Seat Belt Problems of Subaru Outback - part 1

Right rear safety belt would not retract while installing a car seat with it. Seatbelt was pulled all the way out and it would not retract. Vehicle was taken to Subaru dealership. Dealer stated seatbelt had been over extended. I manually pushed belt in and pulled it out several times, and it finally retracted and started working. If belt doesn't retract it cannot be used. There was no reason for the belt to fail. Belt on left side of vehicle was used and retracted without a problem.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Middle seatbelt continues to tear in multiple placed . Very disturbing.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owned a 2013 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a metal guard rail on the driver's side along the length of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had bounced off of the rail and the front end on the passenger side had crashed into a metal post on the right side of the road. The contact stated that the force of crash ejected him through the windshield. The contact stated that ems and fire men were on scene but there was no police. The contact stated he had not lost consciousness. The contact was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The contact had lacerations on his forehead, scalp, nose and chin. The contact had bruises on his chest, shoulders, both arms and both legs. The contact stated that he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. The contact stated that his insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact was advised by his insurance provider that the air bags and the seat belt had failed to function. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

No component failed or malfunction. It is working as designed but it is a serious safety concern that can not be addressed except by purposely bypassing the safety system or systems. For whatever reason Subaru added rear seat belt chime alarms to the rear seats. Three in total it appears. Driver, passenger, and center. The chimes will continue to grow louder until it blocks all radio and becomes a distraction. In theory this is not a bad idea. In practice it is a safety concern. Subaru markets their vehicles as being pet friendly. The issue is when I have my dog in the back seat the seat beat alarm continues to go of sporadically and she is not done growing yet. I don't use harness/restraints but even if I did there would be no way to keep her in the correct position to not make the adjacent seat chime. This is a major distraction while driving because I have to constantly take my eyes off the road and try to reposition her to stop the chime/alarm. It is also putting others at risk as I am not focused on driving. Problem confirmed by the dealer and Subaru (soa) with no plan to fix except cut wires, buy seat belt buckles from ebay to stick in holder, or clip seatbelts when not in use. Concern is this will cause passengers to not buckle up due to the hassle. Safety can't be an inconvenience or there is less chance it will be followed. No police have been involved. Dealer and soa have confirmed it is a problem with no solution. Possible software update in the future. Not a failure but a design flaw.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I discovered substantial seat belt fraying on the rear center seatbelt on my Outback wilderness, mileage less than 3,600, on may 12, 2022. Photos will be attached. One fray is 1/4" x 1/4", is 30" from the tip end of the connector tongue, and has separated the belt. The second fray is 1/4" x 11/4" and is 34" from the tip end of the connector tongue. Both frays are on the same side or edge of the belt. Other than the frays, the belt was in new condition. I believe the belt to have been furnished in a defective condition or there is a defect in the retracting apparatus. There is no external cause of the fraying that I could determine. The belt has been replaced by the dealer, adventure Subaru, of fayetteville, arkansas. A separate complaint will be submitted related to a 2019 ascent we own that had three belts replaced with nearly identical fraying patterns.

My air bags didn't deploy when I hit a tree, and the seat belt gave loose. A police report was filed, and the car was evaluated by a collision center. The insurance company has not yet evaluated the vehicle. The air bag indicator light indicated the air bags were in good working order. I slid off the road in snow and hit a tree dead on and my entire front end crumpled, but my air bags didn't deploy and my seat belt was fully extended when I exited the vehicle to get into the ambulance.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Battery corrosion on terminal post and drained for no reason, failed battery test and had to be replaced. Windshield has imperfections throughout and cracks easily. Shift mechanism will not release the vehicle key while in park. Squeaking sound emanating from passenger seat belt buckle. Excessive exhaust noise and odor from exhaust pipe. Rear hatch will not close completely unless slammed very forcefully. Belts under the hood squeak very loudly when started and subside when warmed up.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The airbag light on my dash was lighting intermittently. I called kendall Subaru here in fairbanks, ak and was told I shouldn't drive the car as such a light indicated a problem with my airbags and that even a low level bump could set them off or that they might not function at all in a major accident. I scheduled an appointment to have this problem diagnosed. They told me there was a fault in the wiring and that I'd have to have the passenger seat indicator replaced. I have done some online research and found that there are several instances of faulty soldering in the wiring for the indicator. This would seem to me to be a reason for Subaru to issue a safety recall as a pot hole hit could set this thing off or people could get killed because the airbag didn't deploy! kendall told me that they didn't have the part in stock. It would be in in 7-10 days. That was a month ago. I have noticed that since my vehicle was in for diagnosis, that the light has only come on whe the car is started, like it's supposed to!.

