IllustrationStarlink screen has failed - the screen will either only show the initial agreement screen and freeze or it will freeze with the back up camera activated. I can’t access Bluetooth capabilities, camera function, etc
2018 Subaru Forester
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Forester years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Forester are substantially higher than the model-year median of 131.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Forester years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1560–25K
6525–50K
1350–75K
575–100K
2100–150K
0150K+
241 reports with mileage · 252 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 135 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
26 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
493 reportsI purchased the car CPO June 2021 Battery replaced December 2022 Battery replaced January 2023 Between these replacements, car was consistently dying/would not start, required frequent jumps. Left me stranded numerous times. Each time the car was serviced (at different dealer locations), no mention was made of known issues wit…
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I purchased the car CPO June 2021 Battery replaced December 2022 Battery replaced January 2023 Between these replacements, car was consistently dying/would not start, required frequent jumps. Left me stranded numerous times. Each time the car was serviced (at different dealer locations), no mention was made of known issues with batteries being drained. This issue was known by Subaru, as evidenced by class action suits filed and won. At this time, the car engine is dead and will not respond to a jump. This has cost me thousands in car rentals/ride shares.
While driving steering wheel freezes and driver is not able to control steering.Engine quits .
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Lower control arm bushings are worn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle starts to wobble and vibrate violently when driving above 70 mph, creating potential safety hazard at such a velocity. …
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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Lower control arm bushings are worn out. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle starts to wobble and vibrate violently when driving above 70 mph, creating potential safety hazard at such a velocity. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the problem is confirmed by the technician at the Subaru dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Inspected by the technician at the dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? They first started to appear a week prior to repair when driving on the highway.
I have had multiple instances where I am unable to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park. Subaru's technical bulletin 16-112-18R states this is caused by contamination of the Park-Range switch internal components. I'm concerned I will be unable to remove the key and will have to leave the vehicle un…
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I have had multiple instances where I am unable to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park. Subaru's technical bulletin 16-112-18R states this is caused by contamination of the Park-Range switch internal components. I'm concerned I will be unable to remove the key and will have to leave the vehicle unlocked with the key in the ignition. I am also concerned I'll be stranded somewhere the next time this happens. I found information online that states Subaru dealers are charging $500 to $800 to repair this issue, which should be a recall or extended warranty situation and not a cost to the vehicle owner.
When there is a passenger in my Subaru Forrester, the Occupant Detection System deactivates the passenger airbag. When I researched the issue, I noticed there is a recall for Foresters but my specific vehicle doesn't fall into the recall. When reviewing Product Campaign Bulletin on the NHTSA website, the Harness Label Inspection…
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When there is a passenger in my Subaru Forrester, the Occupant Detection System deactivates the passenger airbag. When I researched the issue, I noticed there is a recall for Foresters but my specific vehicle doesn't fall into the recall. When reviewing Product Campaign Bulletin on the NHTSA website, the Harness Label Inspection Procedure states to inspect the label and if its has supplier code 6578 AND the date code before 18074, the harness must be replaced. My Forester has both the supplier code and the date code before 18074 but my vehicle doesn't have a recall associated with it so the Subaru service center won't replace it. I'm currently driving with a deactivated airbag and that can't possibly be safe. Please NHTSA, widen the recall!
I was making a 90 degree left turn, at a very slow rate of speed, onto a tarred parking bay located in front of a hedge approximately 4 feet high. (This is a parking spot I was very familiar with, and moving extremely carefully which is necessary, because the small cat colony I was there to feed were milling around on the parkin…
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I was making a 90 degree left turn, at a very slow rate of speed, onto a tarred parking bay located in front of a hedge approximately 4 feet high. (This is a parking spot I was very familiar with, and moving extremely carefully which is necessary, because the small cat colony I was there to feed were milling around on the parking bay as they always do.) When I depressed my brake to bring the car to a complete stop, my vehicle surged forward through the hedge and landed up against a wall on the other side of the hedge. The movement was wholly unexpected, and directly contradictory to my braking to bring the vehicle to a stop. It felt as if I, the driver, was not actually in control of the vehicle for those few seconds. After the tow truck pulled it back onto the parking bay, although my Subaru was still mechanically drive-able, I had the vehicle towed to the closest Subaru dealer as it would have been irresponsible for anyone to drive the vehicle given the unexplained spontaneous acceleration issue that had just occurred. I immediately reported the accident to AAA Insurance and made the Claims Representative at the time, and subsequently the Insurance Adjuster, aware of the safety issue experienced. • The mechanical root cause is unknown • Immediately following the body shop repairs I sold the vehicle back to Subaru and made them aware of the safety issue. • I could have been injured. Fortunately, I was alone, and although in shock for several days, not physically hurt. • When I asked Subaru about the feasibility of getting data from the Event Data Recorder, to substantiate what happened, they advised that was not possible without a court order. • Yes, the vehicle was inspected by a Third Party Insurance Assessor but am unsure if they were made aware of the safety event that precipitated the vehicle's damage • There were no prior warning signs which made the occurrence extremely surreal and shocking.
