2013 Subaru Impreza Air Bags & Restraints Problems

Air bags did not go off after a car accident with a commercial box truck, car seems to be totaled. Insurance is going to inspect vehicle to confirm it being totaled. No warning lights were on at the time. Just passed inspection a month a month ago.

The airbag indicator light on the driver’s dash is illuminated most times that I drive my car. The passenger airbag indicator shows that airbags are OFF, even when someone is seated in the passenger seat. This is a very serious safety concern. What if an accident occurred and the airbags don’t deploy? I’ve also read about a switch in the airbag assembly that could explode causing serious injury or death to the driver or passenger. The problem has not been confirmed or inspected but seems to be a problem with many Imprezas. It is the number 1 concern for 2013 Subaru Impreza owners.

When the front passenger seat is damp, the passenger airbag light shows it is off, and the dash lights display an error light on the dashboard. The concern is that the passenger is not protected while the airbag is not on.

Srs airbag light comes in dash when passenger is is car, airbags will not turn on for passenger side only. Research showed it is a common issue with 2012 and 2013 Subaru airbag systems and it is extremely concerning

Passenger side seat occupancy sensor failed to recognize the occupancy of the passenger seat. Sensor seams to have failed causing the airbag malfunction light to illuminate on the dash. After considerable research online this seems to be a consistent problem with these vehicles. The NHTSA has issued a recall for the same sensor in 2012 Subaru Imprezas but not for the 2013 Subaru Imprezas.

If a passenger with mildly damp pants or bathing suit sits in the car the airbag warning light will come on and the indicator for passenger airbag disabled will light. This happens consistently and does not require much moisture. It happens with a mildly damp bathing suit under shorts while sitting on a towel. It will not happen (again, consistently) if the passenger sits on a plastic bag. The airbag should be more reliable than this. The dealer said there is no fix for this issue and it is known that moisture may cause the airbag to not work. The customer advocacy dept of Subaru of America deferred to the dealer and just said there are no recalls for the vehicle. This appears to be the same issue as the 2012 recall. Subaru would not explain to me how my problem is any different from the 2012 recall problem.

The air bag light and “passenger airbag off” lights on dash come on sometimes when a passenger is in the car. I took my car to the Subaru dealer/service department and they charged me $140 to reset the lights and tell me the solution is to replace the passenger seat for $900.

In humid weather SRS airbag warning light illuminates and passenger airbag turns off even with passenger in the front seat. Car is in motion (or can be stationary but running) when this happens. Does not occur on days when weather is cool and dry. I feel this should be considered a very serious issue.

Airbag occupancy sensors fail if driver or passenger are warm from exercise or damp. I have experienced this many times in the course of my ownership(2015-present). The dealership reports the system is functioning properly although 2012 Imprezas were recalled for a similar issue.

When an adult passenger is sitting normally in the front passenger seat the passenger air bag regularly turns off. The warning light comes on indicating the air bag is off. This put the front passenger at risk if their air bag fails to deploy.

The seat bag indicator light in my 2013 Impreza (manual) goes on in humid weather -- all Fall, Winter, and Spring it's fine; as soon as humid summer weather comes... the light goes on. I assume that because the light is on the air bags won't work!!... This seems like a pretty bad problem to me; and from what I can see I am not the only one with this issue. Mileage if you need it is: 107005

I had my dealership investigate an issue with the passenger airbag in my 2013 Subaru Impreza. They diagnosed a short in the ODS module in the passenger front seat. The dealer stated they need to replace the passenger seat. After the diagnostic fee and labor, this would cost $1500. I did some research and discovered the ODS module was recalled in the 2012 Subaru Impreza, NHTSA Campaign ID 15V419000. The summary of that recall describes exactly what happened: "Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012 model year Subaru Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon vehicles (except WRX/STI models) manufactured April 21, 2011, to February 16, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may deactivate if a front seat passenger operates a device that is plugged into the power outlet such as a music player or cell phone, or touches a metal part of the vehicle such as the forward/rearward seat adjuster lever." My wife plugged her phone into the power outlet when the passenger seat airbag indicator switched to OFF.