See all problems of the 2007 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Incident occurred on interstate 25 northbound at approximately mm 190. My speed was approximately 70 mph. Weather was dry and about 70 degrees. I was in the next to left lane in 4 lanes of traffic. The moonroof on my 2016 Subaru Outback exploded violently sending glass outward into traffic. I had never heard of this phenomena so when I saw black material from the top of my car going into traffic I thought it was pieces of my roof rack. I pulled over to the shoulder to examine my car and saw a massive hole in the moonroof. Knowing that if I continued shards of glass would continue to be expelled onto the interstate I pulled the remaining pieces of glass into the interior of the car. Not that it mattered, that's where they fell anyway when I opened the moonroof. The pieces of the moonroof fell into the slots for the seatbelts, rendering the drivers side inoperable. It was a miracle that no other car was seriously impacted and that I was able to get home safely. Subaru and any other car manufacturer that is involved with this problem needs to be held accountable for the damages and remedial repairs. This problem should be addressed by the NHTSA immediately.

The passenger seat belt is not staying buckled in, it take about 3 tries before it clicks.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The ods in our 2014 Subaru Outback has failed, and there is a constant beeping indicating that the air bag system is not functioning properly. This was definitely an issue the last two winters, too, but with covid quarantine and illness, we were not able to address it then. The airbag warning lights and sounds persist whether the seat is unoccupied or occupied by a child (14 or 16) or adult. The dealer has diagnosed that the passenger seatbelt switch is also not working properly. Their recommended remedy is replacing the entire seat base (~$1,300). This vehicle also had a recall of the passenger side airbag inflator, which was replaced in may 2019 when our mileage was 88,000. The issue started when weather turned cold in the winter of 2019. When it is below about 45 degrees, the beeping starts, and it only ceases when the vehicle is warmed up and the engine is turned off then on again. Our temperatures here in eastern washington get up to 115 in summer and down to 10 in winter. We are thinking that this ods defect may be due to a loosening of the components during the airbag service or the exact same faulty ods component that was recalled in the Subaru forrester recall (NHTSA campaign number 19v701). It is important to us to have a functional airbag in case of a crash.

This is not against Subaru it is against dohclo company. I purchased an after market seatbelt extender. It is defective and will not secure the seatbelt to restraine you in an accident that could result in ejection from the vehicle during an accident. I contacted the company and they are refusing to assist. I worry about the safety of other people that may use the item without checking that it is secured properly. I feel that a recall should be started. I have photos, the product and copies of all my emails regarding this.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Air bag light is on (a02) faulty occupancy detection sensors in right front seat. Bottom seat frame would have to be replaced to resolve issues.

See all problems of the 2012 Subaru Outback 🔎.

My Outback lost ac/heat and even after repair at an Outback dealership, it still goes out intermittently. My car battery seems to drain for no reason at all, without any consistency to the drainage of power either. I have it looked at, and the dealership said there isn’t a cause and there isn’t anything that can be done. Back rear door doesn’t lock and unlock with the key fob designation; sets off the alarm when we don’t pay attention to it. Hatch door only lifts about 14 inches upon designation. Has to be manually lifted the rest of the way. Has been fixed once at a dealership, but since returned to the aforementioned diagnosis.

Vehicle rear ended vehicle in front because of brake failure/potential acceleration at approximately 35mph. This happened in rainy conditions, which my wife had noticed many weeks before. Subsequently, we found these recalls: and lawsuit https://cars. Usnews. . Read more...

Passenger side front seatbelt locked up and became non-functional, unable to be used. This left our passenger without a safe or legal way to ride in the vehicle with all other seats being used. The part was replaced by the dealer under warranty.

The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the side curtain air bags deployed without impact which disabled the front driver's and the front passenger's seat belts. The contact called the ganley Subaru of bedford located at 123 broadway Ave, bedford, OH 44146, and the technician declined to look at the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact a case number. The contact was not given a callback. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

See all problems of the 2011 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated the front driver side seat belt does not fully retract all way back after use, which caused the seat belt to get stuck into the door causing door jams and dents into the door frame of the vehicle. The contact taken the vehicle to a local dealer capitol Subaru (920 capitol expressway auto mall, san jose, CA 95136) who could not diagnose or repaired the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,300.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Outback 🔎.

