NHTSA Complaint #10434180 — 2010 SUBARU LEGACY

FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. PURCHASED NEW 2010 LEGACY FROM HUDSON SUBARU JERSEY CITY IN MAR 2010. FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS FREQUENTLY OFF WHEN I AM SITTING IN SEAT (5'7" & 135LBS). IS PROPERLY ACTIVATED HALF OF THE TIME. TRIED MANY THINGS TO GET AIRBAG TO TURN ON INCLUDING: 1. WITH CAR RUNNING, UNFASTENING PASSENGER SEATBELT AND REFASTENING 2. WITH CAR RUNNING, OPENING PASSENGER DOOR, EXITING CAR AND GETTING BACK IN 3. EXITING CAR, SHUTTING CAR OFF, RESTARTING CAR AND GETTING BACK IN 4. WITH CAR RUNNING LIFTING MYSELF UP AND OFF SEAT AND SITTING BACK DOWN AS HARD AS POSSIBLE. HUSBAND TOOK CAR TO HUDSON SUBARU ON 11/9/10 AND THEY RECALIBRATED SEAT MODULE AND SENSOR. PROBLEM PERSISTED SO HE CALLED HUDSON SUBARU ON 10/12/11. SAID THEY HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CALLS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SENSOR IS DESIGNED TO ACTIVATE AIRBAG WHEN 90LBS OF PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO SEAT. IF A SMALLER PERSON IS NOT SITTING SQUARELY IN SEAT, SENSOR MAY NOT DETECT PERSONS WEIGHT AND AIRBAG WILL NOT BE ACTIVATED. CALLED SUBARU ON 10/12/11 AND OPENED A CASE. ALSO EMAILED SUBARU ON 10/20. RECEIVED EMAIL REPLY ON 10/26 REQUESTING I BRING CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND MEET WITH A FIELD REP. ON 11/1 REP INDICATED WEIGHT SETTING IS NOT 90LBS ITS CLOSER TO 112LBS. SAID HE MET WITH A COUPLE IN FLEMINGTON HAVING SAME ISSUE AND HAD TO REPLACE GEL BLADDER IN SEAT. HE ASKED TO SEE CAR AND CHECKED TO BE SURE SEATBACK NOT RECLINED AND THEN ASKED ME TO SIT IN CAR. POINTED OUT THAT BACKS OF MY THIGHS DID NOT TOUCH SEAT AND SUGGESTED MY FULL WEIGHT WAS NOT BEING DETECTED BY SENSOR. HE KEPT CAR OVERNIGHT AND PERFORMED DIFFERENT TESTS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM. HE EMAILED ME A PAGE FROM OWNERS MANUAL WHICH DETAILED HOW SOMEONE SHOULD SIT IN SEAT AND STEPS AN OWNER SHOULD TAKE IF THE AIRBAG DOES NOT ACTIVATE. *TR