THE AIRBAG INDICATOR SOMETIMES INDICATES "OFF" WHEN A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THIS IS INCONSISTENT AND IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS TO THE PASSENGER IF THE AIRBAG DOES NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE THE AIRBAG SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THIS IS SERIOUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. FYI: THIS HAPPENS ON START UP OR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND A PASSENGER GETS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE PASSENGER SIDE SOMETIMES SAYS "PASSENGER AIRBAG ON" INAPPROPRIATELY (NOBODY IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT). ALSO IT SOMETIMES SAYS "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" IF SOMEBODY IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I AM NERVOUS IF I GET IN A CRASH MY AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NO PROTECT MY PASSENGER. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ISSUED FOR 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA AIRBAG SYSTEMS, AND THE SAME SYSTEM IS USED IN THE 2013 MODEL, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS IS NOT BEING FIXED.

I RECENTLY BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN ISSUE WITH MY 2013 IMPREZA - IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE DETECTION SYSTEM WOULD FAILED TO DETECT THE PASSENGER, AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON, INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS NOT ACTIVATED. I HAD THE ISSUE DIAGNOSED WHILE IN FOR MY REGULAR MAINTENANCE, AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A MALFUNCTION OF THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM. OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW MONTHS, THE FREQUENCY OF THE ISSUE INCREASED, TO THE POINT THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS RARELY ACTIVATED. I UNDERSTAND THE OCCUPANCY DETECTION SYSTEM IS UNDER RECALL FOR SUBARU'S FORESTER MODEL; THOUGH MY SEATS ARE NOT HEATED, AND MY CAR IS SLIGHTLY OLDER, MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME MALFUNCTION, I BELIEVE IT TOO SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL AND REPAIRED BY SUBARU.

THE FRONT AIRBAG PASSENGER SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS. IT TURNS THE AIRBAG OFF WHILE A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, BOTH ON CITY STREETS AND ON THE HIGHWAY. RESTARTING THE CAR AND REPOSITIONING THE SEAT DOES NOT RELIABLY TURN THE SEATBELT BACK ON. THIS HAPPENS EVEN WHEN THE SEAT IS DRY.

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON I-10 ON 11/27/2019 AT 2 PM. I WAS TRAVELING AT 60- TO 65 MPH AND HIT A SUV THAT HAD STOPPED IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ( PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE) I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO SUBARU AND SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HELPFUL. I RECEIVED CONTUSIONS FROM MY RIGHT HIP TO MY LEFT CLAVICLE BUT NO BROKEN BONES.

THE PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM HAS FAILED. WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIRBAG IS NOT ACTIVATED AND THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT.

SOMETIMES WHILE I'M DRIVING AND WHEN A PERSON IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIR BAG RANDOMLY TURNS OFF. ALSO TWICE THE SEAT BELT ALARM HAS SOUNDED WHILE I'M DRIVING AND NON ONE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAD THE ISSUE CHECKED OUT AT THE DEALER TODAY AND THE SENSOR IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A $800 PLUS COST TO ME. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE SAME SENSOR THAT WAS RECALLED ON THE 2012 MODELS.

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DISABLED BECAUSE THE UNDER SEAT SENSOR IS FAULTY IN 2013 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $154.95 JUST TO READ THE CODE TO EXPLAIN THE FAULT. CODES B1760 AND B1761 INDICATE THE "SENSOR MAT IS ABNORMAL." TECH RECOMMENDS TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM. THE ISSUE IS THAT THIS COSTS $1181.85 TO REPLACE. SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL BECAUSE MANY OF US ARE PUTTING OUR PASSENGERS AT UNREASONABLE RISK DUE TO A FAULTY SENSOR INSTALLED BY SUBARU. THE COST TO REPLACE IT IS EXTORTIONATE. I LOVE MY CAR AND I HOPE THAT SUBARU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND HELP RESTORE MY TRUST IN THEIR SAFETY RECORD.