2012 Subaru Impreza Air Bags & Restraints Problems

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics and the contact was informed that there was a defective gasket on the transfer case and the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced. The contact stated that while a relative was seated in the front passenger’s seat, the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic where a code reader determined that there was a defect with the front passenger’s side air bag sensor. A dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was made to have the vehicle serviced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Over the past three months, the front driver and passenger airbag lights have been on in my 2012 Subaru Impreza while driving. Documented videos attached were on 01/11/23, 01/20/23, and 04/04/23. It has happened at least 6 times and possibly more. I contacted Subaru after it happened and took it to the local Subaru dealer, who advised me to bring the car in when the airbag light was on, as at my 1/17/23 visit, they could not figure out the cause of the airbag light. On 4/4/23, while driving on the expressway, the airbag light came on, and as advised, I drove it straight to the local dealership. Code B1650 was pulled off the airbag system, which I am told could be 3 different reasons. On 4/10/23, I contacted Subaru Customer Advocacy and said the local dealer's solutions were unacceptable and to wait and see. Again on 4/12/23, while my daughter was driving on the expressway with my son in the passenger seat, the airbag lights on again for both the passenger and driver. As I told Subaru on 4/10/23, this Subaru Impreza is unsafe to drive, and the airbags would not deploy in the case of an accident with both airbag lights on. This is a very dangerous situation that could end up with some very dire consequences. The ODS system was previously replaced under NHTSA #15V419000, but it appears that the recall part may also be defective. The passenger seat has not been altered or wet to cause malfunctions. It is a defect in the Subaru airbag system.

I just bought this car. I looked recall history. I saw that one of the recalls for this car was faulty (ODS)occupants detection system and the record showed that it is fixed. However, I just found out today that ODS system is still faulty.

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS OFF AT ALL TIMES. I AM PRESUMING IT IS NOT FUNCTIONING. IT USED TO TURN ON AND OFF IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND I WAS ABLE TO FIX IT FOLLOWING THE MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS BUT NOW IT IS PERMANENTLY OFF.

PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY REMAINS OFF WHEN PASSENGER IS SEATED IN FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. SOMETIMES IT APPEARS TO OPERATE NORMALLY, BUT ABOUT HALF THE TIME THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATES OFF WHEN IT SHOULD BE ON. VEHICLE MOTION DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER, WET CONDITIONS DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER EITHER. UNKNOWN WHETHER THIS IS A PASSENGER DETECTION MALFUNCTION OR A PASSENGER AIRBAG MALFUNCTION.

THE AIRBAG SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT TURNS OF AT RANDOM TIMES WHEN THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED BY A FULL-SIZED ADULT. IT TYPICALLY OCCURS ON A LONG DRIVE, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED DURING CITY DRIVING. IT ALWAYS OCCURS WHEN THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. THE PROBLEM CLOSELY MATCHES THE DESCRIPTION OF THE 2015 RECALL ON THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH THE SUBARU RECORDS SHOW THAT THE REQUIRED REPAIR IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECALL WAS MADE ON MY VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THE CURRENT PROBLEMS MAY BE CAUSED BY A WATER SPILL, BUT I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF THIS OCCURRING, AND A SAFETY SYSTEM IN A CAR THAN COULD NOT WITHSTAND A SMALL SPILL IS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE AND POORLY DESIGNED.

PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR WILL SHOW OFF EVEN THOUGH A PASSENGER IS SEATED. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.

FRONT PASSENGER ODS MALFUNCTIONS EXACTLY PER THE DESCRIPTION LISTED IN RECALL #WQT-55 UNDER SAFETY CAMPAIGN 15V419000 AND HAD MADE PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO HAVE IT ADDRESSED FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS NOW THROUGH SUBARU. HOWEVER MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED JUST OUTSIDE OF THE MANUFACTURING DATE RANGE OF THE RECALL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS OTHER OUTSTANDING RECALL ITEMS AND ASKED TO HAVE ISSUE DIAGNOSED FOR THE ODS. TECHNICIANS FOUND CODE B1650, WHICH MATCHES ONE OF THE DTCS OF THE RECALL. CALLED SUBARU CORPORATE AGAIN TO REQUEST THE MALFUNCTION BE ADDRESSED AND THEY COULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR OF THE ODS AS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE MANUFACTURING DATE RANGE. A COPY OF THE SUBARU RECALL HAS BEEN ATTACHED WITH THIS MESSAGE FOR REFERENCE. *TR

I VERY RARELY DETAIL MY VEHICLE. ONLY ONCE WHEN I BOUGHT IT IN 2013 AND AGAIN RECENTLY. BOTH TIMES, THE SEATS WERE STILL WET FROM THE DETAILING PROCESS WHEN I PICKED IT UP. BOTH TIMES, WHILE SOMEONE WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE IT WAS STILL SLIGHTLY WET, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS SHOWED THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS NOT ON. IT DIDN'T MATTER IF THE CAR WAS MOVING OR STATIONARY. ONCE THE SEAT DRIED, THE AIRBAG APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE ATTACHED PICTURE WHILE I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.

