NHTSA Complaint #11315916 — 2016 SUBARU FORESTER

THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF A FAULTY "OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM". THE INDICATOR WOULD CHANGE FROM ON TO OFF RANDOMLY. THEN THERE WAS AN OFFICIAL RECALL, BUT NO FIX WAS AVAILABLE AND THEY INSTRUCTED TO WAIT UNTIL THE DEALERS CONTACTED US. A COUPLE OF MONTHS, TIRED OF WAITING TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FRONT SEAT OF THE CAR, I CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA. THEY TOLD ME THE REPLACEMENT WAS AVAILABLE. DEALER HAD TO GET PARTS AND INSTALLED IT. IT SEEMS NOW IT STILL DOES NOT WORK UNDER OUR TYPICAL USE CASE. WE FOUND OUT WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE. A DIFFERENT OCCUPANCY DETECTION SENSOR IN THE REPLACEMENT WORKS USING AN "ELECTROSTATIC" METHOD. MY WIFE WAS USING A STANDARD RELATIVELY THIN SEAT CUSHION THAT APPARENTLY PREVENTS THE NEW SENSOR FROM WORKING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY TO AUTOMOBILE PASSENGERS WHO DRIVE IN CARS EQUIPPED WITH SUCH EQUIPMENT. NOWHERE IN THE MANUAL (OR THE RECALL PAPERWORKS) IS THERE A NOTE TO NOT USE A SEAT CUSHION OF ANY KIND. IT ALSO WOULD NOT BE INTUITIVE TO THINK THIS WOULD BE A HAZARD FROM A PASSENGERS PERSPECTIVE. YOU COULD HAVE AN IMPALE SETTING ON THE CAR THAT JUST ENDS IT FOR YOU (FOR THOSE NO HELMET BIKERS). IT WOULD SIMILARLY BE DEEMED ACCEPTABLE, SO LONG AS THERE IS AN INDICATOR LIGHT THAT SAYS "IMPALER ACTIVE" FOR PEOPLE GET TO IMPALED BY THE VEHICLE WHEN THE AI SYSTEM GATHERS THEIR PREFERENCE IS DNR IN AN ACCIDENT VIA THEIR MUSIC SELECTION. MANY PEOPLE WOULDNT THINK TO LOOK AT THE AIRBAG ON OR OFF LIGHT. ALSO YOU CAN USE A SEAT CUSHION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHICH FURTHER CONFUSES THINGS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN TERMS OF HAVING ANY IDEA THAT A CUSHION IS ENDANGERING THEM. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO PROTECT CHILDREN, BUT WHO PUTS THEIR KIDS OR BABY SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT THESE DAYS? THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO TURN THE BAG ON OR OFF, OR AT LEAST ON SO THAT YOU CAN OVERRIDE A FAULTY SENSOR