10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,314 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Subaru Forester seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2018 Subaru Forester Owner Comments (Page 4 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #15

Aug 312019

Forester

  • 28,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was in an accident in which a car T-boned my passenger side. No airbags deployed and we suffered injury as a result. The other car that hit us had all air bags deployed. This was a malfunction in the Subaru I drive. The accident occurred while I was in motion going 40mph and a car hit me after running a red light going 45mph

- Clifton, VA, USA

problem #14

Aug 092019

Forester

  • 40,000 miles
Airbag light comes on, passenger side airbag says 'off' on panel when person is on seat. Starlink emails me that there is an airbag issue.

- Columbia, PA, USA

problem #13

May 072018

Forester

  • 12,559 miles
Front passenger seat airbag sensor began not recognizing passengers sitting in the seat shortly after purchasing my brand new 2018 Subaru Forester. This started occuring while driving, turning off and on. After a while, it completely stopped recognizing any person sitting in the seat even after only just turning the car on. The dealership replaced it since it was in the warranty period but blamed us for it malfunctioning saying that we must have gotten the seat wet, causing the sensor to fail. We told them that we hadn't ever gotten the seat wet. One year and 3 months after we'd gotten our Forester back from the dealership after the airbag sensor repair, a passenger that sat in the seat brought to our attention the fact that the part of the seatbelt that sits to the left of the front passenger seat was loose. We took it to the same dealership again and they told us that the technician had reinstalled the seat belt incorrectly after the airbag sensor repair and that it was missing a part and that's why it was loose and not anchored properly. They were ordering the part and it would arrive within a week. When we returned a week later they informed us that they ordered the wrong part and now we'd have to wait another week for the seat belt to be anchored properly. Still waiting for the correct part to arrive for the seat belt to be anchored properly.

- Newnan, GA, USA

problem #12

Jul 252019

Forester

  • 3,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The passenger airbag system intermittently turns off even if someone is sitting in the seat. It can be while parked or during driving. There's no set cause or circumstances that trigger this.

- Warsaw, MO, USA

problem #11

Jul 022019

Forester

  • 24,300 miles
Airbag alert issued by car computer: 'airbag system needs to be checked'. passenger was in seat and buckled in. Came on when car was started and remained on for duration of drive. Intermittent. Turned off when I went back to take a photo of the message.

- Wyoming, MN, USA

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problem #10

Oct 082018

Forester

  • 12,000 miles
2018 Subaru Forester: Passenger airbag system fails & turned itself off. Happen 4-5 times in fall 2018. 10/23/2018 I took to northend Subaru service code B1650, part back ordered. 04/05/2019 passenger airbag system fails & turned itself off again. Called northend Subaru service. Part still back ordered more than 5 months. They say 60+ are awaiting parts in new england. Is Subaru reporting to you this type of safety issue" will I hear that you received my notification to you"

- Gardner, MA, USA

problem #9

Nov 272018

Forester

  • 6,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Passenger side seat sensor detects person sitting in seat and turns on the airbag when the seat is empty. Notifications turns on at car startup and will turn on while vehicle is moving. Car was bought May 31st, 2018. This behavior started on the first cold day in my area (roughly late November/early December 2018).

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #8

Jun 232018

Forester

  • 9,000 miles
My 2018 Subaru Forester is experiencing faulty activation of the passenger seat air bag light since June 2018. Vehicle was purchased new in August 2017. The dashboard reads that there is no airbag on for the passenger while someone was seated there and the car was sitting or in motion. This has happened on and off since June 2018. The light reads periodically that none of the airbags are on. After bringing it to my Subaru dealer in August 2018, I was told that a part would be ordered and that it was the passenger seat cushion that needed replaced. After waiting a month, I contacted the dealership and they stated that Subaru has to create and manufacture this seat cushion still, and they had no idea when this would be done. I have been unable to drive my Forester for almost 6 months now due to the safety issues of driving without the guarantee of airbags deploying. The dealership has no answer as to when Subaru will even start creating this new part. I am surprised it is not a recall since it is an airbag issue, and the dealership stated they had at least 7 other customers currently with the same issue. I have now been without my new vehicle and driving a loaner car from the dealer. There seems to be no end in sight as to when this issue will be fixed or even addressed by Subaru.

