2016 Subaru Forester Air Bags & Restraints Problems

Currently getting a reoccurring warning, "SRS airbag system needs to be checked" which disables the front passenger airbag. This means if I have a passenger sit in the front seat of my vehicle, they don't have the protection of an airbag in the event of a car accident. In 2021, I had this exact same issue and the Subaru dealership diagnosed the airbag needing to be replaced. I had to pay for this replacement, but it did fix the issue. Now that it is back, I am now working with Subaru of America with Case #251030-2001271 and they are refusing to acknowledge that this second air bag replacement should be covered by them because my car is over 10 years old and over 100k miles. There is no telling how long this new air bag will last since the one replaced in 2021 is already bad.

My recalled ods sensor went out

No damage or water spill to the car whatsoever, but now the SRS passenger airbag light is on. This is a recurrent issue with Suabru, and there was even a recall for this part a few years ago, which was replaced in my vehicle during that period. Less than 5 years later, there is already an issue with it. This is not an oil change or a tire replacement; it is an AIRBAG SENSOR!! I cannot find any definite information indicating that my own driver's airbag will go off while the SRS light is on. To think that my airbag may not go off, from no fault of my own, due to an issue with the PASSENGER airbag, is unacceptable. Subaru claims this is out of warranty, will not pay for it, and is charging me over $1000. This is no cosmetic issue; this is incredibly dangerous, and Subaru is aware of this. There needs to be some warranty in place for this part in particular, considering it is a model-wide issue among all Subaru vehicles. This is NOT something that the vehicle owner should need to pay for when it could end their lives. Some diagnostic codes claim the sensor got "wet" after their cars were just detailed! Unacceptable! If the airbag sensor cannot withstand daily wear and tear, then it should not be allowed to be produced and purchased. Not only can the part be damaged way too easily, but it also impacts the safety of all passengers involved. I am so upset with this outcome, in all honesty. My car is unsafe to drive because the recall piece continues to have issues.

Multiple times over the last 4 months the passenger airbag has turned off when there is a passenger occupying the seat and the SRS light turns on. The related code is B1650. This seems to be the same issue as a recall from about 5 years ago that was “fixed” and now has come back. The same code and SRS light sometimes comes on when there is no one in the passenger seat as well. It makes it unsafe to have a passenger in the seat as the airbag is turned off and it is very unpredictable.

The passenger ods is not working right causing an error state of the airbags which is a safety hazard as they will not deploy in the event of a car accident.

My 2016 subaru forester has Issue with the passenger side front airbag ODS and the. SRS light go on even if my car had been fixed on 2020 after recall. The airbag has a heavy safety an really important on person. Subaru need. to fix it completely and permanently not temporary.

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 70 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The information alerted the contact about an SRS issue. The contact stated that there was an audible ding with the warning light flashing on and off. The contact buckled the passenger’s side seat belt to stop the dinging sound. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that, without a warning light being illuminated, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact had taken a picture of the warning light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was on back order. The dealer confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

A warning light will randomly light up indicating a problem with the airbag or airbag sensor in my front passenger seat. I have had it looked at by multiple Subaru dealerships and shops and have had various quotes in the thousands of dollars to repair it. The technicians have told me that the sensor likely has an issue because of potential spillage on the seat that would seep into the sensor and cause it a problem, however there have not been recent spills on the seat and the light has only been turning on in the past year or so. I recently heard from another Subaru Forester owner that a similar maintenance issue happened in their car so I felt it was appropriate to report this issue.

I called Subaru made an appointment for service. I was not aware of the recall, although the dealership said it was repaired. No water damage to the seat bottom, the airbag sensor in the bottom of my passenger side seat cushion was bad. It’s attached to the seat. They gave me a loaner for three months and then called to say the part is on back order until “sometime” in 2025. The part is not covered under the recall and it will be approximately $2000 to fix. This has been a complaint from many owners of the recalled airbag years. At this point it is being replaced so often the part is on back order with an undetermined in stock date.

Passenger Airbag occupancy light stays in off position when seat is occupied. When this occurs the airbag system warning light comes on. Took it to the dealership and they said the problem is the seat sensor, which they say is not covered by the earlier wiring harness for the sensor recall. Cost of part is 1,200 and with labor is 2,000. Part is on back order minimum 3 months. Dealer indicated they had three other people waiting for the same part. So basically I can't have anyone in the front passenger seat. Subaru forums are filled with similar stories. How is this not a recall?

I backed out of a parking space, put my foot on the brake and shifted into Drive to finish maneuvering out of the space. Although I didn't remove my foot from the brake, my Forester immediately accelerated at extremely high speed, striking the two cars parked next to me, and seriously damaging both. Rather than slowing down after hitting the other two vehicles, my car continued to speed up, only coming to a stop when it hit, head-on, a cement barrier surrounding the lot. My car hit with such force that every airbag in it deployed, and its front end was totally destroyed. No one was in the other two cars; I suffered minor injuries.

Airbags and passenger seatbelt lights are on. Possibly Recalls

ODS failure on passenger side impacting air bag. Cost to repair is prohibitive, $1922.97. Complete seat needs to be replaced. There was never any damage to the seat.

SRS failure Passenger airbag default to off

Issue with the Front Passenger Seat Airbag Sensor. The Airbag Warning Light, indicating an issue with the passenger side airbag, has been illuminated recently. Passenger seat is also occasionally registering as occupied even when no one is sitting in it. Previous recall on the same seat's wiring harness was completed previously. Took the vehicle to the dealer and they told me that the seat must have gotten wet to cause the issue. The seat has not been wet. Dealer said a new seat is needed at a price of roughly $1500. This is a safety issue, as I am uncertain whether the airbag will deploy if needed. Googling "2016 Subaru Forester Passenger Seat Airbag Sensor Issues" indicates that this is a systematic issue across Foresters of this model year and not isolated to my car.

I am reporting a safety-critical failure of the passenger-side Occupant Detection System (ODS) in my 2016 Subaru Forester, which deactivates the airbag while the seat is occupied. This issue was first documented at an authorized Subaru dealer on 11/15/2023, where the technician identified 'poor contact of connectors' (a known condition in Recall 19V-701). The initial remedy performed was to reconnect the connector to restore the unstable electrical connection. However, that remedy has since failed, and the failure is now permanent. I have physically verified that my ODS harness carries the defective Supplier Code 6578 and Date Code 15280—the exact 'NG' (No Good) hardware identified in the recall. The dealer has quoted me 1,244 to replace the seat cushion assembly but refuses to cover it under the recall because my VIN was excluded from the initial list. Subaru is requiring me to pay out-of-pocket to remedy a documented manufacturing defect that they have already acknowledged and attempted to repair once before.

My horn stopped working. When I press the lock button three times the horn still sounds the problem is the clockspring on the steering wheel it is broken and this is a safety issue. It controls multiple things on the steering wheel including the Airbag. One evening on my way home a car was trying to enter my lane I tried to sound a warning and my horn didn't work, to avoid being hit I had to move over to on coming traffic lane which was thankfully empty. Subaru should be fixing the the issue. I have since found out the original part has been updated but that update has not been passed on to the consumer unless they need to replace the part. And the replacement cost is the consumers responsibility.

With car engine running and adult sitting in passemger seat, the passenger airbag on-off orange warning light will flicker between "on" and "off".

The SRS Airbag light is coming on and off due to a manufacturer defect.

Occupant Detection Sensor Mat faulty. Intermittent ODS warning while passenger is seated. DTS B1760 and B1650. Seat has never experienced water damage, but shows staining due to age (7 years at this point). This is an obvious safety concern while driving with my loved ones.