12-289-20R

ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER
q
PARTS MANAGER
q
CLAIMS PERSONNEL
q
IMPORTANT - All
Service Personnel
Should Read and
Initial in the boxes
provided, right.
SERVICE MANAGER
q
© 2020 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
SERVICE BULLETIN
APPLICABILITY:
		
SUBJECT:
2014-18MY Forester Models WITH or WITHOUT
Power Rear Gate (PRG)
NUMBER: 12-289-20R
Rear Gate Stay Warranty Extension
REVISED: 10/09/20
DATE: 08/31/20
INTRODUCTION:
In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car
Limited Warranty for the rear gate stays on the above listed models and model years. The coverage
period for the rear gate stays will be extended from the original three (3) years or thirty-six thousand
(36,000) miles (whichever comes first) to eight (8) years (96 months) / UNLIMITED (999,999*)
miles. All other terms and conditions of the original basic warranty coverage will continue to apply.
*999,999 represents Unlimited Miles as seen on Vehicle Inquiry report from Subarunet.
This change is in response to identified conditions which in some cases and under certain
circumstances, may affect the operation of the rear gate stays. It also reflects SOA’s commitment to
providing Subaru customers with confidence in the function and overall performance of their vehicle.
This warranty extension covers any internal or external failures such as, leakage, weakness, binding,
seizure or other insufficient operation of the rear gate stays.
NOTE: ALWAYS perform a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry on Subarunet to determine eligibility for this
warranty extension before proceeding with any inspection or repair. See sample inquiry result below.
999,999
IMPORTANT: This Warranty Extension is subject to the same terms and conditions set forth in
the New Car Limited Warranty. The Warranty Extension is only applicable to original equipment,
Genuine Subaru rear gate stay assemblies including Genuine Subaru Replacement Parts. Aftermarket
replacement rear gate stay assemblies are not covered by this Warranty Extension. See the individual
vehicle Warranty coverages for further details as outlined in the applicable Warranty and Maintenance
Supplement booklet or the Subaru Claims Policies and Procedures Manual.
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: 12-289-20R; Revised: 10/09/20
Page 1 of 2
SERVICE PROCEDURE:
When a customer presents a vehicle for consideration of repairs to be covered by this Warranty
Extension, the standard terms of the New Car Limited Warranty apply. As mentioned above, retailers
must always confirm coverage before proceeding by performing a Vehicle Coverage Inquiry on
Subarunet.com. If a customer presents with a concern and is outside of the terms of this extension,
contact the Claims Team and review for possible alternative coverage.
The procedure for rear gate stay inspection and replacement is unchanged from the currently
applicable Service Manuals. Always refer to the applicable Service Manual and review the full
requirements of the repair being performed. The Service Manual procedures contain information
critical to performing an effective repair the first time, every time. This includes but is not limited
to: important SAFETY precautions, proper inspection criteria, necessary special tools, and required
processes needed for a complete and lasting repair.
WARRANTY / CLAIM INFORMATION:
Labor Description
Labor Operation #
Labor Time
REAR GATE STAY R&R ONE SIDE
A915-381
0.3
REAR GATE STAY R&R BOTH SIDES
A915-384
0.4
Fail Code
XAQ-48
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: 12-289-20R; Revised: 10/09/20
Page 2 of 2