ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER

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PARTS MANAGER

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CLAIMS PERSONNEL

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

SERVICE MANAGER

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© 2021 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

PRODUCT CAMPAIGN BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY:

SUBJECT:

2019 MY Forester
2018-2019 MY Crosstrek
2019MY Crosstrek Hybrid

NUMBER: WRD-21R
DATE:

04/16/21

NHTSA ID:

21V-263

REVISED:

04/29/21

Rear Stabilizer Bracket Bolts

INTRODUCTION:
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 model year Forester and 2018-2019 model
year Crosstrek vehicles to inspect and, if necessary, correct the condition of the rear stabilizer bracket
bolts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEFECT AND SAFETY RISK:
Subaru has determined that over time, due to initial variation in rear stabilizer bracket dimensions, the
rear stabilizer bar bracket bolt(s) may loosen. If the rear stabilizer bracket bolt(s) detach, there is an
increased risk of a crash.
AFFECTED VEHICLES:
The number of U.S. vehicles affected by this recall is 408,271.
Not all vehicles in the production date ranges listed below are affected by this recall. Coverage must
be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com prior to repair. This
recall coverage information is now available.
Model Year:

Carline:

Production Date Range:

2019

Forester

7/4/2018 - 6/3/2019

2018-2019

Crosstrek

5/9/2017 – 5/29/2019

2019

Crosstrek Hybrid

9/11/2018 – 5/7/2019

DESCRIPTION OF THE REMEDY:
For all potentially affected vehicles, retailers will inspect the condition of the bolts and retorque to
specification, if necessary, at no cost to the customer. If a bolt is missing, the retailer will install a
new bolt at no cost to the customer.
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: WRD-21R; Revised: 04/29/21

Page 1 of 5

RETAILER RESPONSIBILITY:
Any vehicles listed in any recall/campaign that are in retailer stock must be:
•

Immediately identified

•

Tagged or otherwise marked to prevent their delivery or use prior to repair

•

Repaired in accordance with the repair procedures outlined in the Product Campaign 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 recall is taken
into retailer inventory, necessary steps should be taken to ensure the recall correction has been made
before selling or releasing the vehicle.
Please be sure to download a copy of your complete inventory report from the Vehicle Inventory
Dashboard available on subarunet.com to identify any vehicles with open recalls that may be in your
retail, CPO, and SSLP inventory. Affected vehicles will show an Open Recall column indicator (Y).
OWNER NOTIFICATION:
Subaru will notify affected vehicle owners by first class mail within 60 days. Retailers will be
advised when the notification is scheduled.
SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION:
REMINDER: Customer satisfaction and retention starts with performing quality repairs.
INTRODUCTION:
The rear stabilizer bracket mounting bolts may be loose or in a VERY RARE case, fall out on certain
vehicles. (The estimated missing bolt rate is about 0.01%.) Inspect the condition of the four (4)
mounting bolts and re-tighten them to the proper torque following tightening sequence outlined in
the procedure below. If any of the bolts are missing, replace with new bolts, torque to specification
following tightening sequence and inspect the area around the bracket closely for any resulting
damage.
NOTES:
•

If the mounting bolts are loose or missing, or if the threads are damaged, repair using the
proper thread chaser if needed then proceed to STEP 3 below. TIP: If the bolt can be threaded
in and tightened by hand without using any tool, the threads are OK.

•

VERY IMPORTANT: Whenever installing a new bolt, or if a loose bolt is identified in
STEP 2c below, always clean all the tightening surfaces (between the bolt flange and the
bracket and between the bracket and the mating surface where the bracket mounts to the
body) before installation to ensure the proper bolt torque is achieved.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRD-21R; Revised: 04/29/21

Page 2 of 5

STEP 1 – Lift the vehicle and remove the rear wheels.
STEP 2 – Check the condition of the bolts on the left and right rear stabilizer brackets (4 bolts, 2 per
side) shown below in ORANGE and BLUE and circled in GREEN as outlined below:

Front

Front

a) If any of the bolts are missing (VERY RARE) and no damage is found on any surrounding
parts:
1. Clean up the tightening surfaces as described above.
2. Prepare the new bolt(s) (p.n. 010108200).
3. Proceed to STEP 3.

b) If any of the bolts are missing (VERY RARE) and damage is found on the surrounding
parts:
1. Inspect the following for damage from contact by the stabilizer bracket: brake pipe, rear axle
shaft, stabilizer link, stabilizer bar bracket and rear subframe.
2. Replace any damaged parts following the procedures in the applicable Service Manual.
3. Clean the tightening surfaces as described above.
4. Prepare the new bolt(s) (p.n. 010108200).
5. Proceed to STEP 3.

c) If NONE of the bolts are missing:
1. Using a marker or scribe mark the bolt location and then tighten all 4 bolts to the initial torque
of 10 Nm (7.4 ft-lbs.).
1a) IMPORTANT: If any of the bolts turn before the initial torque is reached, it is considered
loose. In this case, remove any loose bolt(s) and clean the tightening surfaces to eliminate
any foreign material as described in the NOTES: section above, install and hand tighten
the bolt(s) and proceed to STEP 3.
1b) If all four bolts reach the initial torque without moving (turning), proceed to STEP 4.
Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRD-21R; Revised: 04/29/21

Page 3 of 5

STEP 3 – Temporarily torque the FRONT bolts first then the REAR bolts to 10 Nm (7.4 ft-lbs.).

Tighten REAR SECOND to 10Nm (7.4 ft. lbs.)

Tighten FRONT FIRST to 10Nm (7.4 ft. lbs.)

STEP 4- Fully torque the REAR bolts first then the FRONT bolts to 35 Nm (25.8 ft-lbs.). NOTE:
This sequence is the OPPOSITE of STEP 3.

Torque REAR FIRST to 35Nm (25.8 ft. lbs.)

Torque FRONT SECOND to 35Nm (25.8 ft. lbs.)

STEP 5 – Re-check the torque of the bolts in the same order as in STEP 4 (35 Nm (25.8 ft-lbs.).

Re-Check Torque REAR FIRST

Re-Check Torque FRONT SECOND

STEP 6 – Lower the vehicle, reinstall the rear wheels and torque the lug nuts to 120Nm (88.5 ft-lbs.)
to complete the procedure.

Continued...
Bulletin Number: WRD-21R; Revised: 04/29/21

Page 4 of 5

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.

CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT AND ENTRY PROCEDURES:
Credit to perform this recall will be based on properly completed repair order information. Retailers
may submit claims through Subarunet.com.
Labor Description

Labor
Operation #

Labor
Time

WRD-21 REAR STABILIZER BRACKET BOLT TORQUE
INSPECTION ONLY- NO BOLTS MISSING

A112-608

0.3

WRD-21 REAR STABILIZER BRACKET BOLT TORQUE
INSPECTION- REPLACE ANY MISSING BOLTS

A112-603

Fail Code

Claim
Type

WRD-21

RC

0.4

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: WRD-21R; Revised: 04/29/21

Page 5 of 5