Air Bag Problems of Subaru Forester - part 2

Airbag light comes on due to some failure in the passenger seat. This vehicle year has had a recall on the same issue but this VIN number was not included for some reason. Another consumer posted his assessment which I have attached. My vehicle falls under his category. He has sold his since his was never resolved.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Srs air bag system needs to be checked alert on.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester 🔎.

On 8/14/25, a diagnostic fee was charged by white bear lake Subaru in vadnais heights, mn for an issue that was later confirmed to be part of an open occupant detection system (ods) recall on a 2017 Subaru Forester. When the recall repair was completed on 8/27/25, the dealership refused to refund the diagnostic fee, saying reimbursement had to come from Subaru of America. Subaru of America then stated that diagnostic fees are determined by the retailer and would not be reimbursed. This left the consumer with an out-of-pocket charge directly tied to an open safety recall affecting the airbag system. Recalls are supposed to be performed at no cost, including any diagnostics required to confirm the recall issue.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Lately, airbag warning light comes on intermittently often. Sierra Subaru would not fix without charging me for inspection for $240 and then cost of rapair. Also cruise control is malfunctioning where it gets disengaged near the vehicle in front where I have to apply brake hard to avoid serious accident. Also the eyesight not working warning has started showing lately. My Forester 2017 at 44k miles showing airbag light at times along with cruise control disengaing near front car and eyesight not available mentioned above. Detail on airbag fix at sierra Subaru in monrovia, California. On August 12, 2025, I want to get this intermittent error fixed under warranty. On August 12, 2025 alexander in service told me that it will be $240 approximately of charge to inspect. Kindly let me know if the airbag warning light at such low milage not going to be covered for warranty. Please note that I bought the Forester at sierra Subaru monrovia CA and had every single service done there. Lately I have been charged in thousands of dollars at such low mileage to own the 2017 Subaru Forester.

I own a 2015 Subaru Forester that was involved in the NHTSA recall id 19v-701 - Subaru safety recall wum-98 in 2020. My VIN is [xxx] and my dealer is lancaster county Subaru in lancaster, PA. For about four months in the end of 2019 until February of 2020 we were unable to use the passenger seat due to the air bag problem which was intermittent. This required either my wife or I to ride in the back. We could correct this error on a restart by moving the yellow ods wire harness under the seat and restarting the car. But our dealer and Subaru of America could not assure us that the air bag would deploy properly if we were in an accident because the system only does a system check when first starting the car, not while driving. Two weeks ago, about [xxx] my airbag issue has returned, again it's intermittent. I opened a case with Subaru of America, case # [xxx] and they say there is no further recall for this issue. This is the same issue that was resolved by the NHTSA recall id 19v-70. When it faults an orange srs image appears on the screen then it shows an orange "I" on the top part of the center screen along with an orange image of the airbag error in the tachometer area and shows the airbag system is off. Once we aren't using the front passenger seat because of the safety concern about air bag not deploying properly if we were in an accident, because the system only does a system check when first starting the car, not while driving. Thank you information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I am reporting a recurring safety defect in my 2015 Subaru Forester (VIN: [xxx] ) that directly relates to recall wum-98 / NHTSA recall 19v-701 (occupant detection system wiring harness). Original recall (2019–2020): the occupant detection system (ods) failed, disabling the passenger airbag. Subaru performed the recall remedy at that time. Reoccurrence (August 2025): the exact same defect reappeared. The srs airbag warning illuminated and the passenger airbag was disabled while my wife was seated in the passenger seat. Subaru of lancaster county (PA) initially reported no error, but when I retrieved the car, the warning illuminated immediately. Repair: on August 28, 2025, the dealer replaced the ods wiring harness at my expense ($440. 73). Since then, the issue has not reappeared. Concern: this is the same safety defect already subject to recall wum-98. I believe the original recall remedy failed to permanently correct the defect, leaving owners vulnerable to reoccurrence and forcing them to pay out-of-pocket for a known recall-related safety failure. I request NHTSA’s review to determine whether Subaru’s recall remedy is adequate and to ensure owners are not unfairly charged for repeat repairs of the same defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My recalled ods sensor went out.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I’m facing a really big issue here. I’ve been experiencing all the textbook issues in my vehicle for both of the recalls that did exist for my vehicle. I purchased my vehicle in [xxx], and I was just in to walser Subaru in st. Paul mn where they said my recalls were completed in April 22, 2022. That is absolutely not true. I was at the dealership all day that day. So I called miller hill Subaru in duluth mn where it said it was done, and all they provided me with was the 2 dates I had brought it in for a general inspection and for an a/c issue. All I had done there was a transmission flush and both of those times were well after April 22nd. I purchased my vehicle from anderson auto in rice lake township. So now I have my car with recalls that were falsified that they were done, but I am expected to pay for them. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The right passenger airbag sensor is malfunctioning. When a passenger rides in the front seat, the air bag turns off and the air bag warning goes on. I believe this could be related to the earlier Subaru recall for the seatbelt harness. I have been quoted $1,900 by Subaru for the repair. I've read on Subaru forums that this can be a problem for model years affected by the earlier recall. I have a video showing my husband is the passenger seat, the air bag warning light is on and the air bag is off. The problem happens intermittently.

