I weigh 115 pounds. When I sit in the front passenger seat of the 2010 subaru legacy, the airbag indicator light does not come on. When someone heavier sits in the seat, the airbag indicator light comes on. I worked with my subaru dealer, who had no remedy, so they referred me to subaru of america (800‑782‑2783). I opened case 1-25522457944. They tell me there is no available repair, and the passenger must "sit properly" in the seat. I am sitting properly. This was apparently an issue they knew about, as they corrected in in the 2011 legacies (we own one of those, too). I have no problems when I sit in the front passenger seat in the 2011 model. Subaru of america confirmed that if the indicator light is not lit, the bag will not deploy in an accident. So a person over 80 pounds sitting in the front passenger seat of a 2010 subaru legacy is not protected. It seems to me that there is a remedy, but perhaps subaru doesn't want to go there. I want the vehicle attributes I purchased to function as designed. They say it is, but if it doesn't deploy for someone who is 115, how did they design it? Is this something you can help with? We first noted this problem in 2014, took it in, subaru could find nothing wrong. This time, we pushed harder for a resolution, so we have better information. When did this first happen date will reflect the most recent date.
2010 Subaru Legacy: airbag warning light
7 of the 151 complaints about the 2010 Subaru Legacy describe airbag warning light.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- recalls
- 10
Airbag warning light by model year
What owners say
Passenger air bag light indicating air bag is off when a 5'4'' 112 pound adult female is in the seat. The indication light will sometimes flicker from off to on but mainly remains off for the duration of the drive regardless of the speed as well as when the car is in park. This incident has occurred since the purchase of the car in june 2011 and continues to occur each time my wife is in the passenger seat.
Front passenger airbag works intermittently. Purchased new 2010 legacy from hudson subaru jersey city in mar 2010. Front passenger airbag light is frequently off when I am sitting in seat (5'7" & 135lbs). Is properly activated half of the time. Tried many things to get airbag to turn on including: 1. With car running, unfastening passenger seatbelt and refastening 2. With car running, opening passenger door, exiting car and getting back in 3. Exiting car, shutting car off, restarting car and getting back in 4. With car running lifting myself up and off seat and sitting back down as hard as possible. Husband took car to hudson subaru on 11/9/10 and they recalibrated seat module and sensor. Problem persisted so he called hudson subaru on 10/12/11. Said they have received a number of calls regarding this issue, but that there is nothing they can do. Sensor is designed to activate airbag when 90lbs of pressure is applied to seat. If a smaller person is not sitting squarely in seat, sensor may not detect persons weight and airbag will not be activated. Called subaru on 10/12/11 and opened a case. Also emailed subaru on 10/20. Received email reply on 10/26 requesting I bring car to dealership and meet with a field rep. On 11/1 rep indicated weight setting is not 90lbs its closer to 112lbs. Said he met with a couple in flemington having same issue and had to replace gel bladder in seat. He asked to see car and checked to be sure seatback not reclined and then asked me to sit in car. Pointed out that backs of my thighs did not touch seat and suggested my full weight was not being detected by sensor. He kept car overnight and performed different tests, but was unable to replicate problem. He emailed me a page from owners manual which detailed how someone should sit in seat and steps an owner should take if the airbag does not activate.
Legacy 2010 gt - passenger seat airbag light off when passenger weighs 125 lb or less. Adult is a full size adult: 120 lb, 5'5", 37 years old woman.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 subaru legacy outback. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the air bag warning light would illuminate. The dealer diagnosed the failure four times and replaced the air bag sensor but the failure recurred. The dealer was unable to duplicate the recent failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 150 and the current mileage was approximately 4,000. Updated 12/6/10
Passenger airbag indicator intermittently lights but, says the passenger airbag is off most of the time when my wife or teenage daughter is in the passenger seat. I complained to walser subaru service center in minneapolis. They reported to me that they have had several complaints but, no corrective action from subaru so, they cannot fix it.
Air bag sensor / switch for front passenger seat malfunctioning. Tested and verified with both 125lb and 135lb adult female. Indicator light shows passenger air bag as off most of the time and intermittently changes to on while driving. I have had the technicians both look at and verify the problem more than once and have also recorded video showing my wife sitting normally in the seat with the airbag indicator showing "off". Subaru has continued to insist that the sensor is functioning properly and has even gone as far as claiming that my wife is sitting improperly. They have tried to "re-zero" the sensor and they claim that the system is showing proper function. I was told that there is no longer a specific weight specification for the sensor (80lbs) and that it uses fuzzy logic (multiple sources of data) to determine the switch setting. I have made 4 trips to the dealership to correct the problem including leaving my new car with them for 7 days only to have it returned in the same condition them stating that it works according to subaru's policies. They have also claimed to recreate the problem on two other 2010 models of the car bringing them to the conclusion that the sensor is functioning properly. At 125 / 135lbs, my wife is well over the 80lb threshold often used to determine if an airbag should deploy or not. It is therefore dangerous and potentially life-threatening for my wife to ride in the passenger seat of our new car.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
Recall number 20V001000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
Recall number 20V002000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
Recall number 20V003000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.
Recall number 19V007000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.
Recall number 19V008000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.
Recall number 19V009000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.
Recall number 18V012000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2010 Tribeca, Impreza, Forester, WRX, Legacy, and Outback vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-18.
Recall number 18V013000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.
Recall number 17V014000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑856‑488‑8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.
Recall number 16V358000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2010 Subaru Legacy airbag light
Is airbag warning light a common problem on the 2010 Subaru Legacy?
7 of 151 owner complaints about the 2010 Subaru Legacy (5%) mention airbag warning light. The model year with the most reports is 2009.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2010 Subaru Legacy?
There are 10 recalls and 15 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2010 Subaru Legacy
Stalling 47CVT failure 16Headlights 12Check engine light 9Adaptive cruise 6Hesitation 6Shudder 6No deployment 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2010 Subaru Legacy?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history