Air Bag Light On Problems of Subaru Outback - part 2

Bought a used 2008 Subaru Outback in April of 2015, and shortly afterwards began seeing the airbag dash light occasionally upon startup. The airbag light would remain on until the vehicle was turned off, and would often come on and stay on when the vehicle was started again. Overhead passenger airbag indicator also was malfunctioning, and did not indicate on or off. Vehicle was serviced at dealership on 3/22/2016, and the overhead console (part # 92151ag13aor) was replaced to remedy air bag code 26. Total cost was $182. 95; $130. 45 for the new console, and $52. 50 for the labor. This malfunction is far too common in Subaru vehicles across several years,and is an extremely important repair and a dangerous safety concern. The airbag system is inoperable when the dash light is on, and should be a recall situation for all Subaru vehicles that have the defective console.

See all problems of the 2008 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The airbag light on the dashboard illuminates (comes on) randomly when driving. The problem is intermittent. Occasionally, turning off the vehicle & restarting causes the light to turn off. I have heard of other owners with the same issue.

See all problems of the 2009 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Red "airbag" dash light comes on and stays on. This renders airbags inoperable and creates an unsafe driving condition. An accident without airbags is a safety issue. The overhead passenger side airbag indicator assembly failed and needed to be replaced for $333. 24. Research indicates that poor soldering on the airbag circuit board causes the indicator assemble to fail. Based on the number of complaints, and the fact that this could result in serious injury in the event of an accident, this should be a recall situation.

Having airbag light coming on intermittently along with passenger airbag light. Mechanic said airbags probably are not functioning properly. Cost for repair would be between $350-$400. From reading other complaints, this is an easy and cheap fix but dangerous if it's not repaired. This should be a recall!.

Airbag light comes on intermittently on my 2008 Subaru Outback. I’m not sure under what specific conditions, sometimes the light stays on for days. And recently it has been on continuously. The airbag led indicator for the passenger seat does not work. I took the Outback to the Subaru dealer, and they said I needed to replace overhead console module due to shorting and charged me $117 for the inspection, $137 for the part, $148 for service and tax. The total will be $402. I researched the problem online and found many people had solved this problem with simply soldering the connection for almost no cost. The Subaru dealer service never offered to try soldering, only warned me that the airbag wouldn't work when light was on. The sheer number of complaints filed and subject discussions online show that this problem is predictable and could be solved cheaply. Subaru must make better soldering, especially when lifesaving air bags are at stake.

Airbag light comes on intermittently on 2008 Subaru Outback, not sure under what specific conditions, sometimes the light stays on for days. Dealer service said I needed to replace overhead console module due to shorting and charged me $350. After researching the problem I found many people had solved this problem with simply soldering the connection for almost no cost. Dealer service never offered to try soldering, only warned me that the airbag wouldn't work when light was on. The sheer number of complaints filed and subject discussions online show that this problem is predictable and could be solved cheaply. I would like to see Subaru held accountable for all the money owners have spent on this avoidable and simple problem.

The passanager airbag light went off when no one was in the seat. The dealer said all systems were fine and that this might be due to the seat and sensor being wet or damp. This is not true as it is a problem at least twice a week now. I will return again to the dealer but have no faith in them or the car. I also wonder if the airbag will work in a real accident. I would like to ditch the car as an hour and a half ride with a chime going off is crazy and of concern.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The airbag indicator for the passenger will not remain on, even though the passenger meets the required weight.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the air bags warning indicator illuminated on the instrumental panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the over head console needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Ng.

The airbag light on the dash illuminates due to a flawed part in the system. This is a common problem with this series of Subarus and disables the airbags while the car is in use, a very dangerous and possibly deadly problem. Subaru has been aware of this problem for years but refuses to do anything about it. The part and its replacement are expensive and often does not get repaired because it is at the owner's expense. My feeling is that safety equipment should be warranted by the manufacturer for the reasonable life of the automobile. The flawed part has been used for years with Subaru's full knowledge that the part is flawed.

