The passenger side seat airbag sensor has quit sensing when someone is seating in the seat and turns off the airbag. After taking it in to the dealership and them running diagnostics they said, -??it isnt working.-?? They quoted me a repair of $1182 to replace the whole seat. I know Subaru has issued a recall on certain models, but my car was not one of them. It seems like the same problem though. There appears to be a lot of people having the same faulty sensor system and having to pay high repair costs that only the dealership can do.

- Champaign, IL, USA

I have a 2014 Subaru Forester and I am having the exact same problem described in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000. The dealership wants to charge $1250 dollars to replace the seat bottom for a part that is recalled for all Subaru Foresters from 2015-2018. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) is causing the airbag sensor to remain in the OFF position even when there is a passenger in the car. This is unsafe! When I contacted corporate they were unwilling to pay for replacing the part. My only recourse is to hope that the recall is expanded to include the 2014 Subaru Foresters.

- Powhatan, VA, USA

Last week I had an issue when no one was in the passenger seat but the seatbelt chiming continued to go off. This happened even after turning off and restarting the car. The issue seemed to be resolved until I noticed the passenger airbag was off when I was driving my mom. Then a warning, "SRS airbag system needs to be checked", came on and has not turned off. I see a recall for 2015-2018 Foresters, but none with my VIN number. Of course, I've searched online and it seems to be a problem with others. I know moisture could be an issue, but I don't remember spilling anything recently. I wanted to report this in case another recall should be made.

- Columbia, SC, USA

Occupant detection system (ods) malfunctioning. Passenger airbag is off when an adult is seated in the front passenger seat. Sometimes the passenger airbag is on while there is no one (and nothing) on the seat, causing the seat belt warning chime to occur until seat belt is buckled. Supplemental restraint system (SRS) light appears on dashboard and shuts down airbag system while driving. These things occur somewhat randomly when starting the car, continue while driving in the city and highway, and don't go away until the car is turned off. Sometimes restarting the car will correct the problem. I brought my Forester to the dealership back in 2017 and they reported that the sensors of the ods system were not working properly and will need to be replaces. Cost estimate is about $1,100. They said the likely cause is moisture or the seat got wet. I live in a dry climate area and have not gotten the seats wet at all recently (and barely ever in the past). Through research, I have found a very similar problem has occurred in the 2015-2018 models and there is a recall (wum-98) for those years. My Forester is a 2014 and is of the same generation but isn't included in the recall for some reason. Is it possible that the 2014 model should also be included if the same problem is happening? appreciate any help and insight you can offer!

- Northbrook, IL, USA

Occupant detection system (ods) malfunctioning. Passenger airbag is off when an adult is seated in the front passenger seat. Sometimes the passenger airbag is on while there is no one (and nothing) on the seat, causing the seat belt warning chime to occur until seat belt is buckled. Supplemental restraint system (SRS) light appears on dashboard and shuts down airbag system while driving. These things occur somewhat randomly when starting the car, continue while driving in the city and highway, and don't go away until the car is turned off. Sometimes restarting the car will correct the problem. I brought my Forester to the dealership today (1/26/2021) and they reported that the sensors of the ods system were not working properly and will need to be replaces. Cost estimate is about $1,100 and I have to wait until the part gets shipped in. They said the likely cause is moisture or the seat got wet. I live in a dry climate area and have not gotten the seats wet at all recently (and barely ever in the past). Through research, I have found a very similar problem has occurred in the 2015-2018 models and there is a recall (wum-98) for those years. My Forester is a 2014 and is of the same generation but isn't included in the recall for some reason. Is it possible that the 2014 model should also be included if the same problem is happening? appreciate any help and insight you can offer!

- Wheat Ridge, CO, USA

Airbag warning light is lit on the main cluster behind the steering wheel and also on the center display. I believe the system is faulty and I'm seeing an overwhelming number of similar complaints online. I'm worried the airbags will not deploy in an accident. My car has never been in an accident, I have never spilled fluids on the seats which seems to be a common phrase coming from mechanics at Subaru service centers. Subaru should be responsible for their safety systems. They should diagnose and fix this safety problem. This is not a part that that experiences wear and tear like brake pads. If it was, I'd happily pay out of pocket to replace. I don't want to wait and see if airbags go off in an accident. Subaru has already issued a recall for 2015-2018 models. This tells me they have problems with their airbag systems and neglected to address issues on 2014 models.

- Richmond, CA, USA

When I bought the car in 2016 the drivers seat cover had cracks in the bottom left seat cushion cover. The left bottom seat cover was replaced. Now 4 years later the same area on the replacement seat cover is cracking. In addition the passenger side seat cover is cracking on the right side seat cushion cover.

