What 613 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Forester Wilderness

Passenger Airbag light on seatbelt light on passenger front airbags inactive

NHTSA ODI 11551410

Info Center showed a message Air Bag System needs servicing. Return codes B160 when codes were checked. Dealer said The Occupant Detection Pad needed to be replaced, must have got wet. there are over a page of 2015 Owners @ [XXX] with the same issue and same explanation, most indicate they had the recall work for the connection performed when the recall was issued. Seems Subaru has an Issue with the Occupant Detection Pad! This puts passengers in danger of the air bag not deploying. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11550022

The automatic occupant detection system sensor no longer registers if a passenger is sitting in the front passenger seat, thus the front passenger’s frontal airbag is not turned on when driving with a passenger in the front seat.

NHTSA ODI 11541759

My Subaru just failed inspection for a defective airbag sensor in the front passenger side. We had this repaired at a Subaru dealer in Jan 2020, to the tune of $1500. There was a recall in 2020 for this exact problem, and our vehicle fell with the guidelines (2015-2018 Foresters equipped with heated seats), but for some reason our vehicle wasn't included in the recall. So we paid for our fix out of pocket. Now 2 years later we are seeing the same problem. This is unacceptable on Subaru's part. Why is our vehicle excluded from the recall when it is obviously having the same problem?

NHTSA ODI 11539337

When passenger sitting in front right seat, airbag indicator says "airbag off" and warning light flashes "check airbag system". This is an intermittent problem occurring a few times over the past three months. Brought it into the Subaru dealer who recommended replacement of the seat cushion for $1425. I checked the Internet and found Subaru recall WUM-98 describing the same problem. I checked repair history and found that the dealer had performed the recall repairs in December 2020. I now suspect a faulty recall repair at that time since I now have the exact problem described in the recall notice even though there was no problem before they did repair. Subaru customer service refuses to cover the expense of a new repair.

NHTSA ODI 11530960

Passenger seat airbag is disabled even when there is a passenger present. The passenger seat occupant sensor system appears to be faulty. Check airbag system warning light comes on even if the passenger seat is occupied. The problem is persistent.

NHTSA ODI 11525565

I have continually had the SRS airbag tell me that is not registering someone in the front seat as it turns off when someone is in the front seat. This has been reported to Subaru however they refuse to do anything about it as they say because I purchased it in 2014 it isn't covered under the recall due to the fact I have the same symptoms as the recall along with the heated seats. Also my original engine had 170k miles on it in July 2021 and blew a head gasket. I have purchased another used engine and this one only had 73k miles on it when it was put in and now at 117k miles on this engine I have another blown head gasket with less than 50k miles on the second engine. Something needs to be done as I am tired of replacing the same issue. I am a first time owner of a Subaru and a 1 owner I bought it brand new with 3 miles on the Subaru Forester.

NHTSA ODI 11522351

Front passenger airbag system turned off. Doesn't recognize a passenger sitting in the seat therefore the seat belt reminder does not chime. There is a warning that does come onto the dash stating that the SRS system needed service. We have brought this vehicle to the dealership there was a tech code of B1650 occupant detection system fault.

NHTSA ODI 11517390

Unknown origin. Airbag issues started in September October 2022. 2015 Subaru Forester. Vehicle with Heated Seats similar to open recall. Warning notice display as to Airbag dysfunction. Airbag determined to not function by Dealer. But informed not within the specific airbag recall affecting other same era (2015) Foresters now under recall altho symptomatically the same issues as other Vehicles subject to recall. Quoted up to $2000 to fix the Vehicle. Subsequently, the driver side warning assistance sensors have stopped working on the Vehicle. Because the VIN # does not fit within the recall matching system, Subaru could not replace the airbag without payment. Even after offering some payment accommodation on the part, Subaru wanted $1000 or so to repair and could not give a final estimate in advance. This Vehicle has less than 40,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11515986

I was parking the car it suddenly accelerated jumped the curb and was heading towards the building entrance dore. I could not stop it. To avoid entering the building I turned the vehicle tight and it collided against the wall. The air bags inflated.

NHTSA ODI 11515233

I have the airbag sensor heated passenger seat problem and for some reason, my vin is not listed in the recall for this problem. I have had this problem for over a year and thought it was from the clock spring, a costly repair I had just done. Clock spring repair fixed my horn not working problem but not my passenger airbag not working problem. Subaru dealer cost estimate is nearly $1500 for what should be covered in the recall. I am requesting Subaru fix this problem at no charge since it is a listed problem addressed in a recall for a 2015 Forester with heated seats. Thank You.

NHTSA ODI 11507007

“Passenger airbag off” light randomly turns on and off while passenger is sitting in seat during driving.

NHTSA ODI 11501231

2015 Subaru Forester 135K miles Air bag light came on intermittently dealer replaced the front passenger seat and the problem went away . Out if warranty , but wanted to document it .

NHTSA ODI 11495859

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated he notice that the front passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated indicating that there was no one seated in the passenger’s side seat, even though there was someone seated in the front passenger’s side seat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor mat harness needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was 89,000.

