Staining on Finish of Rear Gate Panel – 2019-2020 Subaru Forester

NHTSA ID Number: 10176023

Manufacturer Communication Number: 12-291-20

Summary

This bulletin announces a design change made to the rubber protector located between the top edge of the rear gate garnish and the glass. The change was made in reponse to a number of concerns regarding vertical brownish-colored stains appearing on the rear gate panel below the garnish and / or the license plate.

 

2 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
SUBARU	FORESTER	2019-2020

 

 

 

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NUMBER: 12-291-20
DATE: 05/19/20

APPLICABILITY:	2019-20MY Forester
SUBJECT:	Staining on Finish of Rear Gate Panel

 

INTRODUCTION:

This bulletin announces a design change made to the rubber protector located between the top edge of the rear gate garnish and the glass.  The change was made in response to a number of concerns regarding vertical brownish-colored stains appearing on the rear gate panel below the garnish and / or the license plate as shown below.  Although hard to see in the photos, the callouts represent locations where the staining has been identified.

 

The staining is caused by an anti-hardening chemical used in the rear wiper blade insert.  Over time, the chemical may be extracted from the insert by vehicle washing and rainwater.  Carried by the runoff water, the chemical can drain through the gaps between the sections of the old-style rubber protector which may cause a stain to develop on the rear gate finish below the garnish.  Depending on the vehicle trim level, new style protectors either eliminate or reduce the number of gaps from 4 to 2, redirecting the runoff water.  Detailed illustrations are provided below in the Parts section.

 

PRODUCTION CHANGE INFORMATION:

The new-style protectors were incorporated into production starting with VIN LH546087.

 

PART INFORMATION:

REMINDER: Always order the most up-to-date replacement parts based on the specific VIN being repaired.

NOTES:

• For purposes of this bulletin, Base and Premium trim level vehicles are Standard
• Sport, Limited and Touring trim level vehicles are High-Grade

In the illustrations below, the protector is shown as the red line along the top edge of the rear gate garnish.

 

NEW			Interchangeability *(1)	Old			Model / Grade
Part Number	Part Name	Qty. Req’d.		Part Number	Part Name	Qty. Req’d.
91713SJ060	PROTECTOR UPR STD	1	New Part to Old Vehicle: Yes.   Old Part to New Vehicle: No.	91713SJ000	PROTECTOR- REAR GARNISH	2	Standard Model
91713SJ090	PROTECTOR UPR RH	1		91713SJ010	PROTECTOR- REAR GARNISH A	2
91713SJ070	PROTECTOR UPR HG	1		91713SJ000	PROTECTOR- REAR GARNISH	2	High- Grade Model
				91713SJ020	PROTECTOR- REAR GARNISH A	2

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Both upper protectors described above (which replace #5 shown in the illustrations below) along with the multiple-piece lower protectors which are assembled along the bottom edge of the garnish (#8 below) and the left and right-hand garnish brackets (#1 and #4 below) are all one-time use items requiring replacement any time the rear gate garnish is removed.  (The SUBARU emblem (#10) is also one-time use.)  Garnish retaining clip reference is also provided below although, they are reusable as long as they are not damaged.

Use the exploded view illustrations supplied below for reference when ordering.

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION:

REMINDER:  Customer satisfaction and retention starts with performing quality repairs.

The service procedures for replacing the protector remain unchanged.  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, necessary special tools, required processes and related one-time-use parts needed for a complete and lasting repair.

 

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	Fail Code
TRUNK/REAR GATE PANEL GARNISH, R&R	B916-281	0.5	XDT-43

 

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.

 

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NUMBER: 12-291-20
DATE: 05/19/20

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10176023

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10176023-0001.pdf

 

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Last update on 2026-05-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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