- San Mateo, CA, USA

Passenger occupancy sensor faulty. With an adult passenger present in the seat, the passenger airbag system will frequently turn off while the vehicle is in motion. This can sometimes be resolved by pulling over and restarting the vehicle. Restarting the vehicle does nor reliably resolve the error.

- San Leandro, CA, USA

Front passenger seat air bag sensor, front passenger seat occupancy sensor, front passenger seat airbag computer, red air bag warning light, yellow passenger airbag "on/off" light, seat belt warning and chime. Air bag disabled warning intermittently comes on when passenger seat is occupied, seat belt fastened, car out of gear, stationary. Sometimes stopping engine, key off and removed, then engine restarted will reset this warning. Other times during normal driving, passenger seat occupied, seat belt latched, air bag warning (red) light will occurs and yellow pass airbag active light will indicate passenger air bag inactive. When front pass seat empty or with weight as light as 2 pounds on the seat, seat belt warning light and chime comes on when speed exceeds 5 mph. Sometimes this alarm can be reset by sharply striking seat, sometimes not, and trip must be completed with the seat belt buckled. In this case the passenger airbag light usually shows inactive. The seat belt issue has been happening for about 2 years, getting more frequent. The airbag issue has been happening during the last two months, starting just after the stop light switch recall maintenance was performed at Subaru dealer in las vegas, nv.

- Laughlin, NV, USA

2014 Subaru Forester. The SRS airbag light has come on. I took the vehicle to the local Subaru dealership and they claim the cause is a sensor within the passenger seat being broken. This is a safety concern and should be reviewed.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

My vehicle has a problem with the airbag system. I was first alerted by my cars warning system, which states 'SRS airbag system needs to be checked' and gives me a red warning symbol of the airbag being inflated. Secondly it shows my passenger airbag is off even when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This warning did not come on due to a collision as my vehicle has never been in a collision or involved in an accident otherwise. It simply appeared seemingly out of nowhere for no reason at all. I have taken my vehicle in several times to different Subaru dealerships to ask what the problem is. I was first told there was no problem with the system that perhaps it was just a malfunction in the sensor. Then the other dealerships told me that there was an issue with the passenger seat sensor, but that they are unable to confirm if this is the source of the problem causing the airbag light to come on and the passenger airbag to be turned off. They said I would need to replace the entire passenger seat, but they were unsure if this would fix the issue. I took it to an independent machanic and they also were unable to verify the source of the problem and referred me back to the Subaru dealership. I contacted Subaru of America about the issue and I never received any communication from them, although they promised to get back to me about the issue. I just know there is nothing I could have done to make this problem appear. I believe this is a manufacturer issue, just based on the fact that Subaru could not identify what the problem is or it's cause. So far I just have been told the passenger seat sensor is somehow defective and that it is not covered under any warranty.

- Camas, WA, USA

2014 sabaru Forester. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle seat head rest, seat belt and rear view visibility issues. The consumer stated there was limited rear view visibility with two large blind spots due to a 64 square inch head rest. Also, the seat belt angled from the roof diagonally, therefore limiting rear view vision. The center head rest was only two inches high, rather than the lateral head rest being eight inches high.

- Champaign, IL, USA

I was driving my 6 month old 2014 Subaru Forester at about 50 mph at night and my driver's seat began reclining. I almost lost control of the car and had an accident because the mechanism to stop it was not working. It happened three more times after that occurrence. Also, the power lift gate was inoperable. I had to crawl into the back cargo area to try to open the rear lift gate. It would not open, even from the inside. It was reinitialized several times by kingery rye Subaru in rye, NY and they failed to correct the problem. Eventually they replaced the part but the operation of lift gate remains unpredictable. I need to be able to use the power lift gate at all times to put a wheelchair in the back. I was informed by Subaru of America (in writing) that some of the electrical problems that are occurring are because kingery rye Subaru installed an after market remote starter into my car without my knowledge or approval. I have written documentation from Subaru of America stating the dealers must install Subaru parts. I paid a lot of money for a Subaru remote starter. Rye Subaru put a cheap after market starter into my car. That is fraud. My car is starting randomly and without a key in the ignition. A co-worker came into work and told me my car was locked and running in the parking lot. Recently I closed the lift gate, using the button on the lift gate and the car started itself as I was walking away from it. The car has started on its own many times. There are multiple dangerous electrical problems that are putting myself and my family's lives at risk. The side driver's and passenger's windows fog up when the heat is turned on. The de-fogger does not remedy the problem at all. I am unable to see anything out the side windows which poses a big safety issue especially during the winter. I bought the car because it had a high safety rating. This car is not safe.

- Valley Cottage, NY, USA