2015 Subaru Impreza

We bought our 2015 Subaru Impreza from a used car dealer (we are second owner) in February 2020 with 55K miles on it. On our test drive, we noticed the air bag said it was off even with a passenger in the car. We agreed to purchase the vehicle upon repair. It was repaired and the mechanic guaranteed his work, and we had no issues for a year. Then, we moved across the country and the sensor began to sometimes malfunction again. The Subaru dealership quoted something like $3k to fix it. In Googling the issue, I see Subaru has had this issue in previous models. Please open an investigation to see if the problem continues in more recent years.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARK AT MY HOME. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SUBARU OF AMERICA WAS CONTACTED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SET UP WITH THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS DROPPED OFF THAT EVENING AND WAS LOOKED AT THE NEXT DAY. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAD AN ISSUE AND THE PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY CLAIMED THIS WAS DUE TO THE SEAT BEING WET. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2018 WITH 35,278 MILES AND NOW HAS AROUND 46,000 MILES. THE SEAT HAS NEVER BEEN WET IN MY TIME OWNING IT AND WAS NOT WET PRIOR TO OWNING IT TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH HEATED SEATS AND I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS IN LINE WITH LAST YEARS FORESTER PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR RECALL IN WHICH 366,000 VEHICLES WHERE RECALLED FOR A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE. I HAVE NOT YET HEARD BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY AWARE IF SUBARU OF AMERICA IS WILLING TO COVER COST TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. SINCE THEY ARE UNSURE WHEN SUBARU WOULD GET BACK TO THEM, I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AND IT IS CURRENTLY PARKED AT MY HOME. I WAS INFORMED TO AVOID SAFETY RISKS TO NOT HAVE OCCUPANTS TRAVEL IN THE PASSENGER SEAT FOR THE TIME BEING AS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG COULD TURN OFF AT ANY POINT. SINCE PICKING UP THE VEHICLE, THE AIRBAG LIGHT DOES ILLUMINATE UPON START, BUT NO LONGER STAYS ON. IF A FOLLOW UP CONTACT IS REQUIRED I WOULD PREFER AN EMAIL OVER A CALL.

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG CONSISTENTLY TURNS OFF WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT BOTH HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS - HAVE NOTICED IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WHEN THE PASSENGER HAS DAMP CLOTHING ON. THE "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD, AND WILL REMAIN OFF UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH HAS LED ME TO BELIEVE THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE TYPE OF PASSENGER DETECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRBAG.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR FAILS TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY A HUMAN IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MORE THAN HALF THE TIME SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS NOT ACTIVATED. THIS HAPPENS BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, STATIONARY, AND ON IN STREET TYPES OR STREET CONDITIONS. THE AIR BAG ALSO FREQUENTLY ACTIVATES WHEN NO ONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IS DANGEROUSLY BADLY DESIGNED. IT USES A CAPACITANCE SENSOR TO DETERMINE IF AN OBJECT WITH A SIMILAR CAPACITANCE TO A HUMAN IS IN THE SEAT. HOWEVER, THE CAPACITANCE OF A HUMAN CHANGES DRAMATICALLY DEPENDING ON THE COMPOSITION OF THAT PERSON'S BODY, THE CLOTHES THAT PERSON IS WEARING, IF THEY ARE HOLDING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE, OR TOUCHING SOME PART OF THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD GROUND THEM. THE TRADITIONAL WEIGHT SENSORS USED IN ALMOST ALL OTHER VEHICLES ARE A TIME-TESTED AND ROBUST DESIGN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING, THE PASSENGER PRESENCE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED CONSTANTLY. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE A PASSENGER WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.