Service bulletins for the 2012 Subaru Forester
A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.
388 on file from NHTSA, as of 2026-10-19.
By type
By component
By trouble code
| WQE-41A | 2016-10-29. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND DEALERS THAT FOR THIS CAMPAIGN THE REPAIR PART NUMBER IS H001SSC300, WHICH IS A FUSED MINI HARNESS. THERE ARE TWO REQUIRED PER VEHICLE. THERE ARE OTHER COMPONENTS LISTED IN THE CAMPAIGN BULLETIN FOR CONVENIENCE BUT, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THESE PARTS BEING NEEDED IS SMALL. THEREFORE, DUE TO THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF THESE PARTS WE ARE ASKING DEALERS TO PLEASE ONLY ORDER PARTS AS NEEDED FOR VEHICLES THAT REQUIRE THESE COMPONENTS. DEALERS SHOULD NOT BE STOCKING THESE ITEMS. IF YOU SHOULD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE PARTS INFORMATION COORDINATORS |
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| 15-131-08R | 2016-10-28. Service bulletin. STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR. IN THE EVENT YOU ENCOUNTER A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT THAT THE REAR DOOR WHEEL ARCH MOLDING IS LOOSE, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE 3M™ TAPE WHICH ATTACHES THE MOLDING HAS NOT ADHERED PROPERLY. PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR REPLACING THE MOLDING(S). |
| WQE41A | 2016-10-28. Service bulletin. EXTERIOR LIGHTING. THE OPTIONAL GENUINE SUBARU PUDDLE LIGHT RECALL HAS NOW BEEN RELEASED. OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTERS WERE MAILED TODAY. EFFECTIVE TODAY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013, ALL CLAIMS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED USING THE RECALL BULLETIN CLAIM CODING INFORMATION. |
| WQE-41 | 2016-10-27. Service bulletin. EXTERIOR LIGHTING. "SUBARU HAS DETERMINED THAT AFFECTED VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL GENUINE SUBARU PUDDLE LIGHTS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT AND CAUSE THE RELATED COMPONENTS TO OVERHEAT AND POTENTIALLY MELT. A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN DEVELOP WHEN EITHER THE PUDDLE LIGHTS OR CONNECTORS ARE EXPOSED TO AN ELECTROLYTIC MOISTURE SOURCE (I.E.- SALT WATER) AND IT PENETRATES THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE PUDDLE LIGHT OR THE PINS OF THE PUDDLE LIGHT CONNECTOR(S). IF THE PUDDLE LIGHTS OR CONNECTORS WERE TO OVERHEAT, THEY COULD MELT AND POSE A RISK OF A FIRE. THIS RECALL WILL INVOLVE VEHICLE INSPECTION AND INSTALLATION OF INLINE FUSES AS NECESSARY." |
| 02-157-14R | 2016-09-28. Service bulletin. ENGINE. REVISED SERVICE BULLETIN: SURFACE TREATMENT CHANGE TO OIL CONTROL PISTON RINGS THIS BULLETIN ANNOUNCES INFORMATION REGARDING A MAJOR CHANGE TO THE REPAIR PROCEDURES PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED IN SERVICE BULLETINS 02-143-13R, 02-144-13R AND 02-145-13R. |
| WQQ-52 | 2016-09-23. Service bulletin. SERVICE BRAKES. THIS RECALL IS BEING ISSUED AS A RESULT OF INCOMPLETE REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE IMPREZA AND FORESTER REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR THE WQK-47 BRAKE LINE CORROSION RECALL. |
| WQQ-52RA | 2016-09-22. Service bulletin. SERVICE BRAKES. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS TO ADVISE OF RECALL WQQ-52 BEING ISSUED AS A RESULT OF INCOMPLETE REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE IMPREZA, WRX, STI, AND FORESTER REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR THE WQK-47 BRAKE LINE CORROSION RECALL. |
| 11-153-15 | 2016-09-22. Service bulletin. ENGINE. THIS BULLETIN ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF REPROGRAMMING FILES TO ADDRESS CUSTOMER CONCERNS OF EXTENDED CRANKING TIME BEFORE THE ENGINE STARTS. |
