Seats Problems of Subaru Forester - part 2

Passenger air bag light on dash coming on, started off dinging even with no one sitting in the passenger seat. Now the air bag light stays on constantly. I was told by the Subaru dealership near me that they found a b1650 in the system for occupant detection malfunction. Tested the seat with a human and the scan tool and they found the sensor is not picking anything up. The mechanic told me the seat appeared to be wet, which it was not and has never had water damage. The vehicle is garage kept and has low mileage so minimal exposure. The dealership told me I would have to pay $160 for diagnostic and $1200 before tax to have the seat base replaced. I know there was a recall for the passenger air bag in the past which I did take into the same dealership who says the replaced the defective part. I feel the Subaru company should stand behind their product and correct this issue. I was told they would not guarantee the airbag would work, which is a huge safety issue.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Airbags and passenger seatbelt lights are on. Possibly recalls.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Issue with the front passenger seat airbag sensor. The airbag warning light, indicating an issue with the passenger side airbag, has been illuminated recently. Passenger seat is also occasionally registering as occupied even when no one is sitting in it. Previous recall on the same seat's wiring harness was completed previously. Took the vehicle to the dealer and they told me that the seat must have gotten wet to cause the issue. The seat has not been wet. Dealer said a new seat is needed at a price of roughly $1500. This is a safety issue, as I am uncertain whether the airbag will deploy if needed. Googling "2016 Subaru Forester passenger seat airbag sensor issues" indicates that this is a systematic issue across Foresters of this model year and not isolated to my car.

Srs failure passenger airbag default to off.

Passenger occupant detection system is malfunctioning. It is not registering a passenger in the seat, and in turn not turning the passenger airbag on when the seat is occupied. This puts any passnger who sit in this seat at risk of the airbag not deploying. This issue has been confirmed by the dealer. There was a recall for the passenger ods harness (wum-98r) that the harness was replaced. Since this has been completed they state the occupant detection system is a seperate issue that requires seat base to be replaced in order for the system to register an occupant and have the air bags turn on when occupied.

Around 83,000 miles my passenger safety air bag warning sensor started coming on and off intermittently. It would happen both when a passenger was in the seat and when no one was in the seat. There have been no previous issues. I immediately scheduled my car to be diagnosed at the Subaru dealership and they notified me the passenger occupancy sensor pad is faulty and that it would cost $1,483. 47 to replace. The dealer stated that the passenger airbag might not deploy if the sensor is not replaced. This puts the safety of the passenger at risk. I researched and found that there was a recall with 2016-2018 Subaru Forester SUV's with heated seats. Recall wum-98. However, when I called Subaru they said that there were no open recalls on my car.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Forester 🔎.

I am reporting a safety-critical failure of the passenger-side occupant detection system (ods) in my 2016 Subaru Forester, which deactivates the airbag while the seat is occupied. This issue was first documented at an authorized Subaru dealer on 11/15/2023, where the technician identified 'poor contact of connectors' (a known condition in recall 19v-701). The initial remedy performed was to reconnect the connector to restore the unstable electrical connection. However, that remedy has since failed, and the failure is now permanent. I have physically verified that my ods harness carries the defective supplier code 6578 and date code 15280—the exact 'ng' (no good) hardware identified in the recall. The dealer has quoted me $1,244 to replace the seat cushion assembly but refuses to cover it under the recall because my VIN was excluded from the initial list. Subaru is requiring me to pay out-of-pocket to remedy a documented manufacturing defect that they have already acknowledged and attempted to repair once before.