Tl-the contact owns a 2009 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after the vehicle was restarted from being driven, the engine remained abnormally hot and the air bag warning indicator was consistently illuminating. The failure recurred on several occasions when restarted after being driven and progressed during humid weather. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. Djr.

Within week of purchase of used vehicle, Subaru Outback 2006, had intermittent red airbag trouble light indicator on and inconsistent passenger airbag on/off light. Vehicle came with 6 month warranty from independent company. Told by small independent shop (temple auto mart, temple, PA) of purchase vehicle has code 26 indicating passenger airbag module with passenger airbag indicator on/off light mounted on inside roof above the rear view mirror is bad and that they are not able to help with this problem. Called warranty company and told this item is not covered. Went to local Subaru dealer (steve moyer Subaru, leesport, PA) who confirmed code 26 problem and the passenger airbag module needs to be replaced and charged $97. 52 for evaluation. Dealer ordered part and estimates $299. 97 for part, labor, and state sales tax. Told by dealer when red airbag trouble light indicator is on the all airbags will not activate when needed. Beleive this safety item cost should be Subaru's resposibility. I am requesting a manufacture recall to cover all costs and include assurance this is problem does not occur again on this vehicle.

See all problems of the 2006 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Passanger side airbag indicator light and alarm go off whether passenger is in the seat or not. Intermittently, when I start the car, the indicator light flashes and then remains lit. If the car is driven in this state, the alarm sounds at speeds over 25/30 mph. Subarun doesn't know how to trouble shoot.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Air bag light in dashboard comes on and airbag light in overhead console does not display proper info. 55000+ hits in internet point to bad solder joints in overhead circuit board. Once loose resistors are re-soldered problem goes away. Dealers are charging up to $500 to replace overhead console. This problem of bad solder joints goes over several model years. Why has there not been a safety related recall over airbag issues which expire when warranty expires? there should be no expiration date on safety!.

The passenger airbag light shows to be "off. " I recently purchased this car and have an elderly friend in the passenger seat. In my concern, I searched other sites and found that others are posting this issue on various sites. From what I read, it's not clear if this means the passenger airbag is not working. I checked recalls and see that July 4, 2014 a recall was put out for this problem on certain Subaru models of years 2003 and 2004. From the comments I've read, particularly about the 2008 Outback, there should be a recall for this issue for 2008 Outback.

The airbag light on the dash would intermittently turn on. If I turned the car off and then right back on the light would go out. Eventually the light would come back on, so I took the car to the dealer who had a technician check the computer codes. It listed (code 26-right front seat belt error). The technician reset the computer and the computer error code was cleared. The tech told me that eventually it was going to happen again, as he had seen the problem several times before in the 2008/2009 year range of Outbacks & legacys and told me that when the dash light was lit, "none of the airbags would work in a collision". All was well for a few weeks and the light did come back on, so the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired. The problem seems to be the map light/passenger seatbelt lamp assembly (part # 84621ag53a) that is located on the interior roof directly next to the rear view mirror. I was informed that this part is not covered by any warranties, as the airbags are a "supplemental system", unlike seatbelts which "are covered" as the primary restraint system. It seems to me that Subaru must obviously be aware of this defective part as it is an instock item at their dealerships (at least it is at my dealer). The bottom line is that I had to pay (almost $200) to fix a problem that will allow my vehicle's airbags to work in the event of a collision because the airbags are considered a "supplemental system". "love" (pun intended) to know when the recall is going to occur.

The air bag light comes on and goes off randomly and sometimes you will be driving along at about 35 mph and the car will jolt once and the air bag light, check engine light will come on as well as the cruise control light will start blinking and will not be operable. Then all of the lights will go out until you turn the car off and then back on.

The airbags light is on intermittently. The tech at the Subaru dealership said it was a problem in the connection in the map light console. He indicated the airbags would deploy correctly. It appears to be a common problem with 2008 Outbacks and other posters have indicated the airbag system will not work if dashboard airbag light is illuminated. Apparently many folks have found a weak/aged solder point to be the cause of an intermittent connection. Given the large number of owners encountering this problem, Subaru should initiate a recall based on the safety concerns of a an airbag system failure in the event of an accident.

