My car horn stopped working. The dealership said the clock spring (steering roll connector) component has failed, confirmed by the resulting complete loss of the horn function. The dealership did not communicate the fact that my drivers airbag would not function properly in an accident. I couldn’t afford the repair at the time, putting my life in danger should an accident occur. Returning to the dealer they still state it is not a covered item, and I need to pay to repair the part so my horn and airbag functions as intended.
2015 Subaru Outback airbags problems
14 complaints (3% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 43,000. 7 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 14
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 43,000
- crashes
- 7
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Frontal: driver clockspring/spiral cassette1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Subaru Outback airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 Subaru Outback airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
What 2015 Subaru Outback owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The clock spring (steering roll connector) component has failed, confirmed by the resulting complete loss of the horn function. SAFETY HAZARD: The component failure has resulted in the loss of the electrical connection to the Driver's Airbag System, rendering the primary airbag inoperable. This creates an unreasonable, life-threatening risk in the event of a collision. The problem has been diagnosed based on common failure patterns for this vehicle platform and confirmed via manufacturer correspondence. The problem first occurred on or about [Input Approximate Date] with the simultaneous failure of the horn and subsequent inoperability of the driver's airbag. The manufacturer, Subaru of America (SOA Case #251013-1700910), was contacted and acknowledged the concern but refused to cover the repair under a Goodwill Adjustment, citing an expired warranty, despite the component's direct link to the critical airbag safety system
My HORN only works if car is stopped steering wheel turned to the left. Subaru Dealer says it’s in the steering column mechanism that affects airbag and cruise control also. Says it will cost over $600 to repair. If it preventsthe airbag working, wouldn’t it be a car defect and considered dangerous?
There's a problem in a part called (clock spring/roll connector) that is responsible for the horn on steering wheel. It affects almost all Subaru models, like Outback, Forester, Legacy... I've verified it in a mechanic shop, and after all the tests of fuses, horn, and everything. They say the problem is the clock spring, a part that goes after the air bag and costs around $130 plus service ($150 minimum) to change. Then I research on internet and found out it's a very common problem with a lot of videos on YouTube of people having the same issue and a lot of comments there of more people complaining about it that it should have a recall cause it's a security part. I couldn't use my horn when another driver almost hit me, that's how I figured out that my horn died. Those are just some of the videos with this related problem. There's a lot more on YouTube and a lot of posts on Internet forums as well: https://youtu.be/E73ao9zRCUM https://youtu.be/vDxvafmQ6Qg https://youtu.be/plbtVX2WZWw https://youtu.be/YIwl5AmhfQ0 https://youtu.be/ZR5Qq3zufRc
Entering a residential garage to park; experienced sudden acceleration while braking. Vehicle went through drywall/wall about 2 feet. Placed vehicle in park to stop vehicle. No airbags went off. Driving vehicle to repair shop later; experienced same rapid unexpected acceleration with different driver. No issue with floor mats. OEM mats. Service center cannot provide any insight or reproduction of event.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at 20 mph, the brakes would not engage as the brake pedal was depressed. As a result, the vehicle rear-ended a parked vehicle on the side of the road. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. Three of the passengers in the vehicle sustained head and neck injuries that required medical treatment. The vehicle was drivable and was taken to a local dealer where it has been for 5 months. The vehicle was diagnosed with nothing needing to be replaced. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer to have the engineers look at the vehicle. The failure mileage was 56,000.
We built and bought a brand new 2015 subaru outback and we have experienced: - a constant sudden loss of eyesight system while cruising or sometimes just driving with no cruise control on. -gas release lever freezes up and we have to forcefully use a flat screwdriver to unlock the gas lid door. -pre collision warning brake system does not respond properly: we got so many close calls. - on march, 2020 ; the stability control system was not working properly on snowy/icy conditions : the car sled off and almost hit a guard rail, soon after that ; the steering wheel got too loose /wobbly and had a big gap while steering( almost no control over our car. We brought it to the dealership right away and the recalibrated, balanced and aligned the car for corrections. -last wednesday, on april,14,2021: my wife was driving one block away from home, at the traffic light intersection, while the traffic light was green and she was trying to make a right turn to go home; her steering wheel got frozen on her when she was turning and by the time she tried to figure out how to react and control the car, her car already crashed into the pick up truck that was waiting on the other side of the intersection waiting for the light to change into green. The whole front of our subaru was crashed but no pre collision brakes, air bags were deployed at all.luckily, nobody got hurt on both sides. The firefighters, the sheriff , the trooper and the tow truck driver who used to be a cop were all flabbergasted of what they saw. We called subaru of america and opened a case, my car is scheduled for inspection at a subaru dealership on may 6th, 2021.will see what happens next.they seem willing to address the problem and take responsibility for the damages. We found out that most of those issues were on recall but we never got a recall notification about them from subaru of america at all.thank you consumer stated dealer found nothing wrong with the car so consumer filed a complaint with federal trade commission and was given a case number [xxx].
Unexpected acceleration after parking, jump curb into tree, causing $7,000 in damage. Air bags did not deploy, both myself and passenger hit knees on dash, even with our seat belts still on. Had other computer issues earlier that day, back up sensors didn't work while backing car right behind mine. Car has now been at subaru for a month, waiting for engineers results after their inspection 2/14/2018
Tl* the contact owned a 2015 subaru outback. While driving approximately 28 MPH, the contact fell sleep and struck a guardrail head on. The front air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The insurance company towed the vehicle to their lot and declared it destroyed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 1-286-495891121. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
This concerns a 2015 subaru outback limited 6 cylinder. At approx 21,000 mi I was slowing to speed to park in a public parking space on a city street and the outback sudden acceleration. The outback hit a city metal post/sign, jumped the curb and collided with a building and damaging a store front with great force. The airbags did not deploy and the automatic collision prevention failed to work. Once before the car had an acceleration surge while driving a public city street at low speed but did not hit anything. Prior to the accident I've also experienced slight hesitation in acceleration when I first accelerate from a stationary position and probably unrelated, the gear shift often gets stuck in park and I have to use force the gear shift to reverse. Having trouble with turning neck from side to side and need to see doctor for evaluation so, not sure if this is considered injury?
Questions about the 2015 Subaru Outback airbags
Does the 2015 Subaru Outback have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the airbags of the 2015 Subaru Outback, 3% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2015 Subaru Outback airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 43,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Subaru Outback airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Subaru Outback have bad airbags?
The Subaru Outback model years with the most airbags complaints are 2008 (104 complaints), 2011 (73 complaints) and 2007 (47 complaints).
Other 2015 Subaru Outback problems
Visibility 143Electrical 127Engine 50Transmission 37Body 33Brakes 28Acceleration 26Fuel system 18Driver assistance 15Steering 13Wheels 8Suspension 5Lights 4Seats 4Seat belts 2
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