CarComplaints.com Notes: Subaru thinks burning through a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or so is perfectly normal. That's a crude stance if you ask us.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
16 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
11 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,757 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2015 Subaru Forester seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2015 Subaru Forester Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #79

Nov 062023

Forester

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The error message for air bag/seat belt warning comes on and off. It turns the passenger side air bag to off. It seems to be activated by weight on the seat.

- Bardstown, KY, USA

problem #78

Aug 212023

Forester

  • miles
A small crack appeared mysteriously on the front windshield and has spread - over the past month - where it now covers 1/2 of the windshield. Nothing hit my car, to create the crack or make it spread. The right air bag light keeps going on and keeps beeping when there is no one sitting in the seat. The only way i can get it to stop is to engage the seat belt - again, even though there is no one in the seat.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #77

Aug 242016

Forester

  • 12,000 miles
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 25 MPH, and moving into an intersection following a traffic sign stop, the contact's vehicle was crashed into by another vehicle that ran a stop sign. The other vehicle crashed the contact's vehicle on the passenger side front door. The contact stated that all the air bags had deployed. The contact stated that his wife had broken her right thigh and right ankle. The contact stated he suffered severe whiplash and concussion. The contact stated that he and his wife were transported to the emergency room. The contact stated that he later had to undergo a fusion of several neck vertebrae. The contact stated that the air bag on the passenger side had exploded and he had burns and abrasions on the right side of his face due to the exploding air bag. The contact stated that the exploding air bag fragments had penetrated the right side of his face and neck. The vehicle had been towed away and later declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #76

Aug 162023

Forester

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Passenger Airbag light on seatbelt light on passenger front airbags inactive

- Duluth, MN, USA

problem #75

Oct 062023

Forester

  • miles
Info Center showed a message Air Bag System needs servicing. Return codes B160 when codes were checked. Dealer said The Occupant Detection Pad needed to be replaced, must have got wet. there are over a page of 2015 Owners @ https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2015-issue-with-passenger-seat-sensor-after-recall-fix.840153/ with the same issue and same explanation, most indicate they had the recall work for the connection performed when the recall was issued. Seems Subaru has an Issue with the Occupant Detection Pad! This putts passengers in danger of the air bag not deploying.

- Hamilton, NJ, USA

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problem #74

Aug 232023

Forester

  • miles
The automatic occupant detection system sensor no longer registers if a passenger is sitting in the front passenger seat, thus the front passenger-??s frontal airbag is not turned on when driving with a passenger in the front seat.

- Rocklin, CA, USA

problem #73

Jan 012020

Forester

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My Subaru just failed inspection for a defective airbag sensor in the front passenger side. We had this repaired at a Subaru dealer in Jan 2020, to the tune of $1500. There was a recall in 2020 for this exact problem, and our vehicle fell with the guidelines (2015-2018 Foresters equipped with heated seats), but for some reason our vehicle wasn't included in the recall. So we paid for our fix out of pocket. Now 2 years later we are seeing the same problem. This is unacceptable on Subaru's part. Why is our vehicle excluded from the recall when it is obviously having the same problem?

- Wells, ME, USA

problem #72

Apr 212023

Forester

  • miles
When passenger sitting in front right seat, airbag indicator says "airbag off" and warning light flashes "check airbag system". This is an intermittent problem occurring a few times over the past three months. Brought it into the Subaru dealer who recommended replacement of the seat cushion for $1425. I checked the Internet and found Subaru recall WUM-98 describing the same problem. I checked repair history and found that the dealer had performed the recall repairs in December 2020. I now suspect a faulty recall repair at that time since I now have the exact problem described in the recall notice even though there was no problem before they did repair. Subaru customer service refuses to cover the expense of a new repair.

- Berkeley, CA, USA

problem #71

Jun 012021

Forester

  • miles
Passenger seat airbag is disabled even when there is a passenger present. The passenger seat occupant sensor system appears to be faulty. Check airbag system warning light comes on even if the passenger seat is occupied. The problem is persistent.

- Sparks, NV, USA

problem #70

May 162023

Forester

  • miles
I have continually had the SRS airbag tell me that is not registering someone in the front seat as it turns off when someone is in the front seat. This has been reported to Subaru however they refuse to do anything about it as they say because I purchased it in 2014 it isn't covered under the recall due to the fact I have the same symptoms as the recall along with the heated seats. Also my original engine had 170k miles on it in July 2021 and blew a head gasket. I have purchased another used engine and this one only had 73k miles on it when it was put in and now at 117k miles on this engine I have another blown head gasket with less than 50k miles on the second engine. Something needs to be done as I am tired of replacing the same issue. I am a first time owner of a Subaru and a 1 owner I bought it brand new with 3 miles on the Subaru Forester.

