2009 Subaru Forester Seats Problems

Your driver's seat bottom cushion has suddenly collapsed, causing the seat to sit lower on one side than the other. This could affect your comfort and driving position. The fix will likely involve replacing the seat cushion or the underlying support structure.

I WAS DRIVING AND MY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT COLLAPSED. SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT WITH MY SEAT.

POWER DRIVER SEAT BRACKET COLLAPSES DUE TO POOR DESIGN FLAW.

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BRACKET ON DOOR SIDE HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM SEAT RESULTING IN A SEAT WHICH IS UNRESPONSIVE TO HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS ON THE LEFT SIDE.

I WAS GETTING IN INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT WHEN THE FRONT LEFT CORNER OF THE SEAT COLLAPSED. I INSPECTED THE FRAME AND FOUND A BROKEN WELD WHERE THE MOTOR, THAT LIFTS THE FRONT OF THE SEAT MEETS THE FRAME, HAD FAILED.

SPOT WELDS ON THE LEFT SIDE SCISSOR BRACKET FOR SEAT ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BROKEN ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT, RESULTING IN A LEANING SEAT WHICH NO LONGER RESPONDS TO SEAT ADJUSTMENTS AND IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM EXIST ON THE INTERNET. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN ENTERING THE STATIONARY VEHICLE, HEARD A "POP" AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT COLLAPSED.

THE SPOT WELDS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BREAK AND THE SEAT CUSHION NO LONGER IS ATTACHED TO THE SEAT FRAME. THE SEAT SINKS SEVERAL INCHES WHEN THE DRIVER SITS IN THE SEAT.

WHILE DRIVING ON 95 INTERSTATE I NOTICE A CRACK SOUND AND THE LEFT SIDE OF MY DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED, RATHER DANGEROUS! THIS IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE SCOLIOSIS. I AM SITTING AT A DIAGONAL POSITION WHILE DRIVING AND THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING AND UNCOMFORTABLE. . I DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED AND I SEE MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I CAN LIFT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY SEAT IT IS LOOSE AND SUNKEN. I TOOK IT TO THE JONES JUNCTION SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN MD. TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS AND THEY SAID NO AND THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I ONLY HAD 46,000 MILES ON MY CAR AT THE TIME. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO BBB AND CONSUMER REPORTS. ALSO I WILL BE CONTACTING SOA.

GETTING INTO MY CAR I HEARD A CRACK AND FELT THE DRIVER'S SEAT START TO LEAN TO THE LEFT. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE IF IT IS THE FRAME OF THE SEAT OR JUST A SPRING/SUPPORT FOR THE SEAT. ANY UP/DOWN ADJUSTMENT VIA THE POWER SEAT CONTROLS HAS UNEQUAL RESULTS BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. *TR

DRIVER SEAT FAILED/COLLAPSED ON LEFT SIDE WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, I WEIGH 165 POUND WITH MY CLOTHES ON! *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS. I AM OF AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT. UPON ENTERING MY VEHICLE AT A PARKING LOT ONE NIGHT, THE SEAT BOTTOM COLLAPSED AND FELL TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME, BUT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TRYING TO REMAIN POSITIONED PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. CLOSER EXAMINATION OF THE SITUATION PERFORMED THE NEXT MORNING REVEALED A PORTION OF THE SEAT FRAME WAS BROKEN. LOU FUSZ SUBARU IN CREVE COEUR, MO CONFIRMED THE BROKEN FRAME AND TRACED TO FAILURE OF A SPOT WELD. THEY WANTED $1,000. TO REPLACE THE SEAT BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SEAT. ALL THE CONTROLS ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL, ALBEIT NOT FLAWLESSLY DUE TO MISALIGNMENT OF THE STRUCTURE. WHEN ASKED IF THE FRAME COULD BE WELDED THE SERVICE ADVISER SAID THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ASSESS UNLESS WE AGREED TO PAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS LABOR TO DISSEMBLE THE SEAT SO THE WELDER COULD INSPECT THE FRAME DESPITE THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN BEING ABLE TO SEE AND DIAGNOSE THE DAMAGE WITHOUT DIS-ASSEMBLY. WE HAVE ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISER TO CONTACT THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO RESOLVE WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A SAFETY SITUATION. WE BELIEVE THE SEAT FAILURE DIRECTLY AFFECTS OUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED LEVEL OF COMFORTABLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE - ESPECIALLY IF ANOTHER PORTION OF THE SEAT STRUCTURE FAILS. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON THE SUBARU OWNERS WEBSITE HAS REVEALED THAT OURS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. SIMILAR FAILURES, AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE POINT, LEAD US TO QUESTION IF THERE WAS A FAULT IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE STEEL SEAT FRAME. *TR

I AM 195 LBS AND BEGAN ENTERING THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE AND SAT DOWN ON THE DRIVERS SEAT AND HEARD A SOUND FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE SEAT. FELT THAT THE SEAT WAS LOWER THAN THE RIGHT SIDE AS WELL. INSPECTED TO FIND THAT THE FRONT LEFT BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT HAD BROKEN. IT APPEARS THAT TWO VERY SMALL WELDS HOLD THE BRACKET TO THE SEAT AND BOTH HAD BROKEN AND ARE UNABLE TO SUFFICIENTLY SUPPORT THE SEAT. ATTEMPTING TO RAISE AND/OR LOWER THE SEAT DOES NOT WORK AS WELL SINCE THE LEFT FRONT SIDE CANNOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. *TR

THE HEADRESTS FOR THE DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATS ARE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, PUSHING THE PERSON'S HEAD FORWARD AND CAUSING BACK ACHE. I COULD NOT DRIVE LONG DISTANCES WITH MY HEAD PUSHED FORWARD. THE REMEDY I USED WAS TO TAKE OUT THE HEADREST AND TURN IT BACKWARDS, BUT THIS MAY NOT BE SAFE IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS DEFECT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD REST IN THE VEHICLE WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEAD REST WAS SO FAR FORWARD, THAT IT HELD HIS/HER DOWN. THE CONSUMER HAD TO LOOK OUT OF THE TOP OF HIS/HER EYES TO SEE AHEAD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ONLY WAY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WAS TO REMOVE THE HEAD REST. UPDATED 04/24/09. *JB