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.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The bracket on the front right side of the drivers seat (if you're looking at the seat from the sunroof) that connects the seat (where you sit) to the seat frame (which moves the seat forward and back) has separated from the seat frame. The two tack welds have failed so the seat can move freely up and down on the right side of the seat. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Driver and passenger seats are collapsing to the point we are sinking into the seats unevenly and we can feel the hardware in the seats. We have bells that ding intermittently while driving. The dealership stated this is due to the airbag sensors located in the seats. Both seat manufacturer covers are splitting extensively. Due to the defective breakdown/collapsing seats the airbag timing in an accident and deployment in an accident can be affected and/or the airbags could spontaneously deploy. The passenger seat foam and cover was replaced once, VIN specific, and is collapsing worse than before. Subaru of America will not acknowledge this defect as it is very expensive and will likely not be a lasting fix as it has happened previously. The seat quality is defective and poses a serious danger to occupants.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Left front of drivers seat collapsed while driving 60mph on freeway. This caused a surprise that could have resulted in an accident. . Read more...

Passenger airbag light on seatbelt light on passenger front airbags inactive.

When there is a passenger in my Subaru forrester, the occupant detection system deactivates the passenger airbag. When I researched the issue, I noticed there is a recall for Foresters but my specific vehicle doesn't fall into the recall. When reviewing product campaign bulletin on the NHTSA website, the harness label inspection procedure states to inspect the label and if its has supplier code 6578 and the date code before 18074, the harness must be replaced. My Forester has both the supplier code and the date code before 18074 but my vehicle doesn't have a recall associated with it so the Subaru service center won't replace it. I'm currently driving with a deactivated airbag and that can't possibly be safe. Please NHTSA, widen the recall!.

The passenger side seat airbag sensor has quit sensing when someone is seating in the seat and turns off the airbag. After taking it in to the dealership and them running diagnostics they said, “it isnt working. ” they quoted me a repair of $1182 to replace the whole seat. I know Subaru has issued a recall on certain models, but my car was not one of them. It seems like the same problem though. There appears to be a lot of people having the same faulty sensor system and having to pay high repair costs that only the dealership can do.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The passenger seat, passenger air bags, and occupant detection system are failing. Yes! available for inspection. Passenger occupants are put at risk riding in my passenger seat as the seat does not detect if the seatbelt is on, or even if someone is sitting in the seat. The airbag will not deploy when intended! issue was first brought to 7/2023 at Subaru inpasco wa, where they “could not do anything because it was not yet a recall. ” as of 3/14/24, it has been confirmed by an isc (Subaru of hermiston, or) my vehicle has been there since!!! they have not been able to fix the issue or get the part. There is no date of when the part is expected to available. We have been working with Subaru customer advocates who have extended my loaner car out 30 days, but after that. I will be out of a safe vehicle. I have three children and need my passenger seat to be working effectively and safely! yes, there were warning lights that came on. The lights were on the dash. The red square with an “I” next to odometer and a red passenger air bag symbol below the other light that popped up. I have pictures and videos dated between June 2023 to March 2024 of the lights coming on.

I noticed that the airbag light was continuously illuminated on the dashboard of my Subaru Forester. I promptly took my vehicle to a certified Subaru dealership to have the issue diagnosed and resolved. After a thorough inspection, it was determined that the passenger seat bottom occupant seat mat required replacement to rectify the problem. Otherwise, my airbags would not inflate in the event that I would need them. I would like to emphasize that I have always maintained my vehicle in excellent condition and followed all recommended maintenance procedures. I have never exposed the seat to moisture or allowed any foreign objects to be shoved under it. Furthermore, I am the primary driver of the vehicle and rarely have passengers, which makes it highly unlikely for any undue stress or wear to be placed on the seat mat. Considering the circumstances, it is evident that this issue is a result of a manufacturing defect or premature failure, rather than any negligence or misuse on my part. I find it disconcerting that a critical safety component such as the airbag system would fail within a relatively short period of time and with minimal use. There was a significant repair cost as well.

The srs airbag light is coming on and off due to a manufacturer defect.

My 2018 Subaru Forester should be included in a recall and Subaru is denying that this recall exists. My srs air bag light is on. The dealership wants to charge $1216. . Read more...

Sensor on passenger side airbag stays off at times when there is a passenger in the seat. The notification on the dash and above the gps screen notifies the driver that the airbag is off. This was a previous issue and pertains to a recall that was completed. This has not resolved since the recall has been completed and the problem still continues only 3 years after being "fixed".