Airbag light on dash came on and front passenger seat airbag monitor in overhead console failed. The problem was with a faulty printed circuit board in the overhead console, and has since been fixed.

See all problems of the 2007 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The airbag light has been on intermittently since 2010 did not repair as the code could not be read and outside of warranty. Now constantly on mechanics tells me that it is the indicator circuit above the rear view mirror.

After buying car noticed air bag light was on while driving home. Being a safety issue I started investigating. Looks to be fairly common. May be enough for a recall. Just wanted to report it for future reference. Dealer said shop did not notice light during their inspection.

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated the air bag light illuminated. The contact was concerned that the air bag was defective and may not deploy during a crash. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test and they stated the front passenger seat needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated in order to replace the passenger seat the contact had to remove the aftermarket auto starter; however, the contact refused to remove it. The auto starter manufacturer stated the auto starter had nothing to do with the defective air bag but the manufacturer stated that it does. The failure mileage was 15,500.

The driver airbag in multiple models of Subaru are disabled because of an apparent fault in the passenger airbag indicator light in the overhead console. This requires replacement of the part. I have researched the topic in multiple auto websites and it appears to affect a lot of model years of all makes of the Subaru. The problem is also intermittent and occurs while driving . I think that disabling the airbag is a serious safety issue and that Subaru has not fessed up about this or fixed the problem.

First I will say I am an adult female weighing 120 lbs, sufficient weight to activate airbags. We just purchased this car and went for long trip and I noticed my air bag light was off. I tried to adjust positions and sometimes I could get it to come back on, only to find a few minutes later that is off again, this process was repeated the whole 7 hour trip. We were traveling on snow covered roads so this was very upsetting to not have the air bags working. This is a serious problems that needs to be fixed. What good are safety features in a car if they do not work properly.

We have a Subaru Outback that we purchased in may 2011. In January 2013 the airbag indicator began to turn off randomly while I was seated in the front passenger seat. It happens intermittently and without any change in behavior or movement on my part we have brought the car to the dealer and they say there is not a problem with the system. I have called the Subaru company and they say the system is operating as designed and since the dealer cannot find the problem there is none. The company also state there have been complaints by other people my weight. (117 lbs. ) they also state that the airbag will not inflate if the indicator for the airbag is off. I have expressed my fear of not having an airbag in case of an accident to no avail. I feel that this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed .

Airbag light stays on and passenger airbag light( off) stays off. I had my car serviced for coolant flush. I asked service manager about the issue he stated that it is in the maplight and if the light burns out the airbag on the dash will light up and possibly cause a malfunction in airbag deployment. So meaning as consumer I have to replace the entire maplight console and pay for something that is a known Subaru issue or more fault in design.

Passenger airbag light above map light comes on intermittently. Took vehicle to dealer in September 2012 twice for this issue (still ongoing). Service writer said component needed to be replaced because it was faulty. He indicated the airbag would still deploy in the event of a crash, but the sensor in the seat is not able to read the weight of the passenger and if I had a smaller and shorter adult in the front seat, they could be injured because the airbag would deploy at a higher rate of speed and with greater force possibly injuring the passenger. This appears to be an ongoing and prevalent issue with this make and model. The airbag light will go on and off regardless of temperature, driving or parked, and if there is or is not a passenger. This is clearly an issue that warrants a recall.

The air bag light on our dashboard recently lit up. We had our mechanic look at the car and he said the car was not producing an error code. Some basic research on the internet revealed that this problem is becoming common and is related to a fault in the panel contained in the map light console, which includes the passenger air bag indicator lights. He replaced panel and that solved the problem. I have a couple issues that I hope you can address. Because the air bag light was illuminated on the dash, the operation of the car's air bags were in doubt, if not disabled all together. So, this appears to be a safety issue. Additionally, when our mechanic called the local Subaru dealer (go Subaru in denver, CO) for the part and asked if they had the part in stock, the parts desk immediately said, "OH, is this that air bag thing?" so, this is a known fault. I tried contacting Subaru to notify them, but they simply told me that all recalls are issued by the government and that I should have my vehicle serviced by an authorized dealer. I hope the NHTSA will take time to research this safety issue and make the appropriate recall.

