2014 Subaru Forester

MY SUBARU FORESTOR FROM 2014 HAS A FAULTY AIRBAG SYSTEM FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT SAYS THAT IT IS OFF WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT AND GIVES THE WARNING LIGHT. WHEN NO ONE IS IN THE SEAT IT STILL BEEPS SOMETIMES AND I CAN ONLY STOP IT BY BUCKLING THE SEAT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IS SUBARU'S FAULT. I HAVE NEVER SPILLED ANYTHING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND IT JUST FAILED. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT AND IS RANDOM IN THE CAR.I TOOK IT TO SUBARU AND THEY SAID THAT I SPILLED SOMETHING ON THE SEAT AND WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SENSOR FOR OVER $1200. I HAVE SEEN COMPLAINTS FROM SUBARU MODELS OF ALL KINDS WITH THE SAME ISSUE ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES. IT IS IN A VARIETY OF MODELS AND DIFFERENT YEAR CARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE "SYSTEM OFF" WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED WHEN A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. THE MESSAGE INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT ACTIVATED. IN ORDER FOR THE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE AND PERFORM AS NEEDED, AN OCCUPANT WOULD HAVE TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH WITHIN THE SEAT AND RESTART THE VEHICLE FOR THE "SYSTEM ON" WARNING MESSAGE TO ILLUMINATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. LESTER GLENN SUBARU (1501 NJ-37, TOMS RIVER, NJ 08755, (888) 785-0675) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MATTER AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

2014 SUBARU FORESTER WITH DEFECTIVE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR WITH WARNING SIGN "SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED". THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL SHOW THAT IT IS "OFF" WITH A PERSON IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE THE CAR IS IN PARK AND IN MOTION. SOMETIMES, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL SHOW THAT IT IS "ON" WITH NO ONE OR NOTHING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST MONTH, BUT HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PROBLEM FOR THE PAST WEEK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND THEIR SCAN TOOL SHOWS A CODE FOR "OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR MATT" FAILURE. THEY RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE SEAT BOTTOM FOR $900. THEY REPORTED THAT "A LOT OF FORESTERS" HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS ISSUE. THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR THIS, BUT IS CLEARLY A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY WITH A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. ALL OTHER SAFETY RECALLS ARE UP TO DATE WITH MY VEHICLE, AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS OR ISSUES WITH MY CAR. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CONCERN JUST RANDOMLY BEGAN RECENTLY.

ACCORDING TO MEDIA REPORTS "THERE'S AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT MAY LOOSEN OVER TIME, ACCORDING TO SUBARU. THAT CONNECTION IS NECESSARY FOR THE DETECTION SYSTEM TO FUNCTION. SUBARU SAYS THAT ONLY CARS EQUIPPED WITH HEATED FRONT SEATS ARE SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL, AS THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES EQUIPPED WITH THE SPECIFIC HARNESS WHERE THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE." THE RECALL IN QUESTION APPLIES TO 2015 SUBARU FORESTERS. HOWEVER,MY 2014 FORESTER IA A MID YEAR MODEL THAT HAS FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS AND SEAT HEATERS.THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDEDED TO THE 2014 MODEL.

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR, FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR, FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG COMPUTER, RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, YELLOW PASSENGER AIRBAG "ON/OFF" LIGHT, SEAT BELT WARNING AND CHIME. AIR BAG DISABLED WARNING INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON WHEN PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED, SEAT BELT FASTENED, CAR OUT OF GEAR, STATIONARY. SOMETIMES STOPPING ENGINE, KEY OFF AND REMOVED, THEN ENGINE RESTARTED WILL RESET THIS WARNING. OTHER TIMES DURING NORMAL DRIVING, PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPIED, SEAT BELT LATCHED, AIR BAG WARNING (RED) LIGHT WILL OCCURS AND YELLOW PASS AIRBAG ACTIVE LIGHT WILL INDICATE PASSENGER AIR BAG INACTIVE. WHEN FRONT PASS SEAT EMPTY OR WITH WEIGHT AS LIGHT AS 2 POUNDS ON THE SEAT, SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT AND CHIME COMES ON WHEN SPEED EXCEEDS 5 MPH. SOMETIMES THIS ALARM CAN BE RESET BY SHARPLY STRIKING SEAT, SOMETIMES NOT, AND TRIP MUST BE COMPLETED WITH THE SEAT BELT BUCKLED. IN THIS CASE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT USUALLY SHOWS INACTIVE. THE SEAT BELT ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS, GETTING MORE FREQUENT. THE AIRBAG ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING DURING THE LAST TWO MONTHS, STARTING JUST AFTER THE STOP LIGHT SWITCH RECALL MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED AT SUBARU DEALER IN LAS VEGAS, NV.