Pending FRAM Defect Notification: 15208AA12A Subaru Engine Oil Filter

NHTSA ID Number: 10232849

Manufacturer Communication Number: 15208AA12A

Summary

Pending FRAM Defect Notification: 15208AA12A Subaru Engine Oil Filter

 

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To:	All Dealers
From:	Subaru Parts and Service
Date:	February 6, 2013
Subject:	Pending FRAM Defect Notification: 15208AA12A Subaru Engine Oil Filter

 

The following information and attached documents contain specific procedures and detailed information.  Please review all documents thoroughly.  The information contained within them is to be used for addressing inquiries from customers and wholesale accounts who may have potentially affected parts inventory in their possession related to the recent FRAM Safety Related Defect Notice filed with NHTSA.

 

Background:

FRAM Group Operations, LLC (“FRAM Filtration”) issued a Safety Related Defect Notice in connection with the Model 15208AA12A motor oil filter (“12A”), which FRAM Filtration manufactures and are sold exclusively by Subaru of America, Inc. to Subaru Dealerships.  The 12A model is designed for use with Legacy, Outback, Forester, and Impreza model vehicles with certain four cylinder engines where the motor oil filter is located beneath the engine.  This notice only relates to uninstalled filters sold over the counter at Subaru Dealerships between July 1, 2012 and December 15, 2012 that are identifiable by specific lot numbers and markings as indicated under the Parts Identification Information found below.

 

This notice does not apply to 15208AA12A filters installed at a Subaru Dealership

• FRAM and Subaru of America, Inc. have determined that with all corrective steps taken to date by Subaru of America, Inc. and our dealer partners that any potentially affected filters in Subaru dealer inventory or installed by our dealers have either been inspected by the vendor prior to distribution or are beyond the range of any related failures.

 

Parts Information -15208AA12A ELEM CP Oil Filter

• See specific parts identification information later in this document

             

Dealer Customer Service Procedures 

SOA strongly requests that dealers make every reasonable attempt to locate and contact any outstanding Wholesale Accounts and “over the counter” DIY (do it yourself) customers who may have purchased potentially affected filters from your dealership and have not inspected for or returned any possibly affected inventory.  Please share the attached Information for Wholesale Accounts with your Wholesale Account so they may identify potentially affected parts and properly care for any customers possibly impacted by this notice.

• Once any returned filters are identified from over the counter customers or wholesale accounts as potentially affected, dealers must exchange those returned uninstalled filters for “known good” replacements. See Parts Return Instructions for more details.
• For Subaru customers who installed their own potentially affected filter and later removed it in response to this action:
  • Those removed potentially affected motor oil filters should be returned to a Subaru dealer.
  • The Subaru dealer must exchange those returned installed filters for “known good” replacements
  • Customers may be reimbursed for up to 1 quart of motor oil if they present a receipt for oil along with the returned filter. In this case the dealer must maintain a copy of the receipt with their claim information.
  • See Claims Procedure Section for information on how to be reimbursed in these cases. o Any returned installed filters should be tagged and stored similar to warranty parts for later disposition.

(These filters must be retained for later return to SOA- A process for the handling of dealer returns of previously installed filters will be released soon).

• For Wholesale Accounts that installed a potentially affected filter and later replaced it with a “known good” Genuine Subaru motor oil filter in response to this action:
  • The wholesale facility may present an invoice and an affected filter for reimbursement of the replacement of the potentially affected filter with a known good Genuine Subaru Replacement Filter and up to one quart of motor oil plus reasonable labor. In this case, dealers will be reimbursed by Subaru of America, Inc. as specified in the Claim Procedures section.  See the Claims Procedures section for full details including limitations and prior authorization requirements.
  • Any installed filters that are replaced by the wholesale account must be returned for exchange or reimbursement must be tagged and stored separately from uninstalled inventory and held in a similar fashion to a warranty part for later disposition. (These filters must be retained for later return to SOA- A process for the handling of dealer returns of previously installed filters will be released soon)
• For Subaru customers who installed their own filter or had one installed by a wholesale account facility and request a Subaru Dealer inspection for this condition, see the attached Dealer Customer Interview and Inspection Procedures as well as the related Claims Procedures. Any installed filters that are replaced by a Subaru Dealer must be tagged and stored separately in a similar fashion to a warranty part for later disposition. (These filters must be retained for later return to SOA- A process for the handling of dealer returns of previously installed filters will be released soon)
• At a later date, dealers will be provided with a placard for parts counter display. Additional details will be provided on this shipment in the near future.