| 02-132-12R | 2016-09-20. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT. THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE FOR DIAGNOSIS AND DETERMINATION OF NECESSARY PART REPLACEMENT IN THE EVENT ANY OF THE “AVCS SLOW RESPONSE” OR “AVCS SYSTEM FAILURE” DTCS LISTED ABOVE ARE FOUND TO BE STORED IN THE ECM MEMORY. |
| 02-157-14R | 2016-09-20. Service bulletin. ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE. REVISED SERVICE BULLETIN: SURFACE TREATMENT CHANGE TO OIL CONTROL PISTON RINGS THIS BULLETIN ANNOUNCES INFORMATION REGARDING A MAJOR CHANGE TO THE REPAIR PROCEDURES PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED IN SERVICE BULLETINS 02-143-13R, 02-144-13R AND 02-145-13R. |
| WQE-41RP | 2016-09-15. Service bulletin. EXTERIOR LIGHTING. SUBARU HAS DETERMINED THAT AFFECTED VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OPTIONAL GENUINE SUBARU PUDDLE LIGHTS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT AND CAUSE THE RELATED COMPONENTS TO OVERHEAT AND POTENTIALLY MELT. A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN DEVELOP WHEN EITHER THE PUDDLE LIGHTS OR THEIR CONNECTORS ARE EXPOSED TO AN ELECTROLYTIC MOISTURE SOURCE (I.E. SALT WATER) AND IT PENETRATES THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE PUDDLE LIGHT OR THE PINS OF THE PUDDLE LIGHT CONNECTOR(S). IF THE PUDDLE LIGHTS OR CONNECTORS WERE TO OVERHEAT, THEY COULD MELT AND POSE A RISK OF A FIRE. TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION, DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPAIR THE PUDDLE LIGHTS. AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO ADD IN-LINE FUSES FOR BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE PUDDLE LIGHTS TO THOSE VEHICLES THAT DO NOT ALREADY HAVE FUSES CONTAINED IN THE WIRE HARNESSES. |
| 18-165-13 | 2016-09-14. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL. "THE PURPOSE OF THIS BULLETIN IS TO PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT CHANGES TO SERVICE MANUALS AVAILABLE VIA THE SUBARU TECHNICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (STIS) WEB SITE. THE TABLES CONTAINED WITHIN THIS BULLETIN ARE TO BE USED AS GUIDES FOR BECOMING AWARE OF THE LATEST CHANGES. WE ADVISE YOU TO ALWAYS REFER TO THE STIS WEB SITE WHEN LOOKING FOR THE LATEST SERVICE INFORMATION. PRINTED PAGES WILL NOT BE MADE AVAILABLE TO UPDATE PRINTED SERVICE MANUALS. PAPER MANUALS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT PAGE NUMBERING THEN WHAT IS REFLECTED BELOW, BASED ON MULTIPLE NEW AND REVISED PAGES. PLEASE REFER TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE STI WEB SITE FOR ALL FUTURE, UPDATE SERVICE MANUAL INFORMATION." |
| SB-07-96-15 | 2016-06-17. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-144-13R | 2016-06-09. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-157-14R | 2016-06-09. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| WQA-37 | 2016-06-02. Service bulletin. SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-157-14R | 2016-06-02. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-144-13R | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-157-14R | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 16-92-14 | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 8-1-2014 | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-147-13R | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-144-13R | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-144-13R | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:SPRINGS. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
| 02-147-13R | 2016-05-23. Service bulletin. ENGINE. SUMMARY TO BE PROVIDED ON A FUTURE DATE. |
The summaries are NHTSA's. Each bulletin's page links NHTSA's copy of the manufacturer's document.