NHTSA Complaint #11232455 — 2015 SUBARU FORESTER

IN MAY 2019 THE AIRBAG SENSOR WARNING WENT ON UNEXPECTEDLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVER AND A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WERE IN IT AND THE CAR WAS IN MOTION GOING APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH ON A TOWN ROAD. ADDING EXTREME DANGER TO THIS SITUATION IS THE FACT THAT THE SENSOR TURNING ON MADE THE PASSENGER 'AIRBAG OFF' WARNING IMMEDIATELY LIGHT UP EVEN THOUGH A PERSON WAS IN THE SEAT WHEN IT HAPPENED, THE AIRBAG HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ON WITH THEM IN THE SEAT, AND THE CAR WAS MOVING. IT WAS CHECKED BY THE DEALER WHO SIMPLY CLEARED A CODE AND SUGGESTED A CELL PHONE COULD, PERHAPS, HAVE INTERFERED AND CAUSED THE SENSOR LIGHT TO GO ON. DEALER ALSO ALTERNATIVELY SUGGESTED THAT IF SOMEONE SPILLED SOMETHING THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED IT. (NOBODY SPILLED ANYTHING AND DEALER VERIFIED IN WRITING THAT NO STAIN WAS FOUND ON THE SEAT TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE.) OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT MONTH THE AIRBAG SENSOR RANDOMLY WENT ON (DANGEROUSLY CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO TURN OFF AGAIN, OFTEN DESPITE SOMEONE BEING IN THE SEAT!) IN THIS SAME MANNER SEVERAL TIMES. SOMETIMES THE CAR IS IN MOTION WHEN IT HAPPENS, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AND HAS CAUSED US TO STOP ALLOWING A HUMAN TO BE IN THE FRONT SEAT BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELY ON THE AIRBAG AT THIS POINT. OTHER TIMES, THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED AND WHEN I TURN IT ON THE AIRBAG SENSOR TURNS ON. TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER 7/11/19 HERE IS WHAT THEY STATED UNDER 'CAUSE' AND 'CORRECTION' ON OUR INVOICE: "...CODE B1760 STORED IN SYSTEM INSPECTED SEAT FOUND NO STAINS ON SEAT INSPECTED WIRING FOUND WIRING TO BE GOOD REC REPLACEMENT OF SEAT BOTTOM" AND "CUSTOMER HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT DUE TO NO ELECTRONICS BEING ON THE SEAT WHEN THE LIGHT AND FAULTS KEEP RETURNING REPLACEMENT OF SEAT BOTTOM (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR) IS THE NEXT STEP..." THEY ESTIMATE $1032.45. THE CAR IS JUST UNDER 90K MILES AND THUS, ACCORDING TO SUBARU, OUT OF WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM.