The passenger seat sensor intermittently turns on and off as indicated by the warning light on the dashboard and the "passenger airbag on off" light indicating it is off when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. This put the passenger at risk of serious injury if a collision would have occurred or could occur. I took my car to the dealership on January 1, 2025 where they inspected the vehicle and said that the seat sensor needed to be replace costing ~$1,700. The above warning first occurred on December 19, 2024 and then on December 26, 2024, which both occurred on a 250-mile trip. The passenger airbag wiring harness was replaced under recall in August 2020 but failed to correct the problem. Internet searches have indicated that this is a continuing safety issue, but currently there is no recall on the seat sensor.
2017 Subaru Forester airbags complaints
Page 3 of 7: complaints 41 to 70 of 167, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The WUM-98 recall fix did not address the problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. We, and many other Subaru Forester owners are continuing to experience problems post recall repair with the SRS Airbag light on, indicating error code B1760 "Occupant Detection Sensor Mat" failure. Subaru is not covering the cost of addressing this problem, and the entire seat frame and bottom cushion (that includes the sensor mat) are required to be replaced at the consumer's expense, with bills for repair in excess of $2,000. And, due to the high demand for this repair, parts are not available to perform the repair for as much as 6 months! This is jeopardizing the safety of occupants in the front passenger seat for extended periods of time while waiting for parts, whereby the airbag is not active due to the sensor mat problem. The original recall should have encompassed not only the harness cable component, but also the sensor mat.
The Occupant Detection System (ODS) has failed in this 2017 Subaru Forester. The dealership tried replacing the wiring harness under a previous recall but it did not fix the problem. The ODS does not correctly identify when a passenger is seated in the passenger seat and therefore will not properly activate the passenger airbag. I ordered a replacement seat assemby in October 2023 but to date the dealership has been unable to obtain the part, and has been unable to fix the ODS malfunction in any other way.
Passenger air bag light on dash coming on, started off dinging even with no one sitting in the passenger seat. Now the Air bag light stays on constantly. I was told by the Subaru dealership near me that they found a B1650 in the system for occupant detection malfunction. Tested the seat with a human and the scan tool and they found the sensor is not picking anything up. The mechanic told me the seat appeared to be wet, which it was not and has never had water damage. The vehicle is garage kept and has low mileage so minimal exposure. The dealership told me I would have to pay $160 for diagnostic and $1200 before tax to have the seat base replaced. I know there was a recall for the passenger air bag in the past which I did take into the same dealership who says the replaced the defective part. I feel the Subaru company should stand behind their product and correct this issue. I was told they would not guarantee the airbag would work, which is a HUGE safety issue.
Airbag warning light and blind spot failure warning lights are on and staying on.
Passenger side airbag alert for not working. Came on was repaired by dealer came on again. Dealer says part needed not currently available. Part needed is the passenger seat.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the SRS warning light illuminated when a passenger entered the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired from a previous recall with the OCS wiring harness. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a failure with the OCS Mat sensor/seat bottom which needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 107,784.
Front Passenger airbag sensor fault causing airbag to be turned off despite unit having been repaired under recall 19V‑701. Occurs approximately 50% of the time after starting car and appropriate adult weight passenger sits in front seat. Has occurred on at least 3 occasions in last week.
The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to make a left turn at an intersection, the contact observed there was a vehicle coming towards the intersection at high speeds. The contact stated that the stop light was green, however, the contact stopped the vehicle, and the vehicle coming towards the contact, depressed the brake pedal causing the vehicle to swerve and crash into the contact's vehicle on the front passenger's side at approximately 50 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle spun around about 90 degrees. The air bags did not deploy, and no warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained severe whiplash causing a concussion, crushed disc, ruptured at least 1 vertebrae, and spinal column nerve damage. The contact had been receiving medical treatment since the accident. The vehicle was towed to the tow company's storage lot. A police report was filed. The insurance company determined that the vehicle was a total loss. The other driver sustained severe burns when the air bags deployed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was in dealer mode, which did not allow warning lights to illuminate the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
For the last 2 yrs. our airbag light comes on and off saying we don't have air bags, some days it works and others it doesn't. I took the car into a Subaru dealership, and they said I had to replace the passenger seat at a cost of $1,200.00. I just saw that there is a recall about this and would like to get them to fix this issue at no cost. Subaru is supposed to be the safest car on the road, we'll I'm not feeling safe now.