- Show Low, AZ, USA

problem #69

Oct 172022

Forester

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Front passenger airbag system turned off. Doesn't recognize a passenger sitting in the seat therefore the seat belt reminder does not chime. There is a warning that does come onto the dash stating that the SRS system needed service. We have brought this vehicle to the dealership there was a tech code of B1650 occupant detection system fault.

- Hammond, LA, USA

problem #68

Sep 242022

Forester

  • miles
Unknown origin. Airbag issues started in September October 2022. 2015 Subaru Forester. Vehicle with Heated Seats similar to open recall. Warning notice display as to Airbag dysfunction. Airbag determined to not function by Dealer. But informed not within the specific airbag recall affecting other same era (2015) Foresters now under recall altho symptomatically the same issues as other Vehicles subject to recall. Quoted up to $2000 to fix the Vehicle. Subsequently, the driver side warning assistance sensors have stopped working on the Vehicle. Because the VIN # does not fit within the recall matching system, Subaru could not replace the airbag without payment. Even after offering some payment accommodation on the part, Subaru wanted $1000 or so to repair and could not give a final estimate in advance. This Vehicle has less than 40,000 miles on it.

- Salisbury, MD, USA

problem #67

Apr 032023

Forester

  • miles
I was parking the car it suddenly accelerated jumped the curb and was heading towards the building entrance dore. I could not stop it. To avoid entering the building I turned the vehicle tight and it collided against the wall. The air bags inflated.

- New Providence, NJ, USA

problem #66

Feb 012021

Forester

  • miles
I have the airbag sensor heated passenger seat problem and for some reason, my vin is not listed in the recall for this problem. I have had this problem for over a year and thought it was from the clock spring, a costly repair I had just done. Clock spring repair fixed my horn not working problem but not my passenger airbag not working problem. Subaru dealer cost estimate is nearly $1500 for what should be covered in the recall. I am requesting Subaru fix this problem at no charge since it is a listed problem addressed in a recall for a 2015 Forester with heated seats. Thank You.

- Mckinleyville, CA, USA

problem #65

Jan 042023

Forester

  • miles
-€œPassenger airbag off-€ light randomly turns on and off while passenger is sitting in seat during driving.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #64

Jun 012022

Forester

  • miles
2015 Subaru Forester 135K miles Air bag light came on intermittently dealer replaced the front passenger seat and the problem went away. Out if warranty, but wanted to document it.

- Sacramento , CA, USA

problem #63

Nov 162022

Forester

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated he notice that the front passenger-€™s side air bag warning light illuminated indicating that there was no one seated in the passenger-€™s side seat, even though there was someone seated in the front passenger-€™s side seat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor mat harness needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was 89,000.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #62

Sep 082022

Forester 4-cyl

  • miles
This is a known recall in 2019 with Suburu Foresters manufactured between 2015-2018 when the passenger seat has a heating feature. The recall was because the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness malfunctions over time causing the passenger to not be detected so the airbag does not deploy. My 2015 Suburu Forester which has heated seats happened to not be included in this known recall. However, my vehicle has the same malfunction as the recall. We have taken the vehicle to the dealership where they confirmed the malfunction in the ODS when running a diagnostic test. We notified Suburu-€™s customer service about the malfunction but they are not willing to repair this known major safety issue and are expecting us to pay out of pocket for the all parts and labor because my VIN was not included in the 2019 recall. The recall number was WUM-98R and the NHTSA ID is 19V-701. This is a major safety issue that could result in a death or severe bodily injury and it is unacceptable that my vehicle, which meets all the criteria of the recall, was no included in the recall. We should not have to pay out of pocket for a malfunction for a device that is intended for safety.

- New Caney, TX, USA

problem #61

Oct 172022

Forester

  • miles
SRS airbag light with and without passenger in front passenger seat. Brought to dealer for diagnostic and code B1650 is coming up.

- Hammond, LA, USA

problem #60

Sep 282022

Forester

  • miles
With no one sitting in the passage seat the warning light will not turn off unless the seat belt is buckled The CVT transmission is making a high pitch whining sound The dealership informed me the transmission is going out. There is a manufacturer extended warranty for up to 100,000 miles that I have not received. My car started to make the sound at 110,210 miles Subaru was fully aware of the CVT problems and are not being held accountable for the repairs. I have been quoted I-€™ve $7000 from the dealership for a replacement The CVT is not repairable My car is now unsafe to drive. The CVT transmission can fail and not shift or not stop while braking

- Stanwood, WA, USA

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