The airbag srs sensor on the passenger side cuts on even if someone is sitting in the passenger seat. Then it will randomly cut off when no one is in the passenger seat. I’m concerned that if I was to have a wreck then someone could die. I called the Subaru dealership when I first noticed it 2 years ago. They told me to bring it up there. They checked it out and said that no codes were showing. However, that sensor wasn’t showing at the time. They also told me that if it did come back on to bring it back up there and then proceeded to quote me a price of $1500.

My 2010 Subaru Forester's driver seat does not raise up on with the power buttons. I can hear the motor but the front of the seat will not move. Last week, the right side was not moving and now both sides are not. I can physically move the front half of the seat up and down. I can see that the welds on the front arms are off of the frame of the seat rails. If I was in a collision, the whole seat might come off if it is not secured and my safety would be compromised. I called Subaru of America and received a case number. I also plan on taking the car into dealer for an inspection. No warning lights appeared. When I move the seats with the buttons, I sometimes hear a grinding noise. This collapsing seat issue with 2010 Foresters has been found on internet sites. The car was not involved in an accident and I am the primary driver and weigh under 160 lbs.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving 35-38 mph in cold weather, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle temperature was cold. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the forward collision avoidance system, the lane keep assist, the auto start/stop feature, the cruise control mode, and other unknown features no longer operable messages were displayed. Additionally, the vehicle shifted into sport (s) mode. The contact was able to drive to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermal control valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that there was an inch-long slice like cut in the front passenger's seat. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via mail. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Forester 🔎.

The driver seat lumbar suddenly broke while driving, which caused a sudden unplanned shit of my driving position. There was also a loud hardware breaking or snapping apart, which caused a certain degree of panic and distraction while driving. I fixed the broken lumbar seat approximately less than two years ago and now the incident I mentioned previously, has happened again. I paid for the first repairs through an extended warranty I bought, I explained this to Subaru corporate customer service, and they refuse to take responsibility for the inferior nature of the lumbar system and thus refuse to cover the cost of fixing it.

I purchased a new Subaru Forester on February 3, 2023 from cross creek Subaru in fayetteville nc. I noticed that the passenger air bag was off at times with my wife in the passenger seat. I made an appointment to have this fixed, the air bag was always on for her in my f150, Honda crv and all the other cars we have owned. When I took it in they put some weights on the seat, hooked up to a computer and said that the seat was measuring the weight properly. The air bag was still on some time and off some time with no obvious reason for the difference. The dealer could not find any information as to what weight the air bag should be on. I made another appointment and took it back in on February 21st. They again tested the seat weight measurements and that was working. The had my wife sit on the seat and with her feet on the floor it measured her weight as 97 pounds but the air bag was still off. The service manager told me to contact Subaru of America (800-782-2783) about this problem. I talked to heath (856-438-2434) about this problem. He called me back a few days later on a recorded line and told me that the air bag should be on when the weight measurements at the seat was from 78 to 80 pounds. My wife weighs 102 to 103. My daughter gave me a 12lb weighted blanket to put on the seat. Even with the extra weight the air bag is off at times. It happens like this. We will got to the grocery store and the air bag is on, and when we get in to come home the air bag is off. This is with my wife not having anything even a pocket book with her. One of the conditions either on or off is not safe, so this car is not safe for us to drive. The service manager jay at cross creek Subaru told me on 3/22/2023 to tell Subaru of America that I wanted to return the car and that he did not know how to fix it. My case number at Subaru of America is 230221-1700488 and I have called and talked to America, rommel, linda, yenisei, and finally bernadine on 3/22/2023.

The srs passenger warning light comes on intermittently. Sometimes with a passenger the indication is the air bag is "on" and everything seems to be fine. Sometimes with a passenger we get the message that the "srs system needs to be checked". And sometimes we get that message even without a passenger. This started at around 80k miles.

