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.
The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Outback. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V358000 (air bags). The part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Outback. While seated in the front passenger seat, the air bag warning light failed to turn on. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30. Updated 5/5/15 the consumer stated the air bag light would come on sporadically or fail completely when she is sitting in the passenger seat, due to her height and weight. The dealer noted it was an issue, but nothing could be done. Updated 05/12/15
Passenger air bag sensor system is flawed. The air bag remains "off" when I am in the passenger seat. It will only show "on" when additional pressure is applied to the seat, which is unnatural to how a passenger will sit in the vehicle and does not offer protection in an accident. The seat back and seat are positioned as recommended in the owner's manual. There is nothing under the seat. Local dealership looked at the codes, reset them to zeros, and stated they did not find errors. A field service engineer provided further investigation in Nov 2014 and recommended a seat replacement if the problem persisted. After I followed up a few weeks later to report the problem was still there and to request a seat replacement, the engineer advised that a seat replacement would in fact not likely make a difference, and that the system was operating as designed. No replacement of the seat has occurred, and the problem persists--I do not have airbag protection as a passenger in this vehicle. Subaru agreed that I should feel safe in my vehicle, and offered the suggestion that I test and consider purchasing a newer Subaru model if it works for me. This is not an acceptable solution. I agree with NHTSA complaint 10328146 and would like to see Subaru properly investigate this problem and offer an acceptable solution--I.e., retroactively fix the airbag sensor to work at a lower weight threshold.
The passenger airbag is disabled when there is a passenger. On a trip to ga with my wife, who weighs 135 lbs, sitting in the passenger seat, the air bag light will indicate 'not enabled'. at times it will display enabled, then disabled all while driving. Shifting in the seat doesn't do anything. In summary sometimes its on, sometimes not. We took this to the dealer and their response is they were unable to duplicate with a mechanic (probably a heavier person) in the passenger seat. Their recommendation is to add weights(!!), replace the seat ($1400). Their recommendations are unacceptable. They did tell my wife there may be dust or the contacts may be faulty. I don't know why they couldn't check for dust or remove, clean and re-connect contacts. Nothing was mentioned about the switch. Big safety issue not to be taken lightly, especially by the dealer.
The front passenger air bag does not indicate 'on' predictably when I am seated. I am a 125lb woman. The airbag sensor sometimes comes on. Other times it remains off. Being an engineer, I spend time moving my weight distribution, seat back position, picking my weight up and reseating myself, and other factors trying to get the airbag light to turn on during long car trips. Sometimes this works, but it is unpredictable. On the last car trip the airbag remained off for our 4 hour drive even though I tried various positions. It scares me to think that the airbag is probably not going to work if we are ever involved in a crash. We have brought the car into the dealer and they say the airbag is working properly.
- Oceanside, CA, USA
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Was driving on what appeared to be a clear, clean road at about 8 am the day after a snowstorm. My car started skidding off to the right side of the highway, when trying to turn wheel towards the left to straighten the car out, the car then started spinning around 360 degrees a few times until the car then rolled over to the left down the 100 foot ditch about 3 or 4 rolls before stopping. The drivers side airbag never deployed despite severe frontal and side damage. The car was totaled by the insurance company. I still have no explanation as to why this all happened. In searching the internet for answers, I found 2 recalls one dated 6/24/2010 which could involve the airbag, and one dated 5/11/2010 which involved the cvt cooler hose leading to a crash. If something failed in the car leading to my crash, I have the right to know. I have some injuries and am still not back to work. Are there any other cases similar to mine?
