2018 Subaru Forester Airbags Problems

The passenger airbag light in my 2018 Subaru Forester intermittently turns off and on, even when the seat is occupied. The vehicle has never been in a crash, and the airbags have not deployed. This issue raises serious safety concerns, especially since it may prevent the airbag from deploying in an accident while a passenger is in the seat.

My airbag warning light comes on intermittently. My mechanic found it is due to a recalled part but my VIN number is not listed on the recall even though it meets the criteria. Subaru Safety Recall WUM-98 NHTSA Recall ID 19V 70.

Vehicle Airbag light on Dash and is available for inspection upon request. Safety is at risk due to Airbag SRS system being disabled and bas will not deploy due to malfunctioning component. Vehicle has the symptoms of "Subaru recalled certain 2015-2018 Foresters equipped with heated seats, due to faulty wiring in an airbag sensor.

We took the car in for servicing because the SRS light went off. Upon inspection, the Subaru service department found that the SRS sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. They said if not replaced, there is a chance the airbag would not go off in the event of an accident.

Air bag sensor in passenger seat doesn't recognize when someone is in it therefore keeping it from activating in the event of an accident. There was a recall (Subaru # WUM98R, NHTSA campaign # 19V701) for that problem for 2015-2018 model years which mine is and with heated seats which it also has. Subaru told me there is no open recall based on the VIN and won't repair without being paid for.

The passenger airbag is disabled when my light weight wife is riding in our 2018 Subaru Forester. There is a recall for this issue including 2018 models but it looks like Subaru thinks the fault is caused by heated seats. We don't have heated seats - so maybe that's why our VIN doesn't register ???

I have been getting an airbag warning light for the past few months. I took it into my local Subaru dealer and they confirmed that the issue was the passenger recognition system. The system will recognize a passenger and turn the airbags on sometimes, and sometimes it will not.

We went it because the ODS (Occupant Detection System)/SRS (supplemental restraint system lit up on our dashboard. I took it in to Subaru of America after seeing that there were no VIN specific recalls on this issue. They immediately said they would cover the parts but we would have to pay for the labor.

While turning in a parking lot car accelerated and hit a tree. Foot was on brake and airbags didn’t deploy despite extensive damage. Body shop estimator said computer wouldn’t confirm problem.

Repeatedly the passenger air bag turns off even when car is in motion (warning lights turn on) with passenger in front seat. We have heated seats but apparently are not part of the recall that covers other Foresters with the exact same problem. Anytime we are in the car and it is deactivated it puts the passenger at risk if an accident would occur.

Repeatedly the passenger air bag turns off during road trips (warning lights turn on) with passenger in front seat. This will be my second complaint because I felt you all needed time to add my cars VIN to your recall list. Anytime we are in the car and it is deactivated it puts the passenger at risk if an accident would occur.

There is a current recall affecting 2018 subaru forester's (NHTSA campaign number: 19v701000). I currently own a 2018 forester that the VIN number does not match the recall. However my vehicle I doing the exact thing that the recall is for, the passenger side airbag turns off, light comes on and an srs airbag warning message comes on.

Front passenger airbag has been intermittently on and off, with and without a passenger, with and without items on the seat. This is the third or maybe fourth occasion vehicle is at the dealer. One of the first times they inspected the car, and their solution was to relocate the "module" (whatever the module is) for that seat.

I was in an accident in which a car t-boned my passenger side. No airbags deployed and we suffered injury as a result. The other car that hit us had all air bags deployed.

Some time in august 2018 I noticed that the air bag warning light would randomly come on indicating that the air bag on the passenger side of my new 2018 subaru forester was turned off even when an adult passenger was seated. I called the dealer who at first couldn't explain it.

The forester has an automatic system that turns off the airbags for the right side front passenger seat when no-one is sitting there or when they do not weigh enough to activate the system. Should a person need to sit on a cushion in that seat for whatever reason, the system does not think anyone is there and turns off the airbags.

For 2 months since may 19, 2018, the airbag warning sensor light goes on my dashboard while driving and the passenger airbag 'off' warning light also goes on ' see attached photo. This occurrence happens almost every time I drive my vehicle. I brought the vehicle to the dealer twice for repair but the problem still exists.

