P0606 on Subaru vehicles An internal processor fault in the engine control module
P0606 is named on 15 Subaru model years (2016–2024): 24 manufacturer filings and 1 owner report in NHTSA’s files, across Forester, WRX, BRZ, Crosstrek.
Which Subaru model years name P0606
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Subaru Forester | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2017 Subaru WRX | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2016 Subaru Forester | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2016 Subaru WRX | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2018 Subaru Forester | Electrical System | 2 | — |
| 2018 Subaru WRX | Electrical System | 2 | — |
| 2024 Subaru BRZ | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2023 Subaru BRZ | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2022 Subaru BRZ | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2021 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2021 Subaru WRX | Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — |
| 2020 Subaru Forester | Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — |
| 2020 Subaru WRX | Equipment | 1 | — |
| 2019 Subaru Forester | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2019 Subaru WRX | Equipment | 1 | — |
A model year is listed because the code is named in its own record — a bulletin filed against it, or an owner’s complaint about it — not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are documents in NHTSA’s files, not failure rates.
What Subaru owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, scrubbed of anything identifying. Unverified reports filed with NHTSA — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Sixteen trouble codes were stored, including P26A6, P0606, P060B, P2138, P2135, P2122, P2119, P2004, P2005, and P0191
Subaru filings that name P0606
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsBulletins and campaigns Subaru filed with NHTSA whose summary names P0606. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
- 07-75-13R Service bulletin2016-09-08 · Electrical System
- This Bulletin provides information regarding DTC P0606 related specifically to the determination of this code on Forester Turbo and applicable WRX models. The engine management system is equipped with a back-up memory. When disconnecting the battery cables, this back-up memory is cleared. On Forester Turbo and applicable WRX models, after re-connecting the battery, if the ignition switch is turn
- 07-75-13R Service bulletin2018-03-28 · Electrical System — Ignition
- On Forester Turbo and applicable WRX models, after re-connecting the battery, if the ignition switch is turned back ?ON? within one minute after the first time the ignition is turned ?OFF?, it becomes possible for the CEL to illuminate storing DTC P0606 in memory. The code will not occur immediately, but may occur after a period of time depending upon how the vehicle is operated
- 07-75-13R Service bulletin2020-03-10 · Electrical System — 12V/24V/48V Battery
- This Bulletin provides information regarding DTC P0606 related specifically to the determination of this code on Forester Turbo and applicable WRX models.
- 09-135-25 Service bulletin2025-05-20 · Electrical System
- This bulletin announces availability of new reprogramming files developed to address cases of DTC P0606 (Control Module Processor) detected by the Engine Control Module (ECM).
What P0606 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIAn internal processor fault in the engine control module.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. The record above is what Subaru and its owners have filed about it; the code’s page across every make has the whole file.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardIs P0606 a known problem on Subaru vehicles?
It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 24 manufacturer filings and 1 owner report naming P0606 on 15 Subaru model years (2016–2024). Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count — but a bulletin that names the code on your model year is the place to start.
Which Subaru models does P0606 appear on most?
2017 Forester (3 documents), 2016 Forester (3 documents), 2017 WRX (3 documents).
Does P0606 on a Subaru mean it is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN; no recall is triggered by a scan tool. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or open the model year's page here for the campaigns filed against it.