Dash airbag light comes on intermittently, and this disables the airbag. Dealer states this is a known problem, but can only fix by trial and error replacing (expensive) components. It happens most on cold wet weather days, often goes off when car warmed up, so probably electrical. Has continued for years now, still happening at 105,000 miles. Many many examples on internet boards of people with this same problem. Should be a safety recall!.

Airbag light on dash comes on intermittently. There appears to be a known defect in the overhead map light console that causes the problem. When occurring, the air bag system becomes deactivated and poses a decrease in safety. Subaru of America would not tell me how many of these units have been replaced or their reported rate of failure.

There seems to be a problem with the front passenger air bag activation sensor. My wife, who weighs approx. 125 lbs, often sits in that seat. The air bag sensor light might go on, or it might not. Sometimes she can shift her weight and have it come on. Other times it doesn't matter what she does, it will not go on. We can be riding along with the air bag light on and all of a sudden, for no reason, it will go off. Then, inexplicably, it might, or might not, come back on. I brought the car to a local Subaru dealer who informed me that this is the way the air bag system is made and that there is nothing they can do about it. They said that it is against federal law for them to make any adjustments and that I should just make sure my wife wears her seat belt when we're driving. This is a major irritant, since neither of us can be sure if the passenger air bag will actually deploy should we be in an accident. It seems like something should be done about this, especially now that I've searched this site and found that I am not the only one to experience this problem with the passenger air bag sensor. I joke with my wife that we might need to fatten her up to save her life, but for some reason she just doesn't think it's funny. Maybe you folks can look into the problem and do something about it.

Passenger airbag light goes on and off randomly when I am sitting in the passenger seat. I am 5'3 110lbs. The sensors were recaliberated when I took it to the dealer the first time. The problem continued. Even if you sit in one spot and not move the sensor will turn on and off randomly. The dealership still doesn't know how to fix the problem. I was told the sensors have trouble sensing 70-90lbs of weight. I am over that therefore there should be no issue. I now own a car that the airbag might be on or off if I was ever in a collision. This is a huge safety concern!.

The passenger side front air bag indicator randomly showed the status 'on' or 'off' when the seat was occupied by an adult passenger. No pattern could be identified for the indication although we tried every perturbation of sitting, fastening seat belt, closing door, starting engine, etc. The vehicle was returned to the dealer for repair. The passenger seat sensor(s) was replaced as defective, now the indicator never indicates 'on', always 'off' regardless of actions as above. The vehicle was returned a second time, this time it was determined that the sensor(s) were being inhibited because of seat covers distributing the weight in such a way as to 'fool' the sensors. It took a 180 lb. Person to activate the sensor, [a 170 lb. Person did not] with the seat covers on, the sensors appeared to operate correctly without the seat covers. This raises the question of weight distribution, are large buttocks required given that there are multiple weight sensors in the seat, how about a small framed 120 lb adult. The answer is clear, the passenger air bag should always be on unless manually turned off by the user. Subaru must provide a programming option to the owner to default the airbag status to always 'on'. My Toyota and Honda both provides a key lock option to disable the unit, default is, and should be required, to be 'on'. This is a safety issue, and Subaru is opening themselves to class actions, and heaven forbid the first accident when the unit fails to deploy because it was not armed because of quirky weight distribution requirements. I believe that a preventive recall should be ordered if Subaru does not unilaterally provide an always 'on' default option for the vehicle.

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.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Outback. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that the air bag light illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technicians stated that the air bag sensor and module needed to be replaced. The technicians informed the contact of NHTSA recall campaign id number 04v274000 (component: air bags:side/window) for the air bags. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was no recall. The failure was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Subaru Outback 🔎.