ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER
PARTS MANAGER
CLAIMS PERSONNEL
SERVICE MANAGER

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

q
q
q
q

© 2016 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

SERVICE PROGRAM BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY: 2015-16 MY Legacy and Outback

SUBJECT: Engine No-Start Condition in Cold Climates

NUMBERS: WTH-68
DATE:

08/23/16

This repair procedure was previously published in TSB number 07-89-15R. In the interest of customer
satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is now initiating a service program for certain 2015 and
2016 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles as described in this Service Program bulletin.
INTRODUCTION:
During ocean transportation of the EGI Main relays, moisture may be absorbed into them from
exposure to very high ambient humidity conditions. During normal operation, this moisture is
heated by the relay’s electric coils and evaporated while the engine is running however, it may not
all be eliminated. If the vehicle is used in extreme cold temperatures (-20C / -4F), ice crystals may
form on the relay’s contacts due to rapid heat radiation after the engine is turned off. As a result,
these ice crystals can insulate and prevent electricity from flowing and lead to a contact failure.
Should this occur, the engine may fail to start immediately. For example: if the engine is started
under extreme cold temperatures, shut-off and left to “soak” for approximately 20 minutes and then
restarted, the described relay freezing / no-start condition may occur requiring several attempts to
start the engine.
AFFECTED VEHICLES
Not all vehicles listed below are covered by this service program. Coverage for all affected vehicles
must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com. This data is
now available.
Please note that any vehicles with claim history of replacing the EGI main relay described in this
bulletin are not included in this service program.

Vehicle Model
2015-2016 Legacy and Outback

Production Date Range
December 2013 – October 2015

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: WTH-68; Date: 08/23/16

Page 1

OWNER NOTIFICATION
Notification letters will be sent by first class mail to owners of all potentially affected vehicles by
early September, 2016. A copy of the letter is included at the end of this bulletin.
RETAILER AFFECTED VIN LISTS
Each Subaru retailer will receive an affected VIN list from their Zone Office when owner notification
begins. Vehicles will be assigned to retailers in the affected VIN list as follows:
•
•
•

Original vehicle owners are assigned to the original selling retailer when their current address
is within a 100-mile radius of that retailer.
If the original selling retailer is inactive, the VIN has been assigned to the nearest active
retailer.
For any new owners or when original owners live more than 100 miles from the original
selling retailer, the VIN has been assigned to the nearest active retailer.

Important: Retailer affected VIN lists include owner name and address information for vehicles
affected by this service program. This information will enable retailers to follow up with owners of
potentially affected vehicles. The lists contain owners’ names and addresses obtained from State
Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any other
purpose is unlawful. Accordingly, retailers are required to limit the use of these lists for the purpose
of completion of this service program.
RETAILER PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITY
Any vehicles listed in a recall/campaign that are in retailer stock must be:
■■ Immediately identified.
■■ Tagged or otherwise marked to prevent their delivery or use prior to inspection and/or repair.
■■ Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in this Service Program Bulletin.
Retailers are to promptly perform the applicable service procedures to correct all affected vehicles in
their inventory (used, demo & SSLP). Additionally, whenever a vehicle subject to this service
program is taken into retailer inventory, or in for service, necessary steps should be taken to ensure
the service program correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
PRODUCTION CHANGE INFORMATION:
The new EGI Main Relay was incorporated into production during mid-October, 2015 starting with
the following VINs:
Legacy: G*017247 and Outback: G*237505.
PART INFORMATION:
The new EGI Main relay part number is 25232AA130.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WTH-68; Date: 08/23/16

Page 2

SERVICE PROCEDURE:
The EGI Main Relay is located in the under-hood fuse box (M/B).

Relay Identification:
•

Using the reference photos below as a guide, inspect the EGI Main Relay in the M/B.
Replace the relay if inspection reveals M07 on the top cover.

After replacing the EGI Main relay:
•

Start the vehicle and verify all the combination meter warning lights cycle on / off normally.
Continued...

