2006 Subaru Outback

TRAVELING FROM MY HOME TO DENVER, CO I NOTICED THE 'AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT' COME ON. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I CALLED THE AUTO NATION SUBARU DEALER TO TRY AND GET AN APPOINTMENT. THE SERVICE REP SAID THEY WERE FULL FOR THE DAY. HE ASKED ME WHAT THE ISSUE WAS AND I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE 'AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT' COMING ON. MOREOVER, HE SAID THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT FUNCTION WITH THE WARNING ICON ON. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I MAY HAVE PLACED MY CELL PHONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT? I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD INDEED PLACED MY CELL PHONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE SERVICE REP ADDED FURTHER THAT MY CELL PHONE MAY BE INTERFERING WITH THE ELECTRONICS OF THE AIR BAG WARNING SYSTEM. THIS SOUNDED VERY ODD TO ME. THIS PHENOMENA IS VERY DISCONCERTING AS IT COULD READILY RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY IF THE AIR BAG SHOULD FAIL TO DEPLOY IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. I ALSO SPOKE TO A SERVICE TECH AT ANOTHER SUBARU OUTLET WHO TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HEARD OF THIS ODD CELL PHONE/AIR BAG SITUATION. AS THIS AIR BAG PHENOMENA THAT IS OCCURRING IN MY VEHICLE IS NOT AN ISOLATED SITUATION, I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AND REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY.

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER BIT TEST COMPLETED ON ENGINE START. OWNERS MANUAL STATES AN ILLUMINATED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COULD MEAN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT DEPLOY OR PERFORM AS DESIGNED IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS IS RESULT OF A SUBARU DESIGN FLAW THAT SUBARU NEEDS TO ADDRESS AND CORRECT VIA RECALL. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING THRU THE ADIRONDACK REGION OF NY ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON RETURNING HOME FROM VT I PROCEEDED TO PASS A VEHICLE FROM THE CENTER LANE INTO THE LEFT LANE. SPEED WAS 65MPH ACCELERATING TO 69MPH TO PASS, NOT MORE THAN 250 FT LATER OUR VEHICLE STARTED TO FISHTAIL THEN HEAD RIGHT INTO NUMEROUS 360 SPINS TAKING OUT 35 FT OR SO OF GUARD RAIL AND CRUNCHING AND DAMAGING ALMOST EVERY SIDE AND CORNER OF OUR OUTBACK. BOTH HANDS WERE ON THE WHEEL, I DID NOT HIT ANY SNOW OR ICE THAT I AM AWARE OF AND I WAS NOT SPEEDING EXCESSIVELY. NOT ONE OF OUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EITHER!! I AM CONFIDENT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE STABILITY CONTROL OF THE 2006 OUTBACK WE WERE DRIVING AND AM THANKFUL WE WERE NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF RANDOMLY AND SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 35 MPH AND THE CAR WILL JOLT ONCE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AS WELL AS THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WILL START BLINKING AND WILL NOT BE OPERABLE. THEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS WILL GO OUT UNTIL YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON. *TR

WITHIN WEEK OF PURCHASE OF USED VEHICLE, SUBARU OUTBACK 2006, HAD INTERMITTENT RED AIRBAG TROUBLE LIGHT INDICATOR ON AND INCONSISTENT PASSENGER AIRBAG ON/OFF LIGHT. VEHICLE CAME WITH 6 MONTH WARRANTY FROM INDEPENDENT COMPANY. TOLD BY SMALL INDEPENDENT SHOP (TEMPLE AUTO MART, TEMPLE, PA) OF PURCHASE VEHICLE HAS CODE 26 INDICATING PASSENGER AIRBAG MODULE WITH PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR ON/OFF LIGHT MOUNTED ON INSIDE ROOF ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS BAD AND THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. CALLED WARRANTY COMPANY AND TOLD THIS ITEM IS NOT COVERED. WENT TO LOCAL SUBARU DEALER (STEVE MOYER SUBARU, LEESPORT, PA) WHO CONFIRMED CODE 26 PROBLEM AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND CHARGED $97.52 FOR EVALUATION. DEALER ORDERED PART AND ESTIMATES $299.97 FOR PART, LABOR, AND STATE SALES TAX. TOLD BY DEALER WHEN RED AIRBAG TROUBLE LIGHT INDICATOR IS ON THE ALL AIRBAGS WILL NOT ACTIVATE WHEN NEEDED. BELIEVE THIS SAFETY ITEM COST SHOULD BE SUBARU'S RESPONSIBILITY. I AM REQUESTING A MANUFACTURE RECALL TO COVER ALL COSTS AND INCLUDE ASSURANCE THIS IS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

MY 2006 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK HAS A PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG THAT WILL NOT STAY "ON" WHEN A PERSON UNDER 125 POUNDS IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I WEIGH 115 POUNDS. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS IN THE "OFF" POSITION ABOUT 65% OF THE TIME I AM SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I AM IN THE CAR AND HAS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2005. SUBARU HAS TESTED THE SENSOR CALIBRATION MANY TIMES. I HAVE GONE FOR A DRIVE TO DEMONSTRATE THE PROBLEM TO HEAD MECHANIC AT MY DEALERSHIP AND HE WAS VERY APPALLED! NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN DONE TO TRY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AS SUBARU SAYS THIS WOULD REQUIRE RE-ENGINEERING THE ENTIRE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM. SUBARU HAS TOLD US THAT IT IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED AND IS CALIBRATED CORRECTLY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW BY ME IN 2005. I HAVE REACHED THE END OF THE ROAD WITH SUBARU AND THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT CAN OFFER NO SOLUTION TO FIX IT. MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN MANY OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINTS OPEN ON THIS SAME ISSUE RELATING TO ALL MAKES AND MODELS OF SUBARU CARS AND THEIR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC AND REQUIRE SUBARU TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU OUTBACK. SHE STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED, WHICH CAUSED HER TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 26,000. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS BOTH WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN LAYING FLAT IN THE VEHICLE AND BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT WAS INJURED. UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR