P26A6 on Subaru vehicles
P26A6 is named on 27 Subaru model years (2019–2025): 27 manufacturer filings and 7 owner reports in NHTSA’s files, across Forester, Crosstrek, Impreza, Legacy, Outback.
Which Subaru model years name P26A6
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | 4 |
| 2021 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | 2 |
| 2020 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2025 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2025 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2025 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2025 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2024 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2024 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2024 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2024 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2024 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2023 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2023 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2023 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2023 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2023 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2022 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2022 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2022 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2021 Subaru Forester | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2021 Subaru Impreza | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2021 Subaru Legacy | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2021 Subaru Outback | Engine | 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
The problem was the thermo control valve for P26A6, a known problem with Subaru vehicles like ours
Subaru filings that name P26A6
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsBulletins and campaigns Subaru filed with NHTSA whose summary names P26A6. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
- 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. 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 P26A6 a known problem on Subaru vehicles?
It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 27 manufacturer filings and 7 owner reports naming P26A6 on 27 Subaru model years (2019–2025). 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 P26A6 appear on most?
2019 Forester (5 documents), 2021 Crosstrek (3 documents), 2020 Forester (2 documents).
Does P26A6 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.