NHTSA Complaint #11025147 — 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH MY MOTHER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN I SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD HAD COME ON. I THEN LOOKED AT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT AND NOTICED THAT IT WAS IN THE "OFF" POSITION. IT CONCERNED ME THAT MY PASSENGER WAS NOT BEING DETECTED BY THE AIRBAG SENSOR, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DESTINATION AND THEN SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT TO SEE IF THE AIRBAG SENSOR WOULD DETECT MY PASSENGER, WHICH IT DID NOT. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT WAS FAULTY AND, AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1000. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE SENSOR CAN BE RENDERED INEFFECTIVE BY LIQUID SPILLS, THOUGH I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF EVER SPILLING ANYTHING LIQUID ON THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THIS CAR. I THEN LOOKED ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR SUBARU, AND THAT SUBARU ACTUALLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR 32,000 2012 SUBARU IMPREZAS (HTTP://BLOG.CARANDDRIVER.COM/SUBARU-RECALLS-32000-IMPREZAS-FOR-AIRBAG-SENSORS/). UNFORTUNATELY, AS WAS EXPLAINED BY MY DEALER, MY PARTICULAR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. THE DEALER'S SERVICE REPS EXPLAINED THAT IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH A PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE AS IS, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT, AS THE SENSOR MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATELY DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A PASSENGER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, AND ONE WHICH I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO FIX, CONSIDERING THAT THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A RECALL AFFECTING THE EXACT SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR CAR THAT I DRIVE. SINCE SEEING THE DEALER, I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ONCE MORE. I WAS DRIVING CITY STREETS WITH A PASSENGER, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WAS "OFF."