- Selinsgrove, PA, USA

problem #7

Jun 012018

Forester

  • 4,000 miles
The passenger seat airbag has not been working for about 9 months making it dangerous for a passenger (or not available for passenger seat occupancy). The parts have been on order for months but still not delivered. There are many of these on backorder indicating to me a significant safery problem.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #6

Jul 122018

Forester

  • 14,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. While driving at an unknown speed, the front passenger air bag indicator illuminated and flashed on and off. The vehicle was taken to prime Subaru hyannis (508-778-5066, located at 24 ridgewood ave, hyannis, MA 02601) where it was diagnosed that the seat was wet. The dealer reprogrammed the air bag indicator, but the failure recurred when a passenger occupied the front passenger seat. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor underneath the seat needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the part was back ordered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

- Nantucket, MA, USA

problem #5

Aug 192018

Forester

  • 8,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Some time in August 2018 I noticed that the air bag warning light would randomly come on indicating that the air bag on the passenger side of my new 2018 Subaru Forester was turned off even when an adult passenger was seated. I called the dealer who at first couldn't explain it. It happened again a few times, after which I notified the dealer who determined the passenger side indicator switch was likely faulty, and around October 1, 2018 they ordered a replacement part. The indicator light comes on randomly (indicating the bag is turned off) when an adult is in the seat - I have had the passenger shift positions which sometimes turns it back on; I have pulled over, turned off the engine, had passenger get out of the vehicle and get back in, turn on the engine and sometimes that turns the bag back on. Sometimes the indicator shows the bag is on (with passenger in seat) but in the middle of the drive, the bag will suddenly turn off and we have to do the "in-and-out" dance to get the bag to turn on again. At least one time, the bag turned on when no one was in the seat! these things happen sometimes when the car is still in park (but engine turned on), and sometimes when the car is in motion. Totally random. This occurs (so far) during city driving. The dealer originally said the part would probably arrive mid October, then late October, etc. I called Subaru hq and talked to them about the issue. They will "attempt to expedite" but said the part is "on back order" with eta mid November, then late November "maybe, " but they really aren't sure when they can get the part. In the mean time, I am nervous about driving with passengers in the front seat without proper protection in the event of a crash. I have been in touch a number of times with both the dealer and Subaru hq in NJ regarding this issue.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #4

Oct 252018

Forester

  • 15,130 miles
Oct. 25, 2018. Car in garage stationary/started vehicle/ dashboard red warning light of seat with belt/airbag. Turned vehicle off. 1/2 hour later, returned to car, saw headlights on, two front doors locked/didn't start car. Called dealer and took in. Said airbag problem and need passenger seat replacement-but on big backorder/months and months. No firm date. Said choice: Drive it at risk/ or take a rental. GM gave us loaner. GM said this is first one he has heard of at their dealership.

- Summerfield, FL, USA

problem #3

Aug 062018

Forester

  • miles
The Forester has an automatic system that turns off the airbags for the right side front passenger seat when no-one is sitting there or when they do not weigh enough to activate the system. Should a person need to sit on a cushion in that seat for whatever reason, the system does not think anyone is there and turns off the airbags. I know several people that need various cushions for back support or other health related reasons or because they have short torsos and feel more comfortable sitting highter. If they use their pillows or cushions, they are not protected by the airbag system. If they don't use their cushions, they are in pain. I have contacted Subaru and they say they cannot change the system. I feel this is a safety issue in that passengers will usually use their cushions to avoid pain and hope there is no accident that would need airbag protection. In my opinion, there should be an override to the airbag disable system so adults needing seat cushions can still be protected by the airbag system.

- Santa Clara, CA, USA

problem #2

May 192018

Forester

  • miles
For 2 months since May 19, 2018, the airbag warning sensor light goes on my dashboard while driving and the passenger airbag 'off' warning light also goes on ' see attached photo. This occurrence happens almost every time I drive my vehicle. I brought the vehicle to the dealer twice for repair but the problem still exists. Subaru ' starlink program has notified me with numerous emails that I should have this serious safety issue fixed as soon as possible. After not receiving any satisfaction from the dealer, I called and written twice to Subaru usa headquarters in cherry hill, NJ explaining this serious safety issue of having no active passenger airbag while driving. They stated that a part has to be ordered to repair this serious issue but it has now been 4 weeks since my initial call to headquarters with no results. I feel that they are stalling as there may not be an easy fix available. I'm extremely concern to drive the vehicle without an active passenger airbag protection for the safety of my wife if we were in an accident and there was no airbag deployment.

- Littleton, CO, USA

problem #1

Jul 052018

Forester

  • 200 miles
Takata recall passenger side airbag indicator showed a problem within first 200 miles of driving the new Forester.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

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