Front passenger seat airbag sensor began not recognizing passengers sitting in the seat shortly after purchasing my brand new 2018 subaru forester. This started occuring while driving, turning off and on. After a while, it completely stopped recognizing any person sitting in the seat even after only just turning the car on.

The passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor failed, turning off the airbag and illuminating the SRS light. This is a known safety defect covered by Subaru recall 19V701 / WUM-98 for 2015–2018 Foresters built through August 1, 2017. My vehicle, a 2018 Forester XT Touring (VIN [XXX] ), has the same defect but Subaru and NHTSA do not list it as part of the recall.

Passenger seat occupancy detection sensor failure. Known recall for the issue from same year 2018, my VIN not included. Delaership stated 5300 dollars to repair.

Subaru recall WUM98 was issued in 2019 to replace the ODS harness on my 2018 Subaru Forester. The part replacement was completed in in April 2020. The harness failed again in Oct 2024.

Intermittent failure of occupant detection system on front passenger seat which turns off airbag even though an adult is sitting in the seat. The occupant detection system wiring harness was recalled and replaced in 2020. I believe there is a continuing issue with this recall either not being a complete solution or being repaired with a defective part or new part that did not solve the issue.

I am the second owner of this vehicle and lately my passenger airbag sometimes doesn’t turn on due to a harness connected to the occupant plate being faulty. When the issue first occurred I contacted my local Subaru service center and explained my situation and told them I had seen there was a recall for my exact issue.

2018 Subaru Forester Safety air bag recall I drive my grandchildren in front passenger seat. There’s a safety recall. No incident yet.

THE ODS is not properly determining the status of the right front seat occupant. The airbag warning light is illuminated, and the front passenger airbag is deactivated even with a person sitting in the passenger seat. The ODS is also unable to determine if someone is in the seat and triggers the seatbelt alert when anything (even a purse) is on the seat.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated, and the air bag was not activated message was displayed. The dealer was contacted.

Per the dealership, the occupant detection wiring harness resulting in the passenger side not activating despite a passenger sitting in the car. This causes a risk to the passenger as the airbag is not activated and the warning light goes on. This problem has been confirmed by the Subaru dealership.

The sensor in the seat has been intermittently working for years and finally quit. It costs close to $2000 to fix and there is no way to switch the air bag to stay on. It seems this is an issue with other 2018 Subaru foresters and for some reason the recall did not apply to my VIN.

This is related to the ODS recall (October 3, 2019 NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000) where the sensor mat harness was replaced. Turns out the ODS sensor mat also needs to be replaced. The issue was happening intermittently throughout 2024 and I have brought the car in for service but the part is on back order for 2 months now.

The passenger-side front airbag Occupancy Detection System harness failed on my vehicle. The dealer charged me for a replacement, even though this part was recalled. They said they could not perform the repair free of charge because the recall was not listed for my VIN.

The malfunction identified in NHTSA campaign number 19V701 has been continually malfunctioning again, beginning about a year ago. This is happening within a relatively short time after it was supposedly fixed. (Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98).

The passenger seat, passenger air bags, and occupant detection system are failing. Available for inspection. Passenger occupants are put at risk riding in my passenger seat as the seat does not detect if the seatbelt is on, or even if someone is sitting in the seat.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side air bag warning light was intermittently flashing on the instrument panel with or without an occupant seated in the front passenger’s seat.

I receive a warning light and the passenger air bag does not turn on when I have a passenger in the front seat.

Not sure why my car is not being recalled for occupant detection harness. Subaru telling me it’s the VIN number, that’s not the problem it’s I have a defective harness according to Subaru product bulletin wud-98r harness with date prior to 18074 is defective and needs to be replaced free of charge. My harness has a date of 17293.

The passenger airbag warning light had appeared intermittently but now is continuous, indicating that the passenger airbag will not function when someone is seated there. The car was taken to the dealer and I was told that the seat bottom would need to be replaced. There is a recall WUM-98 on this very issue for 2018 Foresters with heated seats which my car has.

In early October, 2023, the red airbag inoperative light (airbag "off") came on the dashboard when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This was an intermittent issue with the light coming on at times and off for several days before reappearing. On , the vehicle was brought to the Suburu dealer (Subaru of Auburn, WA) for testing and repair.

