ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER
PARTS MANAGER
CLAIMS PERSONNEL
SERVICE MANAGER

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IMPORTANT - All
Service Personnel
Should Read and
Initial in the boxes
provided, right.

SERVICE BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY: 2010-2013MY Outback
2009-2013MY Forester
SUBJECT:

NUMBER: 12-153-13
DATE: 05/07/13

Tonneau Cover Stopper / Holder Repair

INTRODUCTION
This Bulletin provides a repair procedure for the replacement of the tonneau cover stoppers. This
procedure must be used in place of tonneau cover assembly replacement for stopper failure. Replacing
the complete tonneau cover assembly due to a stopper failure is no longer an accepted repair.
MATERIALS NEEDED
• 48” piece of 7/16” diameter wood dowel available at most hardware or home improvement stores.
• 5/32” diameter x ¼” grip length aluminum or steel pop rivets
• Black permanent marker
NOTE: Both the Left Hand (L/Hand) and Right Hand (R/Hand) stopper should be ordered together
when either replacement is needed as the L/Hand stopper will likely be broken and no longer usable
after removing it from the support pipe.
VEHICLE TYPE

STOPPER, R/ HAND

STOPPER, L/HAND

Outback

65577AJ00BVH

65577AJ01AVH

Forester

65577AG000JC

65577AG010JC

Parts overview: The L/Hand stopper is one-piece while the R/Hand is a 3-piece assembly as shown.
Stopper, L/Hand

Outer Tube

Spring

Stopper body

Stopper, R/Hand

L/Hand

R/Hand Assembly

CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS COULD
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They
are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles, or
to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly
trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how
to do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this
Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.

Bulletin Number: 12-153-13; Date: 05/07/13

Continued...

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. IS
“ISO 14001 COMPLIANT”
The international standard for excellence
in Environmental Management Systems.
Please recycle or dispose of automotive
products in a manner that is friendly to our
environment and in accordance with all
local, state and federal laws and regulations.

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SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION
• Removal of broken R/hand stopper outer tube
NOTE: As shown in the photo on Step 3, both stoppers are “staked” in place with punches or
“dimples” in the support pipe (3 on Outback, 1 on Forester). You will be able to see these dimples
by moving the covering material on the support pipe from side to side after the rivets have been
removed.
Step 1- Remove the L/Hand stopper from the end of the support pipe by hand. It will most likely be
damaged or broken during removal and no longer usable.
Step 2- Using a sharp 1/8” drill bit, drill out the 2 pop rivets which position the material of the
tonneau cover over the support pipe. To minimize any damage to the tonneau cover material from the
rivet head spinning while drilling, use minimal pressure and as slow a drill speed as you can while
holding the drill at an angle to the support pipe (not perpendicular) as shown in the photos below.
CAUTION: Wear Safety Glasses.

N/G

OK

Step 3- After drilling out the 2 rivets, the 3 stakes or dimples on each which secured the L/Hand
stopper to the support pipe will need to be reduced (pushed back out) from the inside. This will
provide clearance for the wood dowel and allow the new stoppers to be fully seated when installing
them. The drive end of a 6” to 8” long ¼” drive extension is close to ½” outside diameter and works
well to push these dimples out. Place the drive end in the support tube then drive it past the dimples
with a hammer. The support pipe is made of aluminum and is fairly soft making it a rather easy
material to work with.

Dimples

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-153-13; Date: 05/07/13

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Step 4- Once the L/Hand stopper is removed and the dimples reduced, insert the wood dowel into
the support pipe and drive the R/Hand stopper outer tube out the other end. You will need to use the
drive end of the ¼” drive extension again to push the dowel all the way through as the support pipe is
longer than 48 inches. The wood dowel is relatively soft and will not reduce the dimples holding the
R/Hand stopper outer tube in place. Once the broken stopper outer tube is removed, reduce the
R/Hand dimples using the ¼” drive extension as you did on the L/Hand end of the support pipe.

IMPORTANT- Make sure the ribs on the new parts align with the corresponding groove inside the
support pipe as shown below.
Step 5- Push the new stoppers into the support pipe using moderate hand pressure.
Pipe groove
Stopper rib
Stopper rib

Pipe groove

L/Hand

R/Hand

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-153-13; Date: 05/07/13

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Step 6- Once both stoppers have been properly aligned, installed and are fully seated in the support
pipe, stake them in position using the original dimples with a small hammer and pointed nose punch.
Be sure to support the ends of the pipe as shown below to avoid bending it or damaging the stoppers.
REMINDER: The aluminum support pipe and the plastic stoppers now inside it are soft. Be careful
to not use any more force than necessary when re-staking the retaining dimples.

Step 7- Install the 2 pop rivets which position the tonneau cover material on the support pipe then
touch up with a permanent black marker if necessary to complete the repair.

WARRANTY / CLAIM INFORMATION
For vehicles within the Basic New Car Limited Warranty period, this repair may be claimed using the
following information:
LABOR DESCRIPTION
R/Hand Tonneau Cover Stopper End R&R

LABOR
OPERATION #

FAIL
CODE

LABOR
TIME

A912-271

YMV-01

0.4

NOTE: Up to $3.00 can be claimed in Sublet to cover the cost of the rivets and the wooden dowel if
needed. One wooden dowel is sufficient for multiple uses.

Bulletin Number: 12-153-13; Date: 05/07/13

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