NHTSA Complaint #10672345 — 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA

DRIVING DOWN MOUNTAIN AFTER DAY OF SKIING. ROADS WERE TREACHEROUS AND ICY. 20 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE, DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHTS TURNED ON, INDICATING THAT AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF A COLLISION. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER I WAS WEARING A DAMP BATHING SUIT WHILE DRIVING AND THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED, INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, I WAS DRIVING ON A HOT DAY WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. I WAS SWEATING QUITE A BIT AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON MY SUBARU IMPREZA TURNED ON YET AGAIN. THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT UP WITH THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT SIMPLY RESET THE SENSOR, NOT SOLVING THE ISSUE OR COMPREHENDING THE SEVERITY OF THIS ISSUE. THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR IN THE SEAT MUST HAVE FAULTED AND TURNED OFF THE AIRBAGS WHEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF SNOW/WATER/SWEAT ON MY REAR CAUSED A FAULT IN THE ELECROSTATIC SENSOR. THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR IS AN ELECTROSTATIC SENSOR THAT WILL FAULT WHEN IT SENSES AN ARBITRARY AMOUNT OF MOISTURE. AN INTERNAL MEMO IN AUGUST 2012 FROM SUBARU TO IT'S DEALERS IN NORTH AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT NOT SOLVED THIS PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAGS NOT ENGAGING WHEN THE SEAT IS WET. FROM SUBARU'S INTERNAL MEMO: "WHEN WATER OR ANYTHING WITH HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT IS SPILLED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION, THE AIRBAG IS DESIGNED TO REMAIN OFF UNTIL THE SEAT CUSHION IS DRY". *TR