My passenger airbag light goes on and off while someone is sitting in the passenger seat. I've experienced this with people of different weight in that seat. I looked it up and found a TSB related to this issue (the federal safety agency ID: 19V‑701, Number: [XXX] ) but my specific car is not covered even though it is having the same problem and is the same year, make/model. I took the car to the Subaru dealer on Monday [XXX] and they confirmed there is a faulty passenger occupant sensor but they will not cover the repair. This issue puts my wife or anyone else sitting in the passenger side at huge risk for loss of life. The light that goes on and off is just the sensor light, my error light in the dashboard does not go on even though the dealer has confirmed this issue. I am requesting that you recall all cars with my year/make/model since this issue is life threatening. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after driving into a parking space in a parking lot with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle jolted and veered to the right. The passenger's side of the vehicle hit the driver's side of another occupied vehicle. The other vehicle was scratched and there was no injury sustained. The contact stated she then reversed out of the parking space, and the vehicle made an abnormal growling sound. The vehicle then accelerated unintendedly while reversing. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she depressed the brake pedal continuously but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle accelerated increasingly. The contact swerved and hit another unoccupied vehicle; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate unintendedly. The contact stated that she then attempted to drive into a tree to stop the vehicle, but a high curb caused the contact to miss the tree, and the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied vehicle that was parked behind the tree. The vehicle then stopped. The unoccupied vehicle then hit another vehicle, which caused a train of reaction that involved 6 unoccupied vehicles. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that an unknown rear tire blew out, and the vehicle was severely damaged. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance company then towed the vehicle to another lot, where it was totaled. There was no police report filed. The contact sustained pain in the right SI joint and on the right leg. The contact stated that the incident might have intensified her pre-existing neck injury. The contact also sustained mental and emotional trauma. The contact received medical assistance and was undergoing physical therapy. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
In November 2023 I noticed a warning light indicating an issue with the passenger side airbag. Additionally I noticed that even when a passenger was sitting in that seat, the status light still displayed 'airbag off'. I took the car to a Subaru dealer who told me the sensor was bad and the whole seat assembly would need to be replaced. After waiting 2 1/2 months I was told by the dealer that they could not locate a part anywhere in the U.S., and they had no timetable for completing the repair. I was encouraged to contact Subaru Customer Service for help. I've done so, but have received no satisfaction. I've since learned that this exact same defect was part of an earlier recall of my vehicle (I bought the car used; see attached). As of now, I have a car with a defective airbag with no prospect of resolution from the dealer or manufacturer.
I was in an accident hit from left driver side and no deployment of airbags
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag sensor showed that there was no passenger in the seat. The contact stated on other occasions while there was a passenger seated in the seat, the occupant detection system failed to detect a passenger seated in the seat. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but recurred several times. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s air bag sensor needed to be replaced; however, the contact was advised that the sensors were on a national backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and advised the contact that the sensors were on backorder. The contact was recently advised that he would have to take the vehicle back and return the loaner vehicle to the dealer. The contact was advised by the dealer not to have a passenger sit in the front passenger’s seat until the air bag sensor was replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
My passenger airbag light has been on for several months now. And another warning light comes on frequently, telling me to check the SRS airbag system. The first time I mentioned it at the Subaru dealership, they told me there was nothing wrong with it. But I took it in for an oil change, and had them check it again. Because I feel like my passenger is in danger, with the airbag off. This time, they told me I need a new lower seat on the passenger side, that the sensor inside the airbag is faulty. And it will cost almost a thousand dollars fix it. And it would come out of my own pocket. I found out this is a known issue with Subaru, and I don't understand why they don''t have a recall on this. My Subaru service department told me he'd replaced 4 in the last two weeks. That's a lot!
Passenger air bag warning light on dash does not turn off. Other warning light says air bagis off.
I noticed that the airbag light was continuously illuminated on the dashboard of my Subaru Forester. I promptly took my vehicle to a certified Subaru dealership to have the issue diagnosed and resolved. After a thorough inspection, it was determined that the passenger seat bottom occupant seat mat required replacement to rectify the problem. Otherwise, my airbags would not inflate in the event that I would need them. I would like to emphasize that I have always maintained my vehicle in excellent condition and followed all recommended maintenance procedures. I have never exposed the seat to moisture or allowed any foreign objects to be shoved under it. Furthermore, I am the primary driver of the vehicle and rarely have passengers, which makes it highly unlikely for any undue stress or wear to be placed on the seat mat. Considering the circumstances, it is evident that this issue is a result of a manufacturing defect or premature failure, rather than any negligence or misuse on my part. I find it disconcerting that a critical safety component such as the airbag system would fail within a relatively short period of time and with minimal use. There was a significant repair cost as well.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); however, the failure recurred with the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger’s Occupant Detection System (ODS) and seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the vehicle was out of warranty and offered a credit of $800 toward the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags), the passenger’s side air bags experienced intermittent functionality failure. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the front passenger’s side seat needed to be replaced; however, the parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags); however, the contact stated that intermittently, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred more frequently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor mat harness needed to be replaced again. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
I have a problem with the recall issue that the service dealership said they completed but now its showing alert and it seems to be wasn't fixed good. Please help because I dont understand why it would have been completed when its an problem now. If anything happens to me when Im driving an the airbag dosent come out, its you guys fault because its not fixed good. I been calling Subaru Hawaii and letting them know this but they dont want to fix the recall now because its was done but still broken? I dont understand. The car services I have been going to and I been paying them but they dont seem to do a good work to fix it or completed it. They had so much mistakes on my car and I am so upset. I wish I never had this car. Please help me!