I was involved in an accident. My car was moving at less than 10 mph and the other driver hit the front drivers side, at the driver side wheel area, at about a 90 degree (t bone direction) angle while traveling an estimated 30-35 mph. The front end of my automobile was obliterated, grill was gone, and my vehicle was turned 90 degrees to the right after impact. The passenger front door could barely be opened due to the bend in the hood and front end, but no airbags deployed. Emergency response was quite surprised the airbags did not deploy due to the high rate of speed and area of impact. The accident just occurred and my car hasn't been looked at by insurance adjusters but it seems that airbags likely should have deployed and/or the car's starlink system should have registered the impact. I'm highly concerned there may have been some kind of malfunction as my car is a 2025 Subaru Forester hybrid - available for sale only for the last handful of months.

See all problems of the 2025 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The passenager airbag on won't activate at the 88lb weight per local Subaru of gallatin dealership where I purchased the car from. They did a test with 88lbs in another Subaru vehicle and the passenger airbag on activated but won't activate on in the 2024 Subaru Forester. The local dealership stated that the airbag sensor is off by 10lbs in the vehicle I have. I have asked the dealership to address this issue three times. The third time they stated that subrau is aware of the issue but there is no current solution.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Airbag light is now consistently lit, has come on & off for some time. When it first happened, I went straight to the dealership & a technician placed a device under the dashboard on the driver's side & switched off the light. No mention of a recall was discussed. Because the light is on most of the time of late, I researched & discovered a recall wum98. On further investigating I discovered that the dealership had logged the recall as complete this is not the case as the passenger seat was never checked & repairs never done. I have contacted Subaru corporate customer advocacy & their email response was: "I am sorry to hear about your airbag concern for your 2016 Forester. Currently there are no open recalls or warranty extensions for this concern. I would recommend having your local Subaru retailer address your concerns. I will follow up with you on Wednesday, August 19. " this is not good enough I need corporate to contact the dealership to fix this problem at no cost to me. This is a major safety issue! I have tried to call back but get an answering machine.

My 2017 Subaru Forester is experiencing the exact component failure and severe safety hazard outlined in NHTSA recall 19v-701 (Subaru campaign wum-98r). The front passenger seat occupant detection system (ods) is failing continuously, which illuminates the "passenger airbag off" indicator and completely deactivates the front passenger airbag safety restraint system even when an adult is securely seated. Because my specific VIN was omitted from the recall population list, my local Subaru dealership refused to perform the recall repair, stating no active campaign exists for my vehicle. As a result, I have driven this vehicle for over a year with a completely disabled, non-functioning passenger airbag system. Upon researching the technical service bulletins for wum-98r, my vehicle perfectly matches all manufacturing, model year, and component criteria for the defective occupant detection wiring harness. The omission of my VIN from this safety campaign is an error that has left a severe, life-threatening manufacturing defect unaddressed. I am filing this complaint to urge the NHTSA to investigate VIN exclusions for this campaign and force an expansion of recall 19v-701 to protect impacted consumers.

Multiple times over the last 4 months the passenger airbag has turned off when there is a passenger occupying the seat and the srs light turns on. The related code is b1650. This seems to be the same issue as a recall from about 5 years ago that was “fixed” and now has come back. The same code and srs light sometimes comes on when there is no one in the passenger seat as well. It makes it unsafe to have a passenger in the seat as the airbag is turned off and it is very unpredictable.

The passenger airbag sensor often, but not always, malfunctions in my 2017 Subaru forrester. Often it says passenger airbag off when there is a passanger. Occording to kbb kelly blue book there is a current recall in place for 2017 Subaru forresters for exactly this issue, including for my car - but when I typed in my liscnese plate in the NHTSA website, no unrepaired recalls showed up for my car.

The passenger ods is not working right causing an error state of the airbags which is a safety hazard as they will not deploy in the event of a car accident.

