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.
In May 2019 the airbag sensor warning went on unexpectedly and for no apparent reason while driver and a front seat passenger were in it and the car was in motion going approximately 30-40 mph on a town road. Adding extreme danger to this situation is the fact that the sensor turning on made the passenger 'airbag off' warning immediately light up even though a person was in the seat when it happened, the airbag had previously been on with them in the seat, and the car was moving. It was checked by the dealer who simply cleared a code and suggested a cell phone could, perhaps, have interfered and caused the sensor light to go on. Dealer also alternatively suggested that if someone spilled something this could have caused it. (nobody spilled anything and dealer verified in writing that no stain was found on the seat to suggest otherwise.) over the course of the next month the airbag sensor randomly went on (dangerously causing the airbag to turn off again, often despite someone being in the seat!) in this same manner several times. Sometimes the car is in motion when it happens, which is particularly dangerous and has caused us to stop allowing a human to be in the front seat because we cannot rely on the airbag at this point. Other times, the car had been parked and when I turn it on the airbag sensor turns on. Taking it back to the dealer 7/11/19 here is what they stated under 'cause' and 'correction' on our invoice: "...code B1760 stored in system inspected seat found no stains on seat inspected wiring found wiring to be good rec replacement of seat bottom" and "customer has been advised that due to no electronics being on the seat when the light and faults keep returning replacement of seat bottom (occupant detection sensor) is the next step..." they estimate $1032.45. The car is just under 90K miles and thus, according to Subaru, out of warranty for this problem.
Passenger side airbag shuts off and a red indicator light appears on the dashboard while driving with someone in the seat. If you stop and turn the car off the system will reset. It has happened over 10xs. It's been checked out at the dealer several times. They said airbag related equipment is only covered for 3 years. I was 2 months out of warranty when I first complained. I thought the airbags and seatbelt systems were covered for 5 years.
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Forester. While the contact's husband was driving 40 mph, the traffic stopped abruptly and he crashed into the rear of a Ford Explorer. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. In addition, the driver's body lunged forward and struck the steering wheel. The driver sustained injuries to the chest and ribs that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to grayson Subaru (8729 kingston pike, knoxville, tn 37923, 865-693-4550), but was not diagnosed. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 107,460.
The passenger airbag warning light first came on as soon as I started my car one morning in mid-October 2018, in which I took my car to Subaru of kennesaw, ga to have it looked at. They first asked if I had spilled anything on the front seat (in which I responded "no") and then advised me that the whole seat bottom would need to be replaced (about $989 parts and labor) and that the part was on back-order. I followed-up with them in December 2018 and never heard back. When I recently went there for an oil change February 18, 2019 they brought the issue up to me again, in which I responded that nobody ever returned my call. They checked again to see if they had the part but stated it is still on a nationwide back-order. We are now going on 5+ months of my passenger airbag warning light being on (it sometimes turns off intermittently, but in those instances the passenger seatbelt light will come on and ding repeatedly until the seatbelt is plugged in - even if there is no passenger). I have done quite a bit of research into this issue and it seems like a lot of other consumers are experiencing similar issues. Subaru seems to have different explanations and seems very unwilling to fix their faulty passenger seat sensors. It is upsetting and discouraging to know that they have allowed me to drive around this long with a defective airbag/passenger seat sensor.
- Dallas, GA, USA
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Car started and backed out of parking space in a parking garage. When gear shift was placed in drive the car lurched forward 50 feet and drove thru an aluminum rail and mesh over head electric activated door. At 81 more feet the car hit a 4 X 4 steel column holding up two 27 foot steel beams of a carport roof structure and collapsed the column. The southerly beam fell on top of the car and pulled the northerly beam with it. The car continued forward 9 feet striking the first parked car in the rear quarter. The car continued about 4 feet more and struck a second parked car in its hind quarter and pushed it until it was against the next carport support column. The two occupants in the car were able to exit from the car at each of the front doors which opened without problem. Experiencing limited bruising on their legs below the knee. A miracle. The car traveled about 145 feet not under the control of the driver. The car dealer had been questioned on why the car did not move frequently during a stop at a stop light or stop sign every time it was taken in for service at the dealer who sold us the car. The service review was five times and nothing could be found. I was told 'it was the way the car worked'. I was not provided with test results for this condition. The car had the eyesight device and did not stop the car at either at the door or the column. The air bags did not implode on either impact location. One recall wta-62 for Subaru Forester 2015 and 2016. Engine, March 21, 2016. Turbocharger air intake duct crack stalls engine (16V162000). I was not informed about this recall. I think the car was defective from the beginning and a fix was not initiated to correct a faulty condition. Fortunately it did not happen on a busy street or highway. This accident should not have happened. I have pictures that I can forward for your use on jpg format.
