2016 Subaru Forester airbag problems
114 of the 414 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Forester name the airbags (NHTSA’s “Air Bags” heading — airbags, their sensors and warning lights). Filed under the same heading: 22 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the airbags
Source: NHTSA complaint database9 of the 114 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 7 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2018: 17 · 2019: 39 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2026: 10
Half of the 55 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the airbag problem between 30,000 and 52,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
414 complaints in all about the 2016 Subaru Forester, 10 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Air Bags” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Subaru Forester airbag problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the airbags. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Subaru is knowingly building its cars with faulty passenger side air bag sensors which will randomly turn off the air bag while the passenger seat is occupied under normal life driving conditions.
Passenger side air bags shuts off while passenger is in the seat while driving. Reported to Subaru and was told seat covers and phone charging cables might be causing the problem .
The passenger side airbag will not deploy if there is a cushion on the seat. This was not explained to me until after I complained and I was then told that I should have read the owner's manual.
Keep getting message "SRS airbag system needs to be checked" while driving. The passenger airbag turns off when message displays. When the message comes up, it will stay for a few hours to a few days. My passenger is left without protection in case of an accident
My Subaru has experienced a malfunction of the passenger air bag restraint system since july of 2017. I took the vehicle to the dealer where I purchased it in 2016, joseph Subaru in florence, ky on august 2, 2017. The technician diagnosed a switch malfunction under the passenger seat.
What is on file about the airbags
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 19V701000 HighOct 3, 2019 · 366,282 vehicles
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
NHTSA investigation
- PE19009 Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failureopened Aug 6, 2019 · closed Jan 22, 2020
- The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19-009 to investigate 51 complaints and additional Early Warning Report (EWR) data related to allegations of front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) malfunctions in model year (MY) 2016 through 2018 Subaru Forester vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type ODS, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as e…
22 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Subaru Forester names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Subaru Forester
Source: the same files- electrical problems 94 complaints
- engine problems 60 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 51 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre airbag problems common on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 114 owner complaints naming the airbags on this model year (28% of everything owners filed about it), and 22 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the airbags on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 19V701000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do airbag problems show up on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 40,100 miles; half of them between 30,000 and 52,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Air Bags" heading cover?
Airbags, their sensors and warning lights. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.