Warranty Extension (15-318-24R) Frequently Asked Questions.
09-118-24Service bulletinApr 4, 2024This bulletin the announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM) reprogramming files to address DTC P24…
09-80-21RService bulletinApr 1, 2024This bulletin announces availability of a new thermo control valve assembly. The new valve contains an enhanced stainless steel internal sha…

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.

Photo: Christian Buehner / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5

Is Subaru WRP-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 WRP-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 WRP-23 cover?

The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, 2024 Subaru Forester, 2023 Subaru Forester, 2024 Subaru Impreza, 2023 Subaru WRX. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.