NHTSA Complaint #10559081 — 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WITH A PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE 'PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF' LIGHT BECOME ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS OFF. AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, THE SENSOR BEHAVES NORMALLY. INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED 3-4 TIMES SINCE, WITH NO APPARENT PATTERN RELATED TO VEHICLE SPEED/DRIVING CONDITIONS. SUBARU DEALERSHIP SERVICE HAS CLAIMED IT MAY BE RELATED TO PASSENGER WEIGHT OR SHIFTING IN THE SEAT, OR CELLULAR PHONE CHARGERS NEARBY. INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED WITH OR WITHOUT SAID CHARGERS PRESENT IN THE CAR, WITH PASSENGERS WEIGHING 130 LBS AND 190 LBS. ALSO, THE RELEVANT SENSOR (OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM, OR ODS) IN THE 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA IS NOT BASED ON WEIGHT AT ALL, BUT ON ELECTROSTATIC CAPACITANCE. SEEMINGLY RANDOM MALFUNCTION OF THE ODS RESULTING IN DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WITH AN ADULT SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CONSTITUTES DANGEROUS FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. *TR