TSB 12-279-26 — Subaru Service bulletin
12-279-26 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for the Subaru Forester, 2019–2024 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
What the bulletin says. This bulletin announces a design change to the Power Rear Gate Drive (PRG) Unit to address rare concerns about a very slight drop immediately after the gate is fully open.
NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.
Vehicles and model years 12-279-26 names
Every document filed under 12-279-26
| Document ID | Filed | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 12-279-26 | May 1, 2026 | Service bulletin |
What 12-279-26 covers
Electrical, Body & structure — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.
Questions buyers ask
What is TSB 12-279-26?
12-279-26 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Subaru, covering the Subaru Forester across the 2019–2024 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: This bulletin announces a design change to the Power Rear Gate Drive (PRG) Unit to address rare concerns about a very slight drop immediately after the gate is fully open.
Which vehicles does 12-279-26 cover?
NHTSA's file names Subaru Forester (2019–2024). A bulletin number can be re-issued against more vehicles later, so check the model-year list on this page against your own.
Is TSB 12-279-26 a recall, and is the repair free?
No. 12-279-26 is repair guidance the manufacturer sent its dealers, not a safety defect finding. You pay for the work unless the vehicle is still under warranty. Recall repairs, by contrast, are always free.
How do I get the full text of 12-279-26?
Take the document ID to a dealer's service desk, or search NHTSA's manufacturer-communications records. This page carries every document ID filed under 12-279-26, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. This page lists only what NHTSA's manufacturer-communications file records under 12-279-26. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.