The contact's mother owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt warning light failed to illuminate and alert the passenger to fasten the seat belt. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side seat and sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that a credit towards the repair would be provided. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

The passenger sensor light is on and Subaru says I need to replace the seat. There was a recall for certain vehicles but my VIN was not part of the recall - however, if the issue persists why isn't the recall expanded? do we really want drivers like me to have to replace seats because Subaru is not living up to the standards - due to their faulty wiring? please expand the recall.

Two things have already failed on this vehicle. The first being the seats/seat belt clips on the driver and passanger seat. The seat in constructed in such a way that no matter what adjustment is made, the driver feels as if they are falling into the steering wheel. Any attempts to correct the positioning leaves the driver feeling as if they do not have control of the vehicle. Additionally, the inward positioning of the seat-belt clip on the right side on the driver facing inward pushes into the drivers hip and/or thigh causing extreme pain. The narrowing of the seats does not allow the driver to get away from the pain of the seat belt clip. Second, the issue with the windshield. This is my second Subaru Forester. On my first, I had a cracked windshield in 5 places due to small debris hitting the vehicle in a normal operating matter. This was replaced. My current vehicle, with less than 500 miles on it, already has 5-6 chips in the windshield due to some defect in the glass that causes the glass crack under nearly no pressure at all. I can't even imagine where the cracks came from with such low mileage and driving in near perfect, normal operating condition. It is only a matter of time before I will need to have the windshield replaced on this vehicle. It is also hazardous to know that it may shatter and injure me at any time. I have had the vehicle less than 5 weeks.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Forester 🔎.

Srs airbag light with and without passenger in front passenger seat. Brought to dealer for diagnostic and code b1650 is coming up.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger's side front seat and air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

My srs airbag light came on and said it needed to be inspected. Notably, this issue is similar to a prior recall of this vehicle that I had repaired. The Subaru dealership indicated that the bottom of the seat needed replaced and that the airbag may not function properly until this is fixed; however, they also noted that the part won't be in stick until October/November. This seems like a huge safety issue to not have the part and there is potential that the airbags won't work.

My vehicle had the wum98 safety recall completed on March 09, 2020. In July 2022, the srs system started giving error messages that the system needed to be checked. It seemed to reset when the vehicle was turned off and restarted. When it happened for the 3rd time in 3 weeks, I took it in to the Subaru dealership where they found this: b1650 perform diag TSB#07-108-16r. They claimed that the seat must have gotten wet to create this error code, but it seems to me to be the same problem as was reported in the :number: wum-98r NHTSA 19v-701 date: 10/14/19 revised: 12/13/19 documents that I found on the nhsta site. I think the same issue is in this newer harness that was in the older one. On August 16,2022, we picked up the vehicle from its other repairs (60,000 mile service and ac condenser replacement). The dealer had just reset the b1650 code. We drove less than 50 miles before the “srs airbag system needs to be checked” error message came back on. It only seems to come on at certain times when the passenger is over 190lbs. In addition, every once in a while the passenger seatbelt alarm goes off with no one in the seat. The only way to get it to stop is to engage the seatbelt. The Subaru dealer wants to replace the seat cushion with the harness and the ods mat for a total of $1600. 00. I believe that this was one of the options to do in 2020, but they opted for only replacing the cable, not the full sensor and seat.

Issue with passenger air bag. Issue was caught and detected by dealership as ods sensor error. Further research revealed recall in vehicles of the same year, make, and model as vehicle in question for that part. Dealership and corporate offices deny relation of problems with recall, claim no such recall exists for the vehicle.

2017 Subaru Forester - passenger airbag seat sensor intermittent failure. Does not detect passenger when seated and thus does not arm airbag while in motion. Safety of driver, passenger, and other drivers at risk due to product failure. Problem has been confirmed by local Subaru dealer and Subaru of America, but part is back ordered with no timetable for fulfillment. Multiple owners facing same issue, should be investigated for a full product recall.

Power adjustment of driver's seat front left corner does not raise in synch with right side. This causes the seat to be uneven, resulting in an unsafe driving position. Apparently the weld of the adjustment arm breaking is a well known and documented issue based on even a cursory internet search.