Our Subaru began experiencing intermittent issues with the warning light for the occupant detection wiring harness (ODS) in October 2023. The vehicle was inspected by Duteau Subaru of Lincoln NE on October 19th 2023 who determined the issue was a malfunctioning of the seat sensor for the occupant seat and was told I would have to replace the entire seat base to correct the issue.

Around 83,000 miles my passenger safety air bag warning sensor started coming on and off intermittently. It would happen both when a passenger was in the seat and when no one was in the seat. There have been no previous issues.

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.

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".

Airbag light has come on stating that they will not deploy. Upon looking my vehicle (2018) has the passenger side airbag product with supplier code 6578 and date code 17346 meeting the NG status per bulletin released by NHTSA in October of 2019. I purchased my vehicle 1/2021 from a certified Subaru dealer who did not fix this product despite being notified of the faulty part in December of 2019.

NHTSA 19V-701 is for Subaru Forester's concerning the passenger airbag being off while the passenger seat is occupied. The recall stops with Forrester's built after August 2017. My Forrester has this problem but was built in October of 2017 so Subaru says it is not covered!

Since purchase in 2019, Subaru indicates that front passenger seat air bag will not turn on unless passenger is 65 lbs or more. My passenger seat air bag registers "on" if I place any item such as 1 gallon Milk (full bottle from store) in the passenger seat and furthermore, the Warning chime for passenger seat belt (not buckled) will sound continuously until I buckle the seat belt?

The contact's mother owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt warning light failed to illuminate and alert the passenger to fasten the seat belt. The air bag warning light was illuminated.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who reset the fault light; however, the failure persisted.

My dashboard for the past several months has intermittently indicated that there is an issue with my front passenger airbag. I just discovered there was a recall for this issue for cars manufactured with heated seats the same year as my vehicle but my vehicle is not part of the recall. This recall may need to be expanded.

Passenger air bag light displays intermittently on and off (mostly off) regardless of whether there is a passenger in the seat. It has not yet been inspected by any dealer, service center, manufacturer, police, insurance, or others.

Similar to recall notice WUM-98R (NHTSA 19V-701). Passenger seat occupancy sensor is intermittent indicating no passenger when one is present or, at times, indicating a passenger when none is present causing the seat belt warning and air bag system to malfunction. Currently, this occurs about 80% of the time.

NHTSA Recall No. : 19V-701 Manufacturer Recall No. : WUM-98 The issue in this recall is affecting my car and it fits the description in the recall and the exact issue is happening in my car but dealership is charging me $1087.58 to fix it.

Passenger side airbag sensor malfunctioning, vehicle has heated seats. Sometimes when passenger is seated the passenger airbag does not turn on and the airbag malfunction light comes on. There is a recall for the same issue for the same year model Subaru Recall #19V701000.

When a passenger sits in the front passenger seat of my Subaru Forester, the airbag notification light indicates that the airbag is "OFF". It is my understanding that there was a recall for this very issue but when I contacted Subaru to get it fixed, they said that my vehicle wasn't on their list of recalled vehicles and would not service it under the recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The air bag system was deactivated.

While driving the vehicle with a front side passenger, intermittently over the past three weeks, the display screen indicates "passenger air bag off", the display briefly gives a message to have the srs checked, and the red airbag dashboard light illuminates and remains illuminated for the duration of the trip.

Passenger airbag occasionally shows as 'off' even though an occupant is in the seat. The info center (as shown in the attached pictures) also indicates an issue with an airbag and to check the owner's manual. A similar airbag defect was reported in NHTSA bulletin - 19v701000 - subaru wum-98, however for whatever reason my vehicle was not included even though it has similar symptons.

Dealer is unable to get parts for the recall. Safety recall: wum98|NHTSA campaign: 19v701000 autonation subaru is saying it's going to be about 2 months for them to get parts. This recall has been active since october 2019.

NHTSA recall 19v-701 (subaru recall wum-98) includes only foresters with seat heaters manufactured from 1/20/15 - 8/1/17. My forester was manufactured on 6/6/18 and is not currently included.

