What 403 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Subaru Forester Wilderness

WHEN EVER ANY BLUE TOOTH DEVICE OR BATTERY POWERED DEVICE IS HELD BY THE PASSENGER,THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS DISABLED. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE AIRBAG CAN NOT BE TURNED ON UTIL AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND ON > 5 TIMES.

NHTSA ODI 11010121

2014 SUBARU FORESTER. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION COLLISION. *SMD AS THE CONSUMER APPROACHED A HANDICAP SPACE, HE SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MPH AND WHEN HE REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND APPLIED THE BRAKE TO STOP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY AND STRUCK TWO PARKED VEHICLES AND THEN CAME TO A STOP, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10925779

2014 SUBARU FORESTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PARTS NOT AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE FRONT PASSENGER AIR RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 15V323000. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED A VIN. HOWEVER, IT IS FOR A 2008 SUBARU FOREST. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10852640

RECENTLY I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE MY CAR WAS HIT BY A VAN. MY CAR WAS NOT STATIONARY BUT WAS AT A LESSER SPEED THAN THE CAR WHICH HIT. I WAS TAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN THE VAN HIT. THE IMPACT WAS A LOT SUCH THAT THE OTHER CARS AIRBAGS GOT DEPLOYED. MORE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY CAR. THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR IS GONE. I WAS SURPRISED AS TO HOW UNSAFE MY CAR WAS AS THE AIRBAGS DID NOT GET DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 10789425

THIS SUBARU OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM IN MY 2014 FORESTER IS DEFECTIVE. IT DOES NOT DETECT MY WIFE AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DOES NOT TURN ON. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SUBARU THAT THEY HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED TO AN "ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITANCE SENSOR" TO REPLACE THE PREVIOUS "WEIGHT SENSOR". MY WIFE NEEDS TO SIT ON A SEAT CUSHION AS THE SEATS ARE TOO HARD FOR HER MEDICAL CONDITION. SUBARU TOLD US THE SEAT CUSHION WILL NOT ALLOW THE ODS TO VERIFY A PERSON IS SITTING IN THE SEAT AND WILL NOT TURN ON THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT WET CLOTHING (WET RAINCOAT) WILL ALSO DEFEAT THE SENSOR AND THE AIRBAG WILL NOT BE TURNED ON. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS TO ALL PASSENGERS. THE ONLY SUGGESTION FROM SUBARU WAS FOR MY WIFE TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISED ME THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT IS MANDATING THAT ALL VEHICLES USE THIS ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITANCE SENSOR. I STRONGLY URGE YOUR DEPARTMENT TO RECONSIDER MANDATING THIS SENSOR AS THE OLD "WEIGHT SENSOR " IN MY 2011 OUTBACK WORKS JUST FINE WITH A CUSHION.

NHTSA ODI 10724973

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, (APPROXIMATE 65 MPH) I GOT A MESSAGE ON THE CONSOLE THAT INDICATED THAT SRS SYSTEM HAD SHUT DOWN AND THE RED AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON. I DROVE IT HOME AND THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I RESTARTED IT, THE RED AIR BAG LIGHT WENT AWAY. THE NEXT DAY WHILE I WAS RIDING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, THE RED AIRBAG LIGHT WENT OFF AND A NOTE ON THE CONSOLE SAID THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WAS NOT OPERATIONAL. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SUBARU DEALER WHO COULD NOT RECREATE THE ISSUE AND TURNED THE CAR BACK TO US. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10712377

I WAS TURNING LEFT ON AN ARROW AND A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT RESULTING IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ME, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 3MPH AND HE WAS DRIVING 45MPH. HIS CAR WAS TOTALLED, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND ON FIRE. I HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SEAT BELT LOCK UP. AS A RESULT I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY KNEE AND MY ANKLE GOT LACERATED AND BLUNT TRAUMA FROM THE BRAKE/ACCELARTATION PEDAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10607764