Bulletin Number: WTH-68; Date: 08/23/16

Page 3

SERVICE PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION LABEL
Type or print the necessary information on a Campaign Identification Label. The completed label
should be attached to the vehicle’s upper radiator support.
Additional labels are available through normal parts ordering channels. The part number is
MSA6P1302, which comes as one sheet of 20 labels.
Part Number

Applicability

Description

Order Quantity

MSA6P1302

All models

Campaign Completion Labels
(contains one sheet of 20 labels)

1

WTH-68

CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT AND ENTRY PROCEDURES:
Credit to perform this service program will be based on the submission of properly completed
repair order information. Retailers may submit claims through Vehicle Claim Entry on
subarunet.com.
Labor Description

Labor Operation #

Labor Time

Fail Code

Claim Type

REPLACE EGI MAIN RELAY

A186-002

0.3

WTH-68

RC

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: WTH-68; Date: 08/23/16

Page 4

OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER
This notice applies to the VIN identified
in the address section printed below.

Subaru Service Program WTH-68
August 2016

Dear Subaru Owner:
We would like to thank you for your selection of a Subaru vehicle. We take pride in our products and are committed to your
continued satisfaction.
Subaru has redesigned the engine ignition main relay in order to provide improved cold weather re-starting performance for
certain 2015 and 2016 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles.
You received this notice because our records indicate that you currently own one of these vehicles. In the interest of your
continued satisfaction, we would like to replace this relay in your vehicle at no cost to you to avoid any future potential
concerns.
DESCRIPTION
Under certain extreme cold weather conditions, after the engine is shut off, ice crystals may form inside the relay which may
temporarily prevent you from re-starting the vehicle.
REPAIR
Subaru will replace your vehicle’s engine ignition main relay at no cost to you.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
You should immediately contact your Subaru retailer (dealer) for an appointment to have this repair performed.
HOW LONG WILL THE REPAIR TAKE?
The time to replace the relay is approximately 20 minutes. However, it may be necessary to leave your vehicle for a longer
period of time on the day of your scheduled appointment to allow your Subaru retailer flexibility in scheduling.
CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS OR SOLD YOUR SUBARU?
If you have moved or sold your vehicle, please complete the enclosed prepaid postcard and mail it to us. Or if you prefer to
update this information online, please go to www.subaru.com, select ‘Customer Support,’ then select ‘Address Update’ or
‘Ownership Update’ from the drop down menu.

Bulletin Number: WTH-68; Date: 08/23/16

Page 5

IF YOU NEED FURTHER ASSISTANCE:
To locate the nearest Subaru retailer, you can access our website at www.subaru.com and select ‘Find a Retailer.’
For additional information, please go to: http://www.wth68.service-campaign.com.
If you need additional assistance, please contact us directly:
•

By e-mail: Go to www.subaru.com, Customer Support and select “Contact Us”

•

By telephone: 1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)
Monday through Thursday between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET
Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET

•

By U.S. Postal mail: Write us at Subaru of America, Inc., Attn: Customer-Retailer Services Department,
P.O. Box 6000, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000

Please contact us immediately if the Subaru retailer fails or is unable to make the necessary repairs free of charge.
Your continued satisfaction with your Subaru is important to us. Please understand that we have taken this action in the
interest of your vehicle’s proper operation. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this matter may cause and urge you
to schedule an appointment as soon as possible to have this repair performed.
Sincerely,
Subaru of America, Inc.

Notice to Lessors: Under Federal law the lessor of a vehicle who receives this letter must provide a copy of it to the vehicle lessee(s)

within 10 business days from receipt. The lessor must also keep a record of the lessee(s) to whom this letter is sent, the date sent, and the
applicable vehicle identification number (VIN). (For the purposes of this section, a lessor means a person or entity that in the last twelve
months prior to the date of this notification has been the owner, as referenced on the vehicle’s title, of any five or more leased vehicles. A
leased vehicle is a vehicle leased to another person for a term of at least four months.)

A subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.

Bulletin Number: WTH-68; Date: 08/23/16

Page 6