When my husband shuts off the car, gets out and refuels, I remain seated in the passenger seat. He starts the car and drives off. The passenger airbag light reads that the airbag is off even though I am seated in the passenger seat.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. The contact took the vehicle to annapolis subaru (149 old solomons island rd, annapolis, md 21401, 888-409-1189) because the air bag warning indicator illuminated intermittently when the vehicle was started. Although the vehicle had been serviced at the dealer, the failure continued.

Srs warning light comes on while vehicle is stationary or in motion at random intervals. Based on my knowledge this means the srs airbag system is completely deactivated. When bringing it to subaru's attention they blamed moisture on the seats messing with the sensors, but the seats have never had a spill on them.

The passenger airbag system intermittently turns off even if someone is sitting in the seat. It can be while parked or during driving. There's no set cause or circumstances that trigger this.

Airbag alert issued by car computer: 'airbag system needs to be checked'. Passenger was in seat and buckled in. Came on when car was started and remained on for duration of drive.

My 2018 subaru forester is experiencing faulty activation of the passenger seat air bag light since june 2018. Vehicle was purchased new in august 2017. The dashboard reads that there is no airbag on for the passenger while someone was seated there and the car was sitting or in motion.

Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru forester. While driving at an unknown speed, the front passenger air bag indicator illuminated and flashed on and off. The vehicle was taken to prime subaru hyannis (508-778-5066, located at 24 ridgewood ave, hyannis, ma 02601) where it was diagnosed that the seat was wet.

Car in garage stationary/started vehicle/ dashboard red warning light of seat with belt/airbag. Turned vehicle off. 1/2 hour later, returned to car, saw headlights on, two front doors locked/didn't start car.

Passenger front seat. Airbag light is on when someone is sitting in the seat and seatbelt indicator dings when nothing is in the seat.

airbag alert for front passenger seat is lit and disabling the airbag. the seat was empty and dry with nothing in it.

Airbag on passenger side stopped working last November . Subaru says it’s the switch in the seat and the seat needs replacing at a cost of approximately $1300. This should be part of the recall and be paid for by Subaru.

The airbag SHOULD automatically turn on and off when someone is in the passenger seat. Most of the time when there is a passenger in the seat the airbag won't turn on, so we're driving around with no airbag in the passengers seat This sounds like the issue with NHTSA 19V701 but we are not covered in that VIN range. This vehicle was also equipped with heated seats.

The passenger sensor light is on and Subaru says I need to replace the seat. There was a recall for certain vehicles but my VIN was not part of the recall - however, if the issue persists why isn't the recall expanded? Do we really want drivers like me to have to replace seats because Subaru is not living up to the standards - due to their faulty wiring?

I have had a airbag light on for the passenger side of the car for a long time. Subaru said it is from water damage. I do not recall water damage - I didn't drive through a flood.

Passenger seat when empty will at times indicate person is sitting in seat without buckling seat belt and sound alert

Passenger air bag light came on two weeks after the 3 year warranty expired. Vehicle was purchased on August 4th 2018 and light came on last week on Tuesday August 24th. No previous issues.

Subaru forester 2018 air bag won't turn on with adult in front passengers seat. I have several photos to show that it is off for several minutes. Not the first time this has happened but the first time I was able to document it.

Ever since I purchased the car, the passenger air bag indicator light has shown 'off.' the NHTSA site shows numerous people have had the same experience. Some of those people were advised by subaru service technicians that they must have spilled something on the seat, affecting the sensor. I was told the same when I took my car in.

Airbag light comes on, passenger side airbag says 'off' on panel when person is on seat. Starlink emails me that there is an airbag issue.

2018 subaru forester: passenger airbag system fails & turned itself off. Happen 4-5 times in fall 2018. 10/23/2018 I took to northend subaru service code b1650, part back ordered.

Passenger side seat sensor detects person sitting in seat and turns on the airbag when the seat is empty. Notifications turns on at car startup and will turn on while vehicle is moving. Car was bought may 31st, 2018.

The passenger seat airbag has not been working for about 9 months making it dangerous for a passenger (or not available for passenger seat occupancy). The parts have been on order for months but still not delivered. There are many of these on backorder indicating to me a significant safery problem.

Takata recall passenger side airbag indicator showed a problem within first 200 miles of driving the new forester.