Passenger seat airbag sensors malfunctioned. This caused the airbag to be turned off. This happened while the vehicle was stationary. Dealer indicated the seat has to be replaced. The part is on back order. This indicates to me there is a wide spread problem.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. When the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was forcefully depressed in order to stop the vehicle. In addition, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle and jumped the curb. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. While pulling into a parking space at a very low rate of speed, the engine began to rev. The vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a brick wall. After the collision, the engine continued to rev very high while the brake pedal was being depressed. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle sustained severe damage; however, the air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported and no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an undisclosed location. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The failure mileage was 39,000.
Within the last year, I have experienced on three separate occasions, instances where the warning lights for various safety systems on my 2015 Subaru Forester will come on, indicating that the system has been disabled due to a malfunction. These lights always come on while driving, within 15 minutes of the car being started. The first two instances related to my air bags being turned off. When brought to a dealership, they had no explanation, and desired $70 to do an electrical assessment. When I brought it in for that, I was told that the car would have to be displaying the light at the time I brought it in, which the indicator light had turned off in between visits. Today, my ABS, traction control, and incline assustance lights came on, indicating that those systems were disabled due to a malfunction. I brought it to my dealer, who told me that the air pressure in the tires was responsible, which ranged from 28lbs to 35 lbs. I had my car serviced at said dealership 2 months ago and the pressure was 35 lbs each. It was suggested to me that the cause of this discrepancy was "parking my car in the sun." Both computer-related problems apparently didn't leave a code to be read, according to the dealership. Any information was wiped when the car was turned off.
7 months old, 20,000 miles. Driving 65.6 mph, in light rain with cruise control on. 1st time driving in bad weather, noticed wind or flat tires causing sometimes side shaking. Stopped to check tires. Noticed no wind nor low tires pressure. Continued on. Had used cruise control on and off, and turning on and off the traction switch to find a pattern for the iradic driving. Could not id a cause. Continued driving. Car took a sudden jerk to the left, knew we were going to crash and could not turn steering wheel. 'crash'. we slid 40 feet down the center divide. The front wheels were still pointed straight ahead. The air bags did not deploy. We were lucky. The rear wheels had 'excessive wear', front wheels were in good condition. When the car was torn apart, the main pully had a 1" ding and the fan belt was knocked off the main pully and partically of the 2nd pully. The belt was on all the other pullies.. I believe the traction device malfunctioned when I was in cruise control, the left front wheel hydroplaned. And the brake was applied sending me into a out of control crash, that I could not steer out of. Subaru of America said wet payment, high speed and excessive wear on rear tires caused the accident. They documented the speed and wear of rear tires. Rain was very light, a drizzle. Highway was straight and light traffic. No debre on the highway.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. While pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a brick wall. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,277....updated 10-13-15 the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. Updated 10/15/15
2015 Subaru Forester. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle air bag system problems. The consumer stated if a passenger is not a certain weight, the air bag system does not register the person sitting in the seat and there air bag is not activated.
I would like to make all prospective Subaru forrester owners aware that the front passenger airbag does work if you sit on an additional cushion. These sensors do not work on weight but on some sort of electrostatic sensor that is blocked by any cushion or pillow. This if a dangerous problem for back patients and also for short people who sit on cushions to elevate themselves. Needless to say that, although this is a documented problem the dealer who sold me the car did not notify of this situation although I mentioned that I always sit on a pad because of a fused back. With all the safety notices posted in cars today, this is one problem that needs to be made obvious. Needless to say I have a $35,000 useless vehicle being used as a spare car. I cannot take this car on the road.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. While driving 20 mph through a green light, a vehicle crashed into the driver side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver sustained injuries to the head and neck that required medical attention. The vehicle was repaired, but the specifics were unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 625. Updated 07/06/15.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while in park, the vehicle rolled away. As a result, the vehicle crashed into trees and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000.
The vehicle was driven several miles with the passenger sitting on a thin pillow. When arriving at the destination it was noticed that the passenger airbag off light was illuminated. The light is very difficult if even possible to see in the sunshine, so it is unknown how long it had been illuminated. There was no audible indication that was noticed. The vehicle's manual was later read where it was discovered that this is as the vehicle is built, that a passenger needing a pillow must use the back seat. Without that knowledge beforehand and a non-noticeable light, a life was endangered. The secondary complaint is that the manual states to write to "contact the vehicle manufacturer concerning modifications for persons with disabilities that may affect the advanced airbag system." I propose that may have been put in the manual as a legal sidestep and that handicapped persons rights are abused with this design. I recommend writing to that address to see if there is a response. (100 mileage is estimate).
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Belchertown, MA, USA