 

Parts return Instructions

If you should encounter a wholesale account or an “over the counter” or “DIY” customer that returns uninstalled potentially affected filters in response to this action, please follow the same return procedures that were used previously as shown here:

Let your DPSM know all affected quantities that are in your possession. They will see to it that a return is placed on your behalf so these filters may be sent back to SOA and credit received. Please make sure that all uninstalled filters are sent back to your facing warehouse and that the return paperwork is attached.

Parts return procedures for any previously installed oil filters will be released soon.  These parts must be tagged and stored similar  to warranty parts for later return to SOA.

 

Parts Identification Information

Case Quantity Information: Potentially affected filters will have a date code of A2999x (the x can be a 1, 2, or 3)

 

Filter Information: There is a date code that appears on the side of the filter itself.

 

The lot number format is as follows:

FYJJJS

F is the facility where the filter was made

Y is the last digit of the Year

JJJ is the Julian Date

S is shift (1, 2, or 3)

Example = A22713

 

OK Inventory  

Any Date Code starting with S1.  Any Date Code starting with S2.

Any Date Code of A2291x or Later (where the Julian date is 291 or HIGHER and x is any shift)

Any Case Quantities with a date code of 777 on the case packaging

• Some filters may be within the lot number range, but will have a white dash and a number or initials. These are not affected and OK for use.

Any filter with a lot number inside the affected range that are marked with a white dash and a number or initials (indicates passed the vendors secondary inspection process)

 

Return Inventory  

Any Date Code starting with A2290x (where the Julian date is 290 or LOWER and x is any shift- with or without a white paint dot present).

Or any case marked with the Date Code of A2999x

• If there is a white dot on the filter it will be found next to the date code. The filters with the white dot will be inside the cases marked with the A2999x code, the dates on the actual filters will be different.

Please see the pictures below for examples of filter lot number and markings.

 

Claims Procedures

Reimbursement to perform a motor oil filter inspection and replacement as necessary may be completed by submitting a PAR claim through Subarunet.

• If the vehicle is beyond dealer self authorization limits (7yrs/ 80K), contact the SOA Claims Helpline for prior authorization.
• All labor hours and parts will be submitted as a sublet amount based on the replacement costs.
• Repair orders from 3^rd party facilities must be maintained on file with your repair order.
• The sublet amount cannot exceed the actual cost of the 3rd party repair order for the replacement of the defective oil filter and up to 1 quart of motor oil.
• If your dealership does the replacement, calculate your costs (parts and labor) at warranty rates and submit as a sublet amount
• If your dealership exchanged a motor oil filter for a customer who had installed a potentially affected filter and / or reimbursed them for up to 1 quart of motor oil, the part and oil only may be claimed as sublet. A copy of the customer’s oil receipt must be maintained with the claim.   A maximum amount of up to $45.00 is permitted for any one claim.

Operation Number = 101218 for 0.0 Hours (see Sublet Amount note below)

Fail Code = BAS34

Sublet Amount – Put all labor hours and part amount in the Sublet Amount field.

 

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1 Affected Product

Vehicle

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
SUBARU	SUBARU	9999

 

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1 Associated Document

Manufacturer Communications

Date: February 6, 2013
Subject: Pending FRAM Defect Notification: 15208AA12A Subaru Engine Oil Filter

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10232849

MC-10232849-9999.pdf 433.928KB

 

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