WHEN DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER THE AIR BAG FOR THE PASSENGER WILL NOT TURN ON AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL COME ON.

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF WITH A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE SEAT WHEN THE SEAT GETS WET WHEN SOMETHING IS SPILLED, OR WHEN THE PASSENGER SITS IN SEAT WITH DAMP/WET CLOTHES BECAUSE THEY GOT WET BECAUSE IT IS RAINING OUTSIDE. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WORKS PROPERLY WHEN THE SEAT DRIES OUT IN A FEW DAYS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES , MOST RECENTLY BEING A FEW WEEKS AGO. THE LIGHT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING OR STOPPED.

PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL INTERMITTENTLY TURN OFF AND AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. SEAT IS NOT WET. MY 2012 IMPREZA WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR BUT I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE AS THIS SENSOR FAILS QUITE OFTEN AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNS OFF EVEN WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT.

PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNS OFF WHILE THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED AT JOHN HOWARD SUBARU IN MORGANTOWN, WV. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND AN ISSUE. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST THREE TIMES TO ME AS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. I HAVE ATTACHED TWO PICTURES OF THE LIGHTS WHILE I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I WASN'T WETTHE INVOICE FROM THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED IS ATTACHED AS WELL. THE LAST OCCURRENCE OF THIS WAS JULY 14, 2019. THANKS

THE AIRBAG SYMBOL TURNS ON AT ALMOST RANDOM TIMES, INDICATING THAT THERE IS AN ERROR WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME I DRIVE, THE AIRBAG SYSTEM LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON DURING MY DRIVE, WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. SOMETIMES IF I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN IT BACK ON, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL TURN OFF - BUT THERE IS NO CONSISTENT PATTERN. TODAY THE LIGHT CAME ON, I PARKED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON THE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED.

LEASED FROM BIZZAROS THE CAR WAS INSPECTED WITH A BROKEN SEAT BELT THERE'S RECALLS THE CAR KEEPS EATING BEARINGS AND HUBS THE CAR IS SIMPLY NOT SAFE AND BIZZAROS TOLD ME NOTHINGNESS IS WRONG WITH IT THE POWER TRAIN BRAKES AND ROTORS AND TIRES WERE FILLED TO 69PSI WHEN GOT IT

MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERTKC19 - NHTSA RECALL NUMBER19V009000. VARIOUS SUBARU DEALERSHIPS ARE BOOKED THROUGH OCTOBER '19, AND JANUARY '20 IN THE MA AREA. THIS IS FORCING PEOPLE TO DRIVE WITH DEFECTIVE VEHICLES FOR FAR TO LONG. THE ONLY INFORMATION I COULD GET OUT OF THE PHONE REPS WAS THAT THEY ARE LIMITED TO HOW MANY OF THESE RECALLS THEY CAN PERFORM A DAY. THERE SHOULD BE NO LIMITS. IT'S UNSAFE FOR THE WAIT TIME TO BE 6 TO 9 MONTHS TO GET THE REPAIR FIXED.

THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR (ODS) CANNOT DETECT A PERSON WHEN SEATED IN THE PASSENGER. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH THE ENGINE ON AND OFF; WHILE IN MOTION AND ALSO WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE CENTER DASH REMAINS ILLUMINATED "OFF" ALSO, THE AIRBAG SYMBOL TURNS ON AT ALMOST RANDOM TIMES, INDICATING THAT THERE IS AN ERROR WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME I DRIVE, THE AIRBAG SYSTEM LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON DURING MY DRIVE, WHETHER I AM DRIVING ALONE OR WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. SOMETIMES IF I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN IT BACK ON, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL TURN OFF - BUT THERE IS NO CONSISTENT PATTERN.

PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT SHOWS PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED WHILE A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER THE CAR IS MOVING OR STOPPED. CAR IS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA 5-DOOR WAGON, BUILT 10/2011. I SEE 2012 IMPREZA SEDANS HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS THOSE, BUT MY CAR IS A 5-DOOR WAGON AND ISN'T ON THE RECALL LIST. PLEASE EXPAND THE RECALL.

PASSENGER AIR BAG TURNS OFF WHILE OCCUPANT IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ALSO SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN I PLUG MY PHONE CHARGER INTO THE CAR. ALONG WITH AIR BAG LIGHT GOING OFF, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN THE CAR POWERED DOWN WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY.

THE AIRBAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER DURING TRAVEL. THE PASSESGER AIRBAG DISPLAY IS ON AT THE START BUT THEN SWITCHES TO OFF WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING, AFTER AROUND 20 MINUTES OR MORE OF DRIVING. SO FAR, RESTARTING THE CAR HAS PUT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG BACK ON, BUT THIS REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO STOP AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN JUNE, ONCE IN JULY, AND NOW TWICE THIS WEEK (BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER). IN JUNE AND JULY WE WERE ON AN INTERSTATE GOING 70 MPH. THIS WEEK WE WERE DRIVING IN TOWN AT 40 MPH. THE CAR WAS MOVING STRAIGHT AT THE TIME. THE SEAT WAS NOT WET.