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IMPORTANT - All
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SERVICE MANAGER

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SERVICE BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY: 2014-2018MY Forester

NUMBER: 12-204-16R
DATE: 07/15/16
SUBJECT: Pop, Click, Creak Sounds from the Rear Body Area
REVISED: 08/24/18

INTRODUCTION:
This bulletin provides potential source locations and procedures to help isolate areas of the vehicle
which may be generating popping, clicking or creaking sounds when the body is in a “twisting” condition. This can occur while driving on rough, irregular or uneven road surfaces or even during lowspeed maneuvers such as pulling into or backing out of a driveway. Production information and field
reports received indicate where multiple layers of the vehicle’s body structure are spot-welded together, primarily in the “D”-pillar and rear gate opening areas, a “stick-slip” condition can occur between
the layers and cause these types of sounds to occur. Service information has been released previously
describing similar conditions which involved accessing and then punching or separating the layers of
metal and applying a lubricant to prevent recurrence. Those same techniques may also provide good
results on these vehicles too but, in some cases, a Body Shop repair may be required.
PART INFORMATION:
Castle Products “Endura” is a penetrating spray grease product available
through their network of local distributors. To find your closest local
distributor, go to: http://www.castlepackspower.com or call: 1-800-876-0222.
SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION:
•
•
•

Read through and understand this bulletin completely before beginning any
repairs.
Always confirm the condition as reported by the customer prior to starting
any repairs.
A properly used set of chassis ears can be an invaluable tool to assist in isolating the
source(s) of the sound(s) and confirming the successful repair before interior reassembly.

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.

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. IS
ISO 14001 COMPLIANT
ISO 14001 is 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.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

Page 1

•

NOTE: It is NOT recommended to use expandable foam as shown in the photos below.
Once the foam has been applied, if the condition persists afterward, identifying the actual
source of the sound, accessing and repairing it all become considerably more difficult along
with increased chances of an ineffective repair.

•

Whenever removing the interior trim panels, always follow the service procedures in the
applicable Service Manual. Take proper precautions (e.g. use of plastic trim tools, application
of protective tape, etc.) to prevent damaging them and protect them while they are removed.
Patience and cleanliness are key!
In some cases, a small amount of additional welding may be required. It is VERY
IMPORTANT to always take the proper precautions to protect the vehicle’s electrical system
components along with the surrounding areas of the body whenever welding processes are
performed. It is strongly recommended a Body Shop be utilized for these repairs for their
experience in proper performance of both the required welding and related refinishing
procedures.
Always confirm the sound(s) have been eliminated before reassembling the interior.

•

•

AREAS OF THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT:
Figure 1

Figure 2

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

Page 2

Using a set of chassis ears, check the areas circled in red in Figure 1 above, the roof rail ends and
stepped portions of the roof panel (the left side shown but always check both sides) for the sound. If
the vehicle is not equipped with roof rails, check the areas at the ends of the roof moldings along with
the stepped portion where the rear gate hinges are secured.
In Figure 2 above, the term “Work Hole” is used for the access points where chassis ears can be
inserted to help isolate the source(s) of the sound. Tools can be inserted into these holes where accessible to separate the layers of sheet metal and reduce or eliminate welding spatter by using a hammer
and flat-nosed punch in other spot weld areas. Use the photo below to identify the work holes.
Figure 3 below shows arrangement of the Work Holes and Figure 4, a cross-section view of how the
sheet metal is layered in the suspect areas.
Figure 3

Figure 4
Front of Vehicle

Toward L/Rear

By working through the Work Holes, separate the layers (enlarging the gap) of sheet metal as shown
in the procedure steps below. In areas where the edges of the metal layers are not accessible to
separate, use a hammer and flat-nosed punch around the spot welds in the starred areas as shown in
Steps 2 and 3 below to gain some separation. SPARINGLY apply a SMALL amount of the Endura
penetrating grease into any new gaps created using the aerosol applicator tube. Always inspect for
any weld spatter and crush or remove it as best as possible with either a flat blade screw driver or a
“modified” tool as shown in the example photo below.

Use the reference photos provided below to help with identification of the areas described throughout
the service procedure steps. NOTE: In order to better show the described weld and seam areas, the
orientations of these photos may differ in comparison to how they actually appear on the vehicle.

Spot Weld
Area B

Spot Weld
Area A

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

Page 3

NOTE: It is VERY IMPORTANT to perform each (without skipping over any) of the STEPS (1-4)
as outlined below before proceeding to STEP 5 (welding repairs).
Step 1

NOTE: Do not over-enlarge any gap as
doing so may damage the spot weld.

After separating the layers of sheet metal, SPARINGLY apply a SMALL amount of the Endura
penetrating grease into any newly-created gap using an aerosol applicator tube to be more precise
and eliminate any overspray.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

Page 4

Step 2

Flat-nosed punch

Spot Weld
Area B

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

Page 5

Step 3

Using a hammer and a long flat-nosed
punch through Work Hole A, dimple the
metal around the spot welds as shown by
the star markings in the photo below. When
complete, go back through Work Hole C
and use a flat blade screwdriver to remove
/ crush any additional welding spatter found
around Spot Weld Area A.

Spot Weld
Area A

After performing Steps 1-3 above, road test the vehicle (STEP 4) and listen to hear if the sound has
been reduced or eliminated. If the sound is still present or reduced, repeat Steps 1-4 again. These
procedures may need to be performed several times. If still unsuccessful, a Body Shop welding repair
(STEP 5) will need to be performed.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

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IMPORTANT NOTES:
•
•

REMINDER: It is strongly recommended a Body Shop be utilized for this repair for their
experience in proper performance of both the required welding and refinishing procedures.
Before sending the vehicle for the welding repairs and to avoid confusion, use a permanent
marker to indicate exactly where the new welds need to be added as described below.
Step 5

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

Page 7

Top down view of L/Rear roof area

CAUTION: Drill
through the roof
panel and rear quarter
panel ONLY. DO NOT
drill through the Dpillar reinforcement.

Cross-Section
Side View

Continued...
Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

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Warranty / Claim Information:
For vehicles within the Basic New Car Limited Warranty period, this repair may be submitted using
the following claim information:
Labor Description

Labor Operation #

Labor Time

FORESTER R/H “D” PILLAR SOUND REPAIR

B900-561

2.0

SUBLET REPAIR, ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES

C101-108

0.3

FORESTER L/H “D” PILLAR SOUND REPAIR

B900-562

2.0

SUBLET REPAIR, ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES

C101-108

0.3

FORESTER “D” PILLAR REPAIR- BOTH SIDES

B900-564

2.8

SUBLET REPAIR, ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES

C101-108

0.3

Fail Code
OCB-25
OCC-25
OCD-25

NOTE: The labor times listed include all trim (including headliner) R&R, all related road testing and the actual repairs
(EXCEPT for welding repairs which will be sublet).

NOTE: When submitting a claim for this procedure, up to $2.00 can be claimed in sublet to cover the
cost of spray grease.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
•
•
•

SOA strongly discourages the printing and/or local storage of service information as previously
released information and electronic publications may be updated at any time.
Always check for any open recalls or campaigns anytime a vehicle is in for servicing.
Always refer to STIS for the latest service information before performing any repairs.

Bulletin Number: 12-204-16R; Revised: 08/24/18

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