2017 Subaru Forester. Air bag sensor light for the occupant occasionally flashes on and off. We brought it to the dealer and was told the sensor was defective and would not deploy if an accident occurred. The Subaru service tech informed us that the air bags would not deploy in case of an accident. The car only has 55,500 miles. It is garaged and has had no front end problems or accidents. This is a safety hazard that could cause a death if the sensor is not working properly and the vehicle was in an accident.
My vehicle had the WUM98 Safety recall completed on March 09, 2020. In July 2022, the SRS system started giving error messages that the system needed to be checked. It seemed to reset when the vehicle was turned off and restarted. When it happened for the 3rd time in 3 weeks, I took it in to the Subaru Dealership where they found this: B1650 Perform Diag TSB#07-108-16R. They claimed that the seat must have gotten wet to create this error code, but it seems to me to be the same problem as was reported in the :NUMBER: WUM-98R the federal safety agency ID: 19V‑701 DATE: 10/14/19 REVISED: 12/13/19 documents that I found on the NHSTA site. I think the same issue is in this newer harness that was in the older one. On August 16,2022, we picked up the vehicle from its other repairs (60,000 mile service and AC condenser replacement). The dealer had just reset the B1650 code. We drove less than 50 miles before the “SRS airbag system needs to be checked” error message came back on. It only seems to come on at certain times when the passenger is over 190lbs. In addition, every once in a while the passenger seatbelt alarm goes off with no one in the seat. The only way to get it to stop is to engage the seatbelt. The Subaru dealer wants to replace the seat cushion with the harness and the ODS mat for a total of $1600.00. I believe that this was one of the options to do in 2020, but they opted for only replacing the cable, not the full sensor and seat.
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger's side front seat and air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
The passenger seat air bag sensor failed. The seat cushion/ airbag sensor assembly was replaced under a recall at 43,000 miles. It was replaced with an identical assembly which has now failed at 113,000 miles. Subaru says they will not cover the cost ($1,150) of this 2nd replacement because the car is now out of warranty. I argued that the 1st part was defective and was replaced with an identical defective part. They (the Subaru customer advocate office) said the car was out of warranty so they were not responsible. The subaru tech who checked it said the seat may have been damaged by a spill since there were stains on the seat, tho he did note that the cushion was dry. It has worked correctly since he examined it. I think it is obvious that Subaru had a new design for this sensor and introduced it on the new model 2017 forester. The problem was limited to the Forester. I feel that they made a mistake on a vital piece of safety equipment and should own that mistake for the life of the car. Since I intend to keep this car for another 200,000 miles, and the part lasts an average of 56,000 miles, it will need to be replaced another 3 or 4 times and I do not feel that I should pay for Subaru's mistake. If the other 320,000 foresters that were recalled have the same part failure that I have and subaru charges them $1,150 each then subaru will be taking $368 million from their customers to pay for an engineering mistake. And then again. And again.
My SRS airbag light came on and said it needed to be inspected. Notably, this issue is similar to a prior recall of this vehicle that I had repaired. The Subaru dealership indicated that the bottom of the seat needed replaced and that the airbag may not function properly until this is fixed; however, they also noted that the part won't be in stick until October/November. This seems like a huge safety issue to not have the part and there is potential that the airbags won't work.
This is for a 2017 Subaru Forester. The passenger airbag sensor in the seat keeps turning off the airbag when a passenger is in the seat. The problem is intermittent. The dealer couldn't replicate the problem and it wasn't repaired. I believe this car had a recall about this, but the problem keeps happening. This car has had the issue dozens of times and the problem needs to be investigated. There are many, many complaints about this issue.
2017 Subaru Forester - Passenger airbag seat sensor intermittent failure. Does not detect passenger when seated and thus does not arm airbag while in motion. Safety of driver, passenger, and other drivers at risk due to product failure. Problem has been confirmed by local Subaru dealer and Subaru of America, but part is back ordered with no timetable for fulfillment. Multiple owners facing same issue, should be investigated for a full product recall.
Issue with passenger air bag. Issue was caught and detected by dealership as ods sensor error. Further research revealed recall in vehicles of the same year, make, and model as vehicle in question for that part. Dealership and corporate offices deny relation of problems with recall, claim no such recall exists for the vehicle.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2017 Subaru Forester?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history