I noticed the airbag light on the dash display come on a few months ago, I shut the motor off and restarted it, the light was off.the light reappeared a week ago and I tried the same shutdown procedure,it worked only a short time. I called the dealer regarding this problem, they wanted me to bring the car in for a diagnostic, that would cost a $100 + ? I told them that I should not have to pay for something that was a defect in a safety system,they informed me that the airbag system will not function as long as the light is on.I have researched this problem online and it seems to be somewhat common, especially with the 2008. There appears to be two solutions, you can replace the overhead console or you can re-solder the connections. The dealer wanted $153 for the unit. I asked the dealer if there was a recall issued for such a potentially dangerous problem, they said no recall as of yet. I have sent a complaint to the NHTSA regarding this defect. I will have a friend that works on electronics re-solder my unit.
Everything written the the forum is correct. The airbag light goes on intermittently in the winter stays on permanently. The cost to fix is $400 and the closest place to get it fixed is over an hour away which is not ideal for work. This is a safety issue and a recall is necessary by Subaru.
The dealer wanted $262 for the part. I searched on the web and someone had posted how to fix it myself--fairly easy. Now, I am trying to find a used part.
The problem is that I live in VA and cannot get my car inspected with the air bag light on.
Update from Jun 8, 2013: I found the part (Code 26) for $75 at a junkyard and put it in myself in the overhead console. Someone was kind enough to post detailed information on the web on how to install the part.
Without fixing problem, air bag will not deploy. Subaru Service Dept was great but I don't think this should happen on a 48 month old car and certainly not at a cost of $387.63. Wondering if anyone else has run into this problem.
- G M.,
Lake Jackson, TX, US
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I noticed the airbag light on the dash display come on a few months ago, I shut the motor off and restarted it, the light was off.the light reappeared a week ago and I tried the same shutdown procedure,it worked only a short time. I called the dealer regarding this problem, they wanted me to bring the car in for a diagnostic, that would cost a $100 + ? I told them that I should not have to pay for something that was a defect in a safety system,they informed me that the airbag system will not function as long as the light is on.I have researched this problem online and it seems to be somewhat common, especially with the 2008. There appears to be two solutions, you can replace the overhead console or you can re-solder the connections. The dealer wanted $153 for the unit. I asked the dealer if there was a recall issued for such a potentially dangerous problem, they said no recall as of yet. I have sent a complaint to the NHTSA regarding this defect. I will have a friend that works on electronics re-solder my unit.
- Michael J., Victor, CO, US