NHTSA Complaint #11140290 — 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

MY 2014 SUBARU FORESTER 2.0 XT HAS HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON. ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT. WHEN NO ONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT THE SEATBELT WARNING WILL CHIME THE ENTIRE TIME I'M DRIVING, THEN EVENTUALLY THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT WILL COME ON AND I'LL RECEIVE AN INDICATOR TO HAVE IT CHECKED. UPON TAKING IT TO THE SUBARU DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD NEED AN ENTIRE BOTTOM SEAT AT THE COST OF $1,000 PLUS $400 FOR INSTALL. I WAS TOLD THE PART WOULD TAKE A MONTH TO COME IN AS IT HAS TO BE CUSTOM MADE. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON NONE OF MY AIRBAGS WOULD FUNCTION ON THE VEHICLE. WITH TWO CHILDREN I CAN'T BE DRIVING A CAR THAT DOESN'T HAVE WORKING AIR BAGS. I'VE BEEN BORROWING A FAMILY VEHICLE FOR THE LAST WEEK WHILE I TRY AND WORK WITH SUBARU CORPORATE TO GET THE COST OF THE REPAIR FIXED. IT SEEMS TO ME THERE SHOULD BE A CHEAPER OPTION TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER SENSOR THAT'S UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. I'VE ALSO READ ON SOME ONLINE FORUMS THAT APPLE PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR IPHONES LAID IN THE SEAT CAN IMPACT THIS SENSOR. THAT SEEMS LIKE AN ISSUE AS WELL. I'M HOPING SUBARU ENDS UP PAYING FOR MY SEAT OR COVERING PART OF THE REPAIR SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE A MALFUNCTION THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN EASY FIX, AND THE IMPACT OF THE MALFUNCTION IS TO NOT HAVE ANY FUNCTIONING AIRBAGS.