2016 Subaru Forester Air Bags

PASSENGER DETECTION SYSTEM TO TURN ON AIRBAG HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING. WILL TURN OFF PASSENGER AIR BAG WITH AN ADULT PRESENT IN THE SEAT, OR NOT TURN IT ON INITIALLY. NOW IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS OFF AT SOME POINT IN A DRIVING EXPERIENCE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET IT CHECKED OUT WERE MADE BUT REQUIRED TOO LONG AND NO LOANER WAS AVAILABLE. AFTER GETTING A SECOND CAR, IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED BE TESTED OCTOBER 2, 2018 AND PARTS WERE ORDERED. WHEN I TRIED TO FIND WHEN THE PART MAY COME IN AFTER ABOUT 2 WEEKS, NO INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE SYSTEM ACKNOWLEDGES THE PRESENCE OF A PASSENGER BECAUSE IT GIVES A WARNING ON THE DISPLAY THAT IT NEEDS SERVICE BUT IT LEAVES AIRBAG OFF ANYWAY. I BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG WAITING FOR PARTS FOR A SAFETY SYSTEM PROBLEM. THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE FOR SEVERAL MODEL YEARS ACCORDING TO COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA AND ON SUBARU OWNER'S FORUMS.

SRS MESSAGE AND WARNING LIGHT COMING ON. MESSAGE SRS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER I EXPLAINED THE ISSUES SHOWED THEM THREE PICTURES OF THE WARNING AND INDICATORS WHEN THE ISSUE OCCURS. WAS TOLD THAT THEIR WAS NOTHING WRONG. NO ACTIVE CODES FOUND. UNABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THE PASSENGERS SEAT IN CASE THE AIR BAG DOES NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED SUBARU HAVE NOT RESPONDED. THE WARING AND INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON WHEN SOMEONE IS SETTING IN THE PASSENGERS SEAT, WITH NO ONE IN THE SEAT AND WITH NO ONE IN THE CAR IN PARK WITH ENGINE IDLING. THE VEHICLE COULD BE MOVING OR PARKED IDLING AND THE WARNING AND INDICATOR LIGHT WILL COME ON.

KEEP GETTING MESSAGE "SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED" WHILE DRIVING. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNS OFF WHEN MESSAGE DISPLAYS. WHEN THE MESSAGE COMES UP, IT WILL STAY FOR A FEW HOURS TO A FEW DAYS. MY PASSENGER IS LEFT WITHOUT PROTECTION IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF THERE IS A CUSHION ON THE SEAT. THIS WAS NOT EXPLAINED TO ME UNTIL AFTER I COMPLAINED AND I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I SHOULD HAVE READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE OWNER'S MANUAL IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER THE CAR'S PURCHASE AND EVEN THEN I WOULD HAVE HAD TO KNOW THAT MY ARTHRITIS WAS GOING TO GET SEVERE ENOUGH TO NEED A CUSHION. THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS VERY DANGEROUS. *JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE ALSO WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE PASSENGER SITS IN THE SEAT WHILE WET. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED AN UPDATE. *JS

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS SHUTS OFF WHILE PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT WHILE DRIVING. REPORTED TO SUBARU AND WAS TOLD SEAT COVERS AND PHONE CHARGING CABLES MIGHT BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM . UPON FURTHER RESEARCH OTHERS HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OLDER SUBARU MODELS AND SUBARU WILL NOT FIX SO YOU HAVE A 50/50 CHANCE OF YOUR PASSENGER AIR BAG ENGAGING IN A ACCIDENT.

MY ACCIDENT INVOLVED HITTING A TREE HEAD-ON TRAVELING AT LEAST 10-15 MPH. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT AT LEAST 3 AIRBAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED (SIDE CURTAIN, STEERING, AND DASH FOR KNEES) PREVENTING ME FROM HITTING MY HEAD.

MY SUBARU HAS EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM SINCE JULY OF 2017. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT IN 2016, JOSEPH SUBARU IN FLORENCE, KY ON AUGUST 2, 2017. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED A SWITCH MALFUNCTION UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSURED ME THAT THE PART WOULD BE ORDERED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR. AFTER THREE WEEKS WITH NO RESPONSE, I CALLED JOSEPH SUBARU TO ASK ABOUT THE STATUS. HE ASSURED ME ME THAT THE PART HAD BEEN ORDERED ON AUGUST 2 AND THAT I COULD EXPECT THE PART TO BE AVAILABLE AFTER ONE MONTH. THE PART WAS NEVER MADE AVAILABLE. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA ON OCTOBER 2, 2017 TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT. I GOT NO RESPONSE. I CONTACTED SUBARU ELECTRONICALLY ON OCTOBER 23, 2017. I RECEIVED A CLAIM NUMBER SR #:1-27120984562. IT IS NOW DECEMBER 6, 2017 AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO REPAIR AND NO CLARIFICATION. NO ONE HAS MADE ANY EFFORT TO CORRECT THE FAULT. IT IS A HAZARD TO ME AND ANY RIDERS IN MY VEHICLE.

MY PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT GO ON AND OFF TO SIGNAL IF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED OR NOT. DEALER DIAGNOSIS IS THAT THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT IS BAD. THE REPLACEMENT PART AND LABOR IS OVER $1000 BECAUSE IT IS INTEGRATED INTO THE SEAT. I CALLED SUBARU AND THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR HALF, HOWEVER THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE SOLUTION. THE AIRBAG SYSTEM ON SUCH A NEW CAR SHOULD BE FULLY FUNCTIONING AND SUBARU SHOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH A PROBLEM AS THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT SINCE THEY MADE IT SO EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE DUE TO THE INTEGRATION INTO THE SEAT, YOU CAN'T JUST REPLACE THAT ONE SENSOR.