I hit a large deer on ih 10 at 75 mph. All airbags deployed safely but conpletely blocked my vision and prevented me from exiting the vehicle as the bags blocked door handles, window control switches and my seat belt release. Another motorist cut air bag strips and helped me to exit the car. Fortunately, no fire.

Takata recall.

Substantial rust has developed at the attach point of the driver's seat-belt to the driver's seat and of the attach-point of the driver's seat to the car. We're the original owner and the car was never flooded or exposed to water in any other way. I took it to the dealer two weeks ago and they didn't know what to make of it or do about it. They reached out to Subaru and (as of 4/24) the dealer hasn't received a response. The passenger side doesn't have this problem, but the design is entirely different -- no exposed metal. Interestingly, when the service advisor checked other later-year gen 5 Outbacks the design had changed: there was no longer any exposed metal in the equivalent location. The newer design for the driver-side attach-point mimics the passenger side - no exposed metal. A 2016 Outback in for service had the same exposed metal design on the driver-side seat. It also had rusting at the same location (although not nearly as severe as on mine). It does not seem safe to have this kind of rust at such a key attach-point for the seat and a critical safety device like a seatbelt. We live in a warm/temperate part of California and the car has always been "homed" in part of California, so it has not been exposed to harsh weather.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Outback 🔎.

The center seatbelt in the back seat ( the one that comes down from the roof of the vehicle) has frayed and become torn three times in 20 months. The first repair was done Dec 21, 2016, second was oct 27,2017 and the most recent was Feb 13,2018. The belt system has been reported as replaced all three times, but it keeps occurring in the same place and manner each time. I am continually told that this is from outside forces, but have investigated and don't believe this to be true at all, my children ride back there, toys and other objects are not brought into the vehicle and the booster that is occasionally used there has been ruled out by Subaru. . I was told that since 2013 14 belts have been replaced by they general parts manager in my district, and three of them have been my car. I have leased this with the intention to own, but now feel that if this has occurred 3 times in 20 months this car is not safe for my children. Subaru isn't being much help, I need answers so that I can guarantee my children are safely secured in this car.

Cold rainy morning, I started the car for the first time with no one in the passenger seat. The airbag light came on and stayed on, the passenger seatbelt light is on and car is dinging like someone in the passenger seat is not wearing a seat belt. Does not turn off when seat belt is clipped. I take it to the dealership and they say it's a bad electrostatic capacitance sensor ods. The 'part' aka replacing the whole seat is $900. Same year of Subaru that they recalled this part in the impreza. Nhtsa recall no. : 15v-419.

September 9th 2017, our Outback was involved in an accident on a mixed residential/commercial street intersection, when it was hit on the left front wheel, hard enough to spin the car so that the left rear corner made contact with the other vehicle. The impact resulted in serious injuries requiring hospitalization and weeks of recovery. The airbags & seatbelt pre-tensioners did not activate. After the collision, the "sos" button was pressed, but there was no response from starlink. Several days later the starlink concierge called to advise us that the lights were "on" and checking on our wellbeing. They were unaware that the vehicle had been in an accident several days prior, nor did they have any record that the "sos" button had been activated. The cause of the non-activation is still under investigation by our insurance and Subaru.

On 8 June 2017 I had just pulled into a parking spot in front of a medical suite when my leased three month old 2017 Subaru Outback with 1,000 miles suddenly had an unintended acceleration episode jumping the curb and crashing into a brick wall and suite door after displacing a threshold column by two inches. The airbag did not deploy, the "eyesight" function did not stop the vehicle, the seat belt did not restrain me and my chest slammed into the steering wheel, my knees crashed into the dashboard. On 2 June, less than a week earlier, the car had done the same unintended acceleration while backing out of a parking spot, but nothing was hit at that time. After the initial ambulance er visit, plus two more, my physical injuries consisting of aches and pains, bruises, xrays, iv treatment for persistent headache after the accident, are insignificant compared to the mental and emotional damage. Not to mention the economic burden and frustrating situation this leaves me in. I contacted the dealership and sent in pictures of the vehicles and damaged building. They in turn referred my complaint to Subaru of America who was very diligent in performing an investigation and keeping me updated with the procedure. However, almost two months after the accident, Subaru of America claims their results indicate "misapplication of throttle and break" clearly putting the blame on me, without mentioning anything about the first incident, and the lack of response of the safety features of the vehicle during the accident. There are at least 34 reports of similar accidents due to unintended acceleration of Outback vehicles, and at least 70 related to the Subaru forester on carproblemzoo. Com since 2000. I now find myself with a beautiful brand new vehicle that I will pay the lease for, but don't feel comfortable driving out of fear that the unintended acceleration will reoccur.

