NHTSA Complaint #11149508 — 2018 SUBARU FORESTER

SOME TIME IN AUGUST 2018 I NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD RANDOMLY COME ON INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY NEW 2018 SUBARU FORESTER WAS TURNED OFF EVEN WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER WAS SEATED. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO AT FIRST COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT. IT HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW TIMES, AFTER WHICH I NOTIFIED THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE PASSENGER SIDE INDICATOR SWITCH WAS LIKELY FAULTY, AND AROUND OCTOBER 1, 2018 THEY ORDERED A REPLACEMENT PART. THE INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY (INDICATING THE BAG IS TURNED OFF) WHEN AN ADULT IS IN THE SEAT - I HAVE HAD THE PASSENGER SHIFT POSITIONS WHICH SOMETIMES TURNS IT BACK ON; I HAVE PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, HAD PASSENGER GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND GET BACK IN, TURN ON THE ENGINE AND SOMETIMES THAT TURNS THE BAG BACK ON. SOMETIMES THE INDICATOR SHOWS THE BAG IS ON (WITH PASSENGER IN SEAT) BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVE, THE BAG WILL SUDDENLY TURN OFF AND WE HAVE TO DO THE "IN-AND-OUT" DANCE TO GET THE BAG TO TURN ON AGAIN. AT LEAST ONE TIME, THE BAG TURNED ON WHEN NO ONE WAS IN THE SEAT! THESE THINGS HAPPEN SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS STILL IN PARK (BUT ENGINE TURNED ON), AND SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION. TOTALLY RANDOM. THIS OCCURS (SO FAR) DURING CITY DRIVING. THE DEALER ORIGINALLY SAID THE PART WOULD PROBABLY ARRIVE MID OCTOBER, THEN LATE OCTOBER, ETC. I CALLED SUBARU HQ AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE. THEY WILL "ATTEMPT TO EXPEDITE" BUT SAID THE PART IS "ON BACK ORDER" WITH ETA MID NOVEMBER, THEN LATE NOVEMBER "MAYBE," BUT THEY REALLY AREN'T SURE WHEN THEY CAN GET THE PART. IN THE MEAN TIME, I AM NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING WITH PASSENGERS IN THE FRONT SEAT WITHOUT PROPER PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH BOTH THE DEALER AND SUBARU HQ IN NJ REGARDING THIS ISSUE.