P26A6
7 owner reports and 25 manufacturer filings across 25 model years from Subaru.
Where P26A6 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | 4 | |
| 2021 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | 2 | |
| 2020 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | 1 | |
| 2025 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2024 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2023 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2025 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2024 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2023 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2022 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2021 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2025 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2024 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2023 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2022 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2021 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2025 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2024 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2023 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2022 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2025 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2024 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2023 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — |
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
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P26A6 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P26A6 on that maker’s vehicles.
What it gets filed under
What owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, one per nameplate, scrubbed of anything identifying. These are unverified reports filed with NHTSA — they are 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
The problem was the thermo control valve for P26A6, a known problem with Subaru vehicles like ours
25 manufacturer filings name P26A6. Start with what the maker wrote down.
A code names the test that failed, not the part. A bulletin that names it is often a diagnosis someone has already written down — quote its number at the service desk.
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P26A6.
- 09-132-25 Service bulletin2025-03-24 · Engine
- This Bulletin announces the Service Manual Correction for the diagnostic procedures to be followed when performing diagnostic repairs for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P26A6 (Engine Coolant Bypass Valve “A” Position Sensor Circuit Low) and P26A7 (Engine Coolant Bypass Valve “A” Position Sensor Circuit High). Refer to the service procedures in this bulletin when performing diagnosis on DTCs P26A6
What P26A6 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP26A6 sits in the generic range of the OBD-II standard, so it means the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States — but WhichTrim does not carry a definition for it and will not invent one. What is on this page is the record: who named it and on what.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about P26A6
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P26A6 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light means a fault was logged and the car should be checked soon; a flashing light means a severe misfire — slow down and get it seen as soon as possible, because severe misfire can quickly damage the catalytic converter. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.