I want to bring a widespread safety issue up that is not being resolved by the manufacturer. I have a 2017 Subaru Forester with a faulty ods sensor. This is a known issue to Subaru and there are bulletins issued on this topic (wum-98 and 17-19-24). I had the original ods sensor replaced in 2021. Several months ago my passenger airbag lights started to turn off again. I took it to Subaru and they did a diagnostic test and found that the replacement ods sensor had again malfunctioned - code b1760 "occupant detector sensor mat fault. " I was told (at the dealership service center) that the sensor is on back order and was quoted to $1,887. 62 to replace the seat bottom. However, the seat bottom is also on back order. I was told to contact Subaru directly and they would likely cover the cost since this is a known issue with a bulletin out and the parts are on backorder through the dealership. I have since contacted Subaru many times only to be told that there are no active recalls on my vehicle and the recall for the faulty ods sensor shows completed on 6/28/2021 @ 57,096 and Subaru would not have a path of goodwill assistance towards the repair since it has been more than a year since the replacement.   Subaru forums are full of owners going through the same thing and being told the part is back-ordered, they need a new $1,800 seat bottom, or this issue isn't covered because their seat probably got wet, etc. If both the wiring harness and the seat bottom are both on back order, then what is the solution - buy a new seat, buy a new car? this is not a cosmetic issue, normal "wear and tear" or a maintenance issue. This is a model-wide issue among all Subaru vehicles. This is a defective part and clearly replacing the wiring harness does not fix the problem. This is a widespread safety issue that is not being addressed properly by Subaru, which is why I'm escalating this to the ntsb.  .

Subaru recall wum98 was issued in 2019 to replace the ods harness on my 2018 Subaru Forester. The part replacement was completed in in April 2020. The harness failed again in oct 2024. It was replaced for the 2nd time. Now, my passenger air bag light is on for the 3rd time, and the dealership is indicating that the ods mat is the culprit (not the harness). Subaru is not covering this under any open recall. Note that Subaru currently has an open recall wra-24 for certain 2020 - 2022 Forester & outback models to replace all (four) of the occupant detection system sensors in the front passenger seat. Since Subaru is saying that the issue in recall wra-24 is the same as my issue, it is my belief that other models should also be included in this recall. It should also be noted that for wra-24, they still don't have parts for many of the vehicles that need the seat assembly replaced, which may indicate supply issues. I was also told that Subaru does not have the seat assembly for my vehicle. The length of time for Subaru to get parts is unacceptable. Recall wra-24 was issued by letter on may 21, 2024. It is my belief that they should also cover costs for rental vehicles until the issue is fixed.

My 2016 Subaru Forester has issue with the passenger side front airbag ods and the. Srs light go on even if my car had been fixed on 2020 after recall. The airbag has a heavy safety an really important on person. Subaru need. To fix it completely and permanently not temporary.

The airbag warning light illuminates sometimes. I investigated the area under the passenger seat, related to the previous recall for the passenger seat occupancy sensor, and found that there were cut cable ties and no support for the wiring under the seat. I attempted to reseat the connectors and the warning light turned off for a while but turned back on later. It appears that either the previous recall didn't fix the issue or that the repair work was not performed correctly.

Intermittent failure of occupant detection system on front passenger seat which turns off airbag even though an adult is sitting in the seat. The occupant detection system wiring harness was recalled and replaced in 2020. I believe there is a continuing issue with this recall either not being a complete solution or being repaired with a defective part or new part that did not solve the issue. This is a critical occupant safety issue. This issue has occurred multiple times and continues to be an issue.

Front passenger airbag sensor light stays on continuously.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 70 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated. The information alerted the contact about an srs issue. The contact stated that there was an audible ding with the warning light flashing on and off. The contact buckled the passenger’s side seat belt to stop the dinging sound. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that, without a warning light being illuminated, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact had taken a picture of the warning light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was on back order. The dealer confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the contact fully collided with another vehicle. The contact spouse sustained injuries, and medical attention was provided, and the contact was taken to the local emergency room. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the knee airbags were deployed during the incident, which caused the injuries to the contact. The contact sustained an upper chest injury and contusions to both of their legs, and the contact's left leg was also burned. A police report was filed with the warren county police department, and the report number was provided to the contact. The vehicle was towed and destroyed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Passenger front seat. Airbag light is on when someone is sitting in the seat and seatbelt indicator dings when nothing is in the seat.

The passenger airbag sensor does not sense when I have a passenger in the vehicle. This was a recalled issue and was fixed. However, the fix did not work and Subaru dealership says that they already fixed it and it is because water probably got on the seat. I have not let water get on the seat, and even if I did that would be a very poor design for a safety feature. I imagine people would spill or get rain on the seat very easily. Subaru also refused to fix it under the recall because my car was written off for cosmetic hail damage. So I asked if they could fix it and I pay for it -they quoted me to replace the entire passenger seat, but said there are no parts coming in so they couldn't fix it anyway. In many online Subaru forums, other owners have said their passenger airbag recalls were not sufficiently fixed and other dealerships also blamed the customer and a potential water spill.

2018 Subaru Forester safety air bag recall I drive my grandchildren in front passenger seat. There’s a safety recall. No incident yet. What has to happen before this air bag problem is fixed?.

Codes for b1760 and b1650 present, intermittent srs light for the passenger airbag. Passengers put at risk in event of crash. Srs sensor issues seem to be common for this vehicle according to online databases and dealership technicians.

I am the second owner of this vehicle and lately my passenger airbag sometimes doesn’t turn on due to a harness connected to the occupant plate being faulty. When the issue first occurred I contacted my local Subaru service center and explained my situation and told them I had seen there was a recall for my exact issue. They informed me that the repair had already been done on my vehicle and the only solution offered was to pay a $140 diagnostic fee to see if that was the actual cause of my airbag not turning on. I took it to my local mechanic shop named peet’s garage and they confirmed there was an issue with the harness and my vehicle had a code for my passenger side airbag. I contacted Subaru customer advocacy since the affected part had a past recall. I was told since the repair was done in 2020 it’s no longer their responsibility and was refused further assistance . I now have a 50/50 chance of having a passenger airbag working in my car and if I want it to be repaired I’ll have to pay out of pocket. There has been multiple complaints from other consumers online being affected by this issue on the same make and model and Subaru is still refusing to take further action. This is a very serious safety issue and not a cheap repair as the only solution made available by Subaru is to replace the entire seat cushion and wiring when all they did was replace the effected harness.

While I was driving to work, with cruise control set at 65, I hit a deer head on. All airbags deployed and engine ceased and I was able to brake car to a stop on the shoulder of the road. Within minutes, the engine erupted in fire and thankfully I wasn't trapped inside and was able to get out, because by the time I got 4-500 feet from the car, it had been totally engulfed in flames. From the time I hit the deer to the fire starting was less than 10 minutes. Fire truck wasn't even on scene yet and I was still speaking with highway patrol on the phone. If I had been trapped or the vehicle had rolled I wouldn't be here today. It was that quick.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 19v701000 (air bags); but the remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the air bag warning light had remained illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

My airbag warning light comes on intermittently. My mechanic found it is due to a recalled part but my VIN number is not listed on the recall even though it meets the criteria. Subaru safety recall wum-98 NHTSA recall id 19v 70. The person in the passenger seat's safety is at risk if the airbags don't deploy in the event of a crash.

My vehicle has a capacitive sensor in the passenger seat that determines if someone is sitting in the seat and turns the airbag on or off accordingly. Starting towards the beginning of March, my vehicle stopped detecting if someone was sitting in that seat and permanently disabled the airbags. I took the vehicle in to a Subaru dealer to get this fixed, as I view airbags as necessary to the safety of passengers in the vehicle. As it turns out, there was a previous recall for a part in this airbag system related to a wire harness. However, the dealer replaced this wire harness (at their expense) and it did not re-enable use of the passenger airbags. The dealer believes that the root cause of the issue is with the capacitive seat sensor. Not only was there an extended lead time on replacing this part (originally up to 1-year but luckily came in after a couple of months) but they would not pay for the cost of this part. Since there is no way for me to bypass this sensor to re-enable the airbags on my own, I believe that this part should be covered by Subaru. Furthermore, I don't understand how this part wasn't covered under a recall, either past or future, if it permanently disables a safety system. I was able to find a workaround online that involves installing a capacitor that makes the airbag system think someone is always present but Subaru would not perform this. This would mean that the airbag would go off even if someone is not sitting in the seat, but that seems like a small price to pay for potentially saving someone's life in the case of a potential accident. My case number with Subaru's customer advocacy group is case # 250528-1300198 for any follow-up with them.

Airbag alert for front passenger seat is lit and disabling the airbag. The seat was empty and dry with nothing in it.

The airbag sensor (ods) malfunctions for front passenger seat. The "airbag off" warning lights up when the seat is occupied. This was fixed by dealer back in 2020 under recall wum-98/NHTSA id 19v-701000. However, this problem recurred intermittently about five months ago. I called capitol Subaru in san jose, CA and spoke with service advisor, dan padilla, who informed me that the recurrence of this safety issue would no longer be covered under this recall. He offered to schedule an appointment for a diagnosis, but I declined since it would cost $300. I also spoke with jorge, case specialist, from Subaru of America who reiterated that the aforementioned recall only covers a one-time repair and cannot be reopened. It is my understanding that safety recalls do not expire and that "federal law often mandates the manufacturer to provide free repairs for safety recalls on vehicles up to 15 yrs old. " how can NHTSA help in resolving this car safety issue with Subaru? the ods system is unreliable and poses a risk to my passengers.