What 577 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester

SUBARU FORESTER 2017, BOUGHT NEW. THE DASHBOARD MONITOR INFORMATION SIGNAL READ THERE WAS NO AIRBAG ON FOR THE PASSENGER WHILE ONE WAS SEATED THERE AND THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THIS HAD OCCURRED EARLIER IN JUNE WHEN I WAS DRIVING FROM PA TO CA BUT NO PASSENGER WAS SEATED THERE. I ASSUMED IT WAS JUST AN ODDITY - AND IT DID NOT OCCUR REGULARLY. JULY 16 (2018) I TOOK IT FOR REPAIR WHICH SUBARU DETERMINED WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THEY EXPECTED THE PART IN LATE JULY, THEN LATE AUGUST OR EARLY SEPTEMBER, ON SEPTEMBER 11 I CALLED AND ASKED MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO LEARN THAT NO AIRBAGS WOULD WORK WHILE DRIVING THAT CAR, AND THEY AGREED ON SEPTEMBER 12 TO LOAN ME A CAR WHILE I WAITED FOR THE PART AND REPAIR. IT IS NOW NOVEMBER 29 AND THE PART AND REPAIR HAVE NOT OCCURRED. SUBARU NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN BARELY DO MORE THAN SAY "SORRY" AND GAVE ME A REPAIR DATE OF DECEMBER 4, WHICH AS OF NOVEMBER 26 WAS MOVED TO "SOME TIME IN DECEMBER". FIRST: THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT I WAS NOT FULLY INFORMED OF: WITH THIS PROBLEM THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT ACTIVATE. SECOND: I HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY ASSURED OF THE PART'S ARRIVAL AND REPAIR BUT IT CONTINUES TO BE DELAYED AS IF SAFETY IS NOT A PRIORITY AT SUBARU. I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH A COMMENT MADE BY SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON THAT THERE MAY BE OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. FOR THE SAFETY OF US ALL, I THINK THIS SITUATION DESERVES INVESTIGATION.

NHTSA ODI 11154746

29 JUNE WIFE AND I ARE ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING WHEN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT GOES TO OFF AND THE FAULT CODE APPEARS ON THE HEADS UP DISPLAY TELL US TO TAKE INTO SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. WELL WE CAR OFF AND WE DON'T HEAR ANYTHING BACK FOR A FEW DAYS. WE CALLED THEM BACK ON THE 5TH OF JULY BECAUSE OF THE HOLLIDAY. THEY TOLD MY WIFE ON THE PHONE THEY WERE GOING TO REPLACE SEAT CUSHION BECAUSE THAT SEEMED TO BE THE ISSUE. FAST FORWARD TO 9 JULY MY WIFE RECIEVES A CALL TELLING HER THE CAR IS READY FOR PICKUP. MY WIFE ASKS WHAT DID YOU END UP DOING TO THE VEHICLE? HE SAID WE FUNCTIONAL TESTED THE SEAT IT'S GOOD TO GO. SO I CALL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND SPEAK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. I SAID SO LET ME GET THIS STAIGHT YOU HAD OUR CAR FOR 10 DAYS AND YOU DID A TEST AND HAND MY WIFE BACK THE KEYS? WHERE IS THE NEW SEAT CUSHION? HE SAID TO ME SIR I WANT TO HELP YOU BUT CORPORATE WON'T RELEASE THE PARTS THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO DO THE FUNCTIONAL CHECK AND IF IT PASSED THEY WOULD NOT RELEASE THE PARTS. SO I ASK WHAT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN WHAT THEN? WELL SIR WE WOULD NEED TO SUBMIT THE SERVICE HISTORY PROBLEM WITH THE NEXT REQUEST TO ESCALATE THE ISSUE. SO I CALL THE WIFE TELL HER TO GO PICK UP THE CAR BUT ASK THE SERVICE MANAGER TO TAKE A LITTLE RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TO ENSURE IT WORKS.... SO MY WIFE STARTS THE CAR THEN GOES AT SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. BOOM AIR BAG FAULT LIGHT COME ON IMMEDIATELY WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER STANDING THERE. SERVICE MANAGER TURNS RED. MY WIFE'S SMILES AND SAYS I CAN'T TAKE THIS CAR HOME IT'S NOT SAFE. SO THEY KEEP THE CAR TO TRY AND ORDER THE SEAT CUSHION AGAIN. THE SERVICE MAANGER CALL ME BACK TO (10 JULY) TO LET ME KNOW THEY HACK ESCALATED THE PROBLEM TO SUBARU CORPORATE AND THE CUSHION IS NOW ON ORDER. HOWEVER TURNS OUT 73 CUSHOINS ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR PRETTY MUCH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS MAY REQUIRE A RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11110572

FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, EITHER ON START UP OR WHILE DRIVING, STAYS ON FOR HOURS OR DAYS AT A TIME, UNRELATED TO WHETHER THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED OR NOT. WHEN IT IS ON, PASSENGER SEAT BELT LIGHT INDICATES IT IS NOT FASTENED EVEN IF IT IS. THE SEAT HAS NEVER HAD SPILLS, RAIN OR OTHERWISE WET. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS. SUBARU DEALER STATES PAST ERROR CODE B1760 WHICH THEY RESET AND SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT FIND AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM. DEALER ADMITS THAT WHEN WARNING LIGHT IS ON, THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. THIS IS SO UNSAFE I HESITATE TO TRANSPORT ANY FRONT PASSENGERS. IT IS A LARGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS BEING IGNORED! CAN YOU DO ANYTHING?

NHTSA ODI 11110111

TAKATA RECALL I AM A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR AND IN THE HEALTH FIELD FOR VERY LONG TIME. SUBARU ALONG WITH OTHER CAR COMPANIES ARE USING THE NEW MANDATED FORWARD -HEAD REST . IT SHOULD MANDATED THAT THE HEAD REST ALSO COME WITH 2 OR 3 (FORWARD AND BACK ADJUSTMENT OPTIONS) ALL YOU CAN DO IS MOVE UP OR DOWN. I AM TINY. I HAVE TO SIT CLOSE TO THE WHEEL--AND THIS HEADREST JUTS ME FORWARD AND HAS CAUSED ME HORRIBLE NECK PAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. I AM 39 YEARS OLD. I KNOW THIS WAS TESTED ON DUMMIES AND IT FOR PREVENTION OF WHIPLASH-- BUT CAN CAR COMPANIES --MAKE THEM ADJUSTABLE??????????? FORWARD AND BACK ??????? NOT JUST UP AND DOWN. FORWARD HEAD POSTURE IS ALSO LEADING TO HORRIBLE POSTURE PROBLEMS, ARTHRITIS, NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES FROM THE SPINAL CORD BEING SQUEEZED FROM FORWARD HEAD WHICH IS ALREADY HAPPENING FROM TEXTING AND COMPUTER USE... I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS GOT PASSED ? I HAVE TO PLAY IN SO MANY WAYS AND TURN THE HEADREST BACKWARDS AND HAVE TRIED TO USE THE BACK SEAT HEADREST .... NHTSA...MAY READ THIS AND GO----WHIPLASH ETC.. BUT THIS IS SO UPSETTING AND DISTRESSING ---FOR ME TO DRIVE WITH....MY NECK IS IN TERRIBLE SPASM ... CHANGE HEAD REST SETTINGS

NHTSA ODI 11004921

DRIVER'S SUBARU WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A BOX TRUCK WHILE STATIONARY ON A HIGHWAY (DRIVER HAD STOPPED JUST SHORT OF A MULTI-CAR COLLISION BUT THE BOX TRUCK BEHIND HER WAS UNABLE TO STOP); BOX TRUCK PUSHED THE SUBARU INTO THE CAR IN FRONT. DRIVER'S SEATBELT WAS ON, BUT DRIVER'S CHEST STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND HER HEAD POSSIBLY HIT THE SIDE WINDOW. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEATBELT DID NOT STOP DRIVER FROM STRIKING STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, THE EMPTY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ROCKETED FORWARD ON ITS RAILS ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT, AND AT LEAST THREE HINGES FLEW OFF THE PASSENGER SEAT RAIL MECHANISM.

NHTSA ODI 10986045

I HAVE CAUGHT THE BACK OF MY RIGHT SHOE 4 TIMES( SINCE BUYING THE CAR IN AUGUST) WHEN GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. IT CATCHES ON THE HARD PLASTIC ON THE FRONT LEFT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE FIRST THREE TIMES I WAS EXITING THE CAR IN TOWN AND COULD HAVE FALLEN INTO PASSING TRAFFIC HAD I NOT BEEN HOLDING ONTO THE DOOR. THE LAST TIME MY SISTER WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME AND CAUGHT ME. I HAVE TRIED TO LOCATE SEAT COVERS TO COVER THE PIECE OF HARD PLASTIC WITH NO LUCK. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE DESIGN CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.

NHTSA ODI 10947614