(dyd missing dealer) tl the contact owns a 2016 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the dealer (performance Subaru, 1810 durham-chapel hill blvd, chapel hill, nc 27514, (919) 897-2146) was notified that the three rear seat belts failed to secure properly and unlatched intermittently. The dealer indicated that they had no specific remedy and advised the contact to call the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was not available.

The seat sensor for the passenger side is not working in cold weather, causing the airbag to be deactivated. The seatbelt indicator signal beeps regardless of whether someone is sitting in the seat with the seatbelt on or no one is sitting in the seat. This happens when the vehicle is in motion and happens any time the temperature in the vehicle is below freezing.

Air bag: the "ovhd console pass on off indicator" had to be replaced. Seat belts: the front driver side seat belt does not retract reliably. It has broken the left front door switch twice. Windshield wipers: the wiper blade transmission unit had to be replaced.

See all problems of the 2008 Subaru Outback 🔎.

Airbag alarm setoff and blinking whether someone occupies the passenger seat or not. Can not turn the alarm off.

Faulty occupant detection system. Turns off airbag with passenger. Turns on airbag and seatbelt chime with no passenger/weight. Intermittent. Brand new car with 700 miles and brought in 3 times to Subaru santa monica. Service center unable to replicate problem, but I sent them videos.

The seat sensor for the passenger side is not working causing the airbag to be deactivated. The seatbelt indicator signal beeps regardless of whether someone is sitting in the seat with the seatbelt on or no one is sitting in the seat. It is failing to sense any weight. I bought this car brand new on 9/9/13 and this should not be faulty.

I was hit by a 1979 Dodge pickup that ran a red light on 6th street while I was driving 30 mph headed north on jackson street in topeka, kansas. It impacted my Subaru on the passenger side in the area of the front fender and front door. Upon impact, none of my airbags deployed nor did my seat belt restrain me. I hit the steering wheel with my chest.

The passenger occupant detection system (ods) malfunctioned or shorted out for no apparent reason. As a result, the passenger airbag will not enable even when occupied by an adult passenger. The passenger airbag is constantly in “off” mode. In addition the ods apparently controls the seatbelt warning feature. Regardless of whether or not an adult passenger is occupying the seat the ods is constantly detecting a passenger and the passenger seatbelt warning light and chime continuously are on. When the passenger seatbelt is buckled the warning light and chime remain continuously on. The vehicle has 40,000 miles and this system is not covered under the manufacture’s extended warranty or the extended service contract sold by Subaru through cna. The dealership is recommending a new ods be installed and calibrated at a cost of $1,200 plus applicable tax and fees.

I was slowing pulling into a parking space and just straightening out the car when I heard a strange sound coming from the engine. Immediately after that I heard a very loud engine revving sound and then suddenly the vehicle shot forward like a rocket, went over the cement barrier and into the wall of a building. It seemed like a very high rate of speed, though the distance was only about 8 feet. The seat belt did not restrain me and my chest slammed into the steering wheel. It was determined later at the hospital that I had a cracked sternum and several broken ribs. I believe there was some sort of mechanical, electrical or software problem that caused this unintended acceleration, and the seat belt also was did not functioning as intended.

My sons (7yrs old) was sitting on passenger side rear seat with booster seat and seat belt on. When we got home, I shut off the engine and he un-buckle the seat belt and was playing in the car. Next thing I know the car (un-buckle) seat belt wrap him around. (I can forward photo of how the seat belt wrap him around(like a knot). . He was unable to free himself. I tried and was unable to pull the seat belt loose. I even let the safety(seat) belt "relax" but still unable to pull extra length of belt from the "c" pillar to loosen the "knot" around my son. . . . . As he tried to free himself by "twisting his body around, the seat belt tighten whenever the "knot" around his body gets smaller. . . . I took me almost 3-5 minutes to free him from this "know" by pushing the knot down pass his leg (like someone taking off their pants). . . . . I felt something is not right with this seat belt as there were no way for me to pull extra length of seatbelt to loosen the "knot". As you can see, if any adult not around, a child may get panic and try to free himself/herself by sliding down (ie. . Like taking off a t-shirt) that this belt design that automatically tighten (and does not loosen when relaxed) would post a choking hazard, please let me know how I can upload/send the photo of the "knot" to you?.

See all problems of the 2010 Subaru Outback 🔎.