The SRS passenger warning light comes on intermittently. Sometimes with a passenger the indication is the air bag is "ON" and everything seems to be fine. Sometimes with a passenger we get the message that the "SRS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED". And sometimes we get that message even without a passenger. This started at around 80K…
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The SRS passenger warning light comes on intermittently. Sometimes with a passenger the indication is the air bag is "ON" and everything seems to be fine. Sometimes with a passenger we get the message that the "SRS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED". And sometimes we get that message even without a passenger. This started at around 80K miles.
We are on our 4th windshield with this vehicle and just got a crack overnight on it, nothing that we could tell hit it. 1 other time this has happened where it randomly cracked. The first two were rock strikes but nothing out of the ordinary, I've had much harder hits to my 2011 WRX with no issue, not even a chip. A smaller t…
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We are on our 4th windshield with this vehicle and just got a crack overnight on it, nothing that we could tell hit it. 1 other time this has happened where it randomly cracked. The first two were rock strikes but nothing out of the ordinary, I've had much harder hits to my 2011 WRX with no issue, not even a chip. A smaller than golf ball sized rock hit the passenger side of the windshield the 2nd break and glass CAME INTO THE VEHICLE ALL OVER THE DASH. Glass repair place said they see Subarus with the eyeSight the most of any vehicle type.
I'm unsure why this 2018 Forester wasn't one of the many manufactured that year recalled for an intermittent passenger seat air bag sensor malfunction since the focus of that recall remains the problem with this particular Forester: it has heated seats and displays an intermittent on/off passenger seat air bag light while a pass…
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I'm unsure why this 2018 Forester wasn't one of the many manufactured that year recalled for an intermittent passenger seat air bag sensor malfunction since the focus of that recall remains the problem with this particular Forester: it has heated seats and displays an intermittent on/off passenger seat air bag light while a passenger is seated in that seat. The malfunction has been occurring for the past several years, however, our attempts to document and diagnose it have occurred much more recently. We took it to a dealership on 5/9/23; despite keeping it overnight and making numerous attempts to duplicate the problem (at a cost to us of $142) they were unable to do so. However, on 6/27/23, as I drove my wife a distance of approximately 150 miles and she sat in the front passenger seat, the airbag light displayed “off” almost the entire trip. Also, she and our son traveled about 400 miles between 16-19 June; he drove, she sat “front right”. During that trip the sensor light showed intermittently on and off and my wife was able to take time and date stamped photos of the sensor light from her point of view in the passenger seat; both when it was on and when it was off. I reported "all of the above" to the dealership and received a reply referring me to the "apparent" minimum weight limit needed for a passenger to trigger the sensor (100 lbs; I've seen 75), together with the explanation that "electronics" could interfere with operation of that sensor. Although my wife at times weighs just under 100 lbs, that weight limit doesn't explain why the sensor light is INTERMITTENTLY on and off on the same trip. At the very least, since she's now always concerned about failure of the airbag to inflate in the event of an accident, a recall/replacement/addition to the previously issued recall applicable to the exact same malfunction should be required. Based on dealership response, it will take an order from you before any additional repairs/replacements are made.
Official recalls
321V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Jul 29, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
19V701000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Oct 3, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.
18V455000 · Equipment:other:labels; Tires
Jul 10, 2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Equipment:other:labels
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
Tires
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. The Certification Label may indicate the incorrect wheel size, tire size, and air pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: Installing incorrect tires or applying incorrect tire air pressure may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected label, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTS-78.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE19009 · Occupant Detection System (ods) Failure
Opened Aug 6, 2019 · Closed Jan 22, 2020
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
Additional source detail variants (4)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
Air Bags:frontal
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
Air Bags
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unstable, the ODS may not properly determine the status of the right front seat occupant. If the ODS is unable to correctly determine the status of the front occupant, the airbag warning light may illuminate, and the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.Using vehicle production data and field occurrence frequency, Subaru determined the potentially affected vehicle production range to be between January 20, 2015 ?and August 1, 2017.In addition, Subaru indicated that over 99 percent of the related MY 2015-2018 field reports with vehicles in the production range involved vehicles with seat heaters.NHTSA's analysis of complaint and warranty claim data showed 1,440 of the complaints and 11,672 of the claims involve vehicles with seat heaters that were built within the production range covered by Subaru's recall.In addition, NHTSA's analysis showed a complaint rate of 393.1 per hundred thousand vehicles for the recalled population and 89.0 for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall. Analysis of warranty claim data found a claim rate of 3.2 percent for the recalled population and 0.3 percent for MY 2014 through 2018 vehicles that are not included in the recall.Subaru will instruct owners with Subaru Forester vehicles produced in the affected vehicle production range, to bring their vehicles to a dealer to have the sensor mat harness, inspected and replaced with a new part, including the seat cushion assembly, if necessary.Based on ODI's analysis, the actions taken by Subaru mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by ODS sensor mat failures in the subject vehicles. For subject and peer vehicles outside the recall population and those equipped without seat heaters, ODI's analysis indicates that there is currently no safety-related defect trend. Given these circumstances, further use of the agency resources in this matter does not appear to be warranted. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.