Traveling on icy road approx. 20mph or less in 2010 Outback 3.6 ltd. Very accustomed to driving severe mountain winter conditions & 8th Subaru among family members. Seatbelt, shoulder restraint in place on driver. Oncoming driver in mid-size to large truck lost control at high speed, crossed center line and impacted Subaru head-on, offset to left side of Outback & 2010 Outback was totaled. Subaru airbags did not deploy. Impact into front left side, crumpled hood up to windshield, which shattered. His hood was inside Subaru engine compartment, remained under Subaru hood along with other parts of his vehicle after vehicles were towed. Subaru radiator was pushed in at approx 45 degree angle, left wheel bent inwards, left front bumper gone back to tire and much more damage. His airbags deployed and Subaru's did not. Subaru driver hit head, knees, shins on interior parts of Subaru: Black eye, forehead hematoma, indentation & scraped, knees/shins bruised and scraped plus back/neck plus more scrapes/bruises and concussion. Thankful that his truck stopped up against driver side doorpost and didn't encroach into driver compartment but unbelievable that Subaru airbags didn't deploy. 5'6" & approx. 135 pounds. First of our Subaru to be in a crash and had no idea airbags wouldn't deploy.
The passenger side airbag of our 2010 Subaru Outback will intermittently turn off when there is an adult in the passenger seat. We've brought the car to two Subaru dealers and they both have told us there's nothing they can do unless the system is broken when we bring the car to the shop because the car doesn't show a fault code.
The 'front passenger's frontal airbag off indicator' remains illuminated while my wife (who weighs more than 100 pounds) rides in this seat. (I.e., the airbag is not armed.) at best, the indicator (and the air bag) is intermittent, going on and off while we drive. Dealer has repeatedly tested the air bag sensor system and states it's working within specification. This is a serious safety issue that seems to be due to a faulty design, not a manufacturing defect.
Almost every time I sit in the passenger seat the airbag sensor does not come on at first. I am a 5'2", 120lb woman. I have to wiggle and set on one cheek just right in the middle of the seat, sometimes lift myself up and then sit back down again to get the passenger airbag sensor to show on. When this happens there is nothing under the passenger seat as the dealership has blamed it on that. The service department has re-calibrated the sensor but I still have the same problem. Heavier people do not have this problem.
The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the passenger air bag off light would illuminate when the seat was occupied. The dealer made repairs to the air bag component and the bottom of the passenger seat was replaced. The failure persisted. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 2,700 and the current mileage was 3,500.
The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Outback. While the vehicle was being driven at approximately 45 mph, the contact observed that the passenger air bag warning indicator illuminated. The failure occurred intermittently at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician informed that the air bag warning indicator operated normally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred since the purchase date of the vehicle. The failure mileage and VIN were unavailable.
The incident involves a 2010 Subaru Outback and deals with SRS airbag system. We will be driving down the road with a person in the passenger seat and the passenger airbag is on. Then all of a sudden the passenger airbag will shut off. Then the SRS airbag system warning light on the dash will come on. Reading the owners manual there is a malfunction in the airbag system and it may not function correctly. We are suppose to take it to a dealer immediately but everytime it has occurred we have not been close to a dealer or they are closed. We have owned the car for 9 months and it has occurred 5 or 6 times so far. The issue has always seemed to go away when it is shut off and sets overnight. The computer has never recorded a error code until this last time. The error code that the dealer retrieved was code 29 ods fault. They checked out the airbag components and system and everything checked out ok. They opened a case with the tech line and all they seem to want to do at this time is continue to monitor the situation. I have reported the problem and my concerns with the safety of the car to Subaru customer service several times and it is be handled by a senior rep. My understanding is that Subaru switched from a weight sensor to a gel pack in the passenger seat. I am aware of one other 2010 Outback that has had a similar problem but not sure if it was resolved yet or not.
We recently purchased a 2010 Subaru Outback for it's safety rating. My wife has been in two bad accidents and needed a car she feels safe in. We purchased this car in March and recently noticed that when I am driving and she is in the passenger seat that the airbag indicator goes on and off. She weighs 125 pounds and is 5'3" tall. We contacted the dealer and are getting the run around. They say there is nothing wrong with it. They tell us the seat belt works fine and not to worry. I didn't buy this car for a seat belt. I wanted the best safety equipment and if it doesn't work, I do not want this car. This needs to be fixed before a passenger is killed in a wreck. I would rather the airbag is on all the time. On the Toyota my wife just wrecked there was an on and off switch.
Low weight adult passengers (85 - 100 lbs) will not cause the passenger airbag to engage. Warning light displays showing airbag is disabled while my wife is riding with me.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- West Columbia, SC, USA