NHTSA ODI 11495447

This is a known recall in 2019 with Suburu Foresters manufactured between 2015-2018 when the passenger seat has a heating feature. The recall was because the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness malfunctions over time causing the passenger to not be detected so the airbag does not deploy. My 2015 Suburu Forester which has heated seats happened to not be included in this known recall. However, my vehicle has the same malfunction as the recall. We have taken the vehicle to the dealership where they confirmed the malfunction in the ODS when running a diagnostic test. We notified Suburu’s customer service about the malfunction but they are not willing to repair this known major safety issue and are expecting us to pay out of pocket for the all parts and labor because my VIN was not included in the 2019 recall. The recall number was WUM-98R and the NHTSA ID is 19V-701. This is a major safety issue that could result in a death or severe bodily injury and it is unacceptable that my vehicle, which meets all the criteria of the recall, was no included in the recall. We should not have to pay out of pocket for a malfunction for a device that is intended for safety.

NHTSA ODI 11491116

SRS airbag light with and without passenger in front passenger seat. Brought to dealer for diagnostic and code B1650 is coming up.

NHTSA ODI 11489857

With no one sitting in the passage seat the warning light will not turn off unless the seat belt is buckled The CVT transmission is making a high pitch whining sound The dealership informed me the transmission is going out. There is a manufacturer extended warranty for up to 100,000 miles that I have not received. My car started to make the sound at 110,210 miles Subaru was fully aware of the CVT problems and are not being held accountable for the repairs. I have been quoted I’ve $7000 from the dealership for a replacement The CVT is not repairable My car is now unsafe to drive. The CVT transmission can fail and not shift or not stop while braking

NHTSA ODI 11486899

The passenger airbag light switches to ON when no one is in the seat, and switches to OFF when I have a passenger. The seat is completely stock (no back support pads or cushions or baggy clothing) and my passengers sit in the seat normally. Restarting the vehicle does not fix the issue. There is an associated recall for this specific issue, but my forester is a few months outside of the covered range. The listed fix for this is replacing the entire seat bottom, and is incredibly expensive, especially for such a crucial design flaw regarding passenger safety in the event of an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11477542

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. While the contact's wife was driving at 30 MPH, she crashed into another vehicle causing damage to the front driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's wife was injured. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that "there are many types of collision that are not necessary for the deployment of the air bag". The manufacturer used "if the vehicle hits a parked vehicle it would not deploy" as an example. The failure mileage[ was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11467842

First the sensor for the passenger seat failed and I had to keep the seat belt buckled even when no one was in the seat because the alarm would sound. Then the air bag light came on and says it is not operational. When I checked with Subaru I was told we must have spilled a drink on it. Once the airbag light came on and stayed on the seat belt alarm stopped going off. The interior seats are also frayed and I do not know if that is part of the problem??

NHTSA ODI 11452619

The SRS warning light came on, indicating that the car be taken to the dealer for inspection. The light was not on by the time the car arrived at the dealer, but they were able to find code DTC B1760, indicting that the Occupant Detection Sensor Mat on the passenger side was not working properly. This is the system used to determine whether the air bag should deploy in an accident and at what force it should deploy. After following a diagnostic tree, they suggested replacing the passenger seat bottom. I called Subaru of America on 12/13/2021 to discuss the issue before telling the dealer to proceed and after being on hold for 23 minutes I left a number for callback. I then sent an email using their online contact form. As of 12/15/2021, I have not received any response from Subaru. This was obviously a safety issue that had to be fixed immediately, regardless of cost, so I told the dealer to complete the repair while I waited to hear back from Subaru. No passenger was in the seat when the warning light came on. After doing some research , it appears that I am not the only Subaru owner with this exact issue and I even found recalls for other Subarus made the same year as my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11443895

Subaru dealership in Rockvile, MD diagnosed a defective airbags' occupant detection system (ODS) mat harness on my 2015 Subaru Forester. Recommend replacing part for $1200. Subaru America issued a recall WUM-98 (NHTSA 19V-701) on Oct 3, 2019 to adress this very issue on 2015-2018 vehicles. Dealer states my vehicle not covered by this recall... This is a very serious safety issue and I question whether Subaru has recalled a sufficient number of vehicles beyound the stated 336,282 .

NHTSA ODI 11443228

The passenger airbag light has been on and has been disabled whether there is someone in the passenger seat or not. This is due to the sensor in the passenger seat malfunctioning. Because of this malfunction, there is no access to the passenger airbag which poses a risk to the passenger in the vehicle in the event of an accident. The problem has been confirmed by Charlie's Subaru in Augusta, Maine. The airbag light came on in September 2021. It went on and off for a few weeks and has been on since.

NHTSA ODI 11443133

Front passenger seat doesn't detect passenger. Airbags off and come up with warning signs stating that they are off. "SRS airbag system needs to be checked."

NHTSA ODI 11442784

The passenger side airbag warning light goes on and off. It came on when I went for a state inspection and caused a rejection. Computer reading listed 3 possible codes for repair investigation. When I took it to a repair center, the light did not come on and stay on and was told that it should pass inspection. I took it back to the inspection station, and the previous 3 codes did not come on the computer, but a different one did suggesting it may be in the sensor in the passenger seat. (The front driver and passenger seats have independent seat heating elements--not in use at this time, but was listed in Subaru recall information for 2015-2018 Forester's.

NHTSA ODI 11429058