Rear Gate Stay Warranty Extension – 2014-2018 Subaru Forester

NHTSA ID Number: 10182211

Manufacturer Communication Number: 12-289-20R

Summary

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 listed models and model years.

 

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NUMBER: 12-289-20R
DATE: 08/31/20
REVISED: 10/09/20

APPLICABILITY:	2014-18MY Forester Models WITH or WITHOUT Power Rear Gate (PRG)
SUBJECT:	Rear Gate Stay Warranty Extension

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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5 Affected Products

Vehicle

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
SUBARU	FORESTER	2014-2018

 

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1 Associated Document

Manufacturer Communications

NUMBER: 12-289-20R
DATE: 08/31/20
REVISED: 10/09/20

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10182211

MC-10182211-0001.pdf 890.292KB

 

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NHTSA ID Number: 10179427

Manufacturer Communication Number: 12-289-20

Summary

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 listed models and model years. This will apply to Forester models with or without the power rear gate (PRG).

 

1 Associated Document

Manufacturer Communications

NUMBER: 12-289-20
DATE: 08/31/20

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10179427

MC-10179427-0001.pdf 885.142KB

 

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Subarunet Announcement

To:  All Subaru Retailers
From: Subaru of America, Inc.
Date:  October 9, 2020

 

We recently informed retailers and customers of an extension to the New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 2014-2018 Forester Rear Gate Stays. Since that information was communicated, there has been an additional enhancement made to the parameters of this extension. In the interest of customer satisfaction, the coverage of Rear Gate Stays has been extended to 8 years / unlimited miles, rather than the 8 year or 100,000 mileage extension parameters initially communicated.

Please note the following important details regarding this program, and review them with all appropriate personnel:

 

Rear Gate Stays Warranty Extension

The Rear Gate Stays Warranty Extension extends the vehicle’s original New Vehicle Limited Warranty as it applies to the Rear Gate Stays.  If a defect is verified, the Rear Gate Stays should be replaced following the procedures outlined in Technical Service Bulletin 12-289-20R.

The coverage period extends the vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty as it applies to the Rear Gate Stays to eight (8) years /unlimited miles.  Repairs performed during this extended coverage period must be completed prior to the expiration of the eight years, regardless of vehicle mileage.

For vehicles within the coverage guidelines listed in bulletin 12-289-20R, customers can schedule their appointment with an authorized Subaru retailer for inspection should they be experiencing any concerns with operation of their rear gate.  There is no mandatory inspection required to receive the benefit of this warranty extension.  Only those vehicles where the customer is currently experiencing a concern with their rear gate operation, would create a need for the rear gate stays to be inspected as part of the normal repair process.

NOTE: The Rear Gate Stays Warranty Extension is subject to the same terms and conditions set forth in the New Vehicle Limited Warranty unless expressly modified by terms outlined in the Customer Notification Letter.  Retailer personnel are highly encouraged to review and be familiar with these terms and conditions prior to applying this extended coverage.

             

Owner Notification

Subaru is sending a letter and/or email to all owners of affected vehicles. A copy of the Customer Notification Letter is linked here for reference. Customer notifications will be sent by the end of October.

 

Technical Instructions / Claim Procedures

Detailed instructions regarding the repair and warranty claim procedures will be provided in Technical Service Bulletin 12-289-20R.   The changes in the extension parameters were applied to all affected vehicles earlier this morning.

 

New and Pre-owned Vehicles in Retailer Inventory:

Subaru requests, for all pre-owned vehicles covered by this program, that all retailers inform customers at the time of sale the vehicle is covered by a Warranty Extension program Sharing a copy of the Customer Notification Letter (as linked previously in this announcement) is strongly recommended to ensure this information is fully communicated.

 

Customer Reimbursement

Subaru is reimbursing customers who previously paid for repair or replacement related to the Rear Gate Stays due to conditions that would normally have been covered if the vehicle was still under the terms of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.  If a customer has paid to have a repair or replacement performed sometime in the past, they may be eligible for reimbursement under the terms of this Warranty Extension.

Customers can apply for reimbursement online by going to https://soaclaimform.custhelp.com

If they did not receive the letter, they may contact the Rear Gate Stay Extension Hotline at 877551-7149 for specific information.

 

Coverage Questions

Should you have questions regarding warranty coverage, contact Subaru Claims Helpline at  1-866-SUBARU2 (1-866-782-2782).

 

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NHTSA ID Number: 10182205

Manufacturer Communication Number: Subarunet Announ

Summary

We recently informed retailers and customers of an extension to the New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 2014-2018 Forester Rear Gate Stays.

 

1 Associated Document

Manufacturer Communications

Date: October 9, 2020

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10182205

MC-10182205-0001.pdf 114.515KB

 

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

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