2017 Subaru Forester airbag problems
197 of the 587 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester name the airbags (NHTSA’s “Air Bags” heading — airbags, their sensors and warning lights). Filed under the same heading: 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 database14 of the 197 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 14 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 3 · 2018: 28 · 2019: 76 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 13 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 13 · 2025: 22 · 2026: 16
Half of the 104 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the airbag problem between 15,000 and 42,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
587 complaints in all about the 2017 Subaru Forester, 16 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.
Passenger air bag light remains off when passenger seat is occupied, or turns off after seat has been occupied for several minutes. This results in SRS airbag error light on dash illuminating. Dealer claims "seat was wet" and it will resolve itself when seat is dry. Seat has never been wet - no spills, no wet swimsuits, nothing.
Front passenger airbag warning light comes on intermittently, either on start up or while driving, stays on for hours or days at a time, unrelated to whether the seat is occupied or not. When it is on, passenger seat belt light indicates it is not fastened even if it is. The seat has never had spills, rain or otherwise wet.
SRS airbag system light comes on intermittently since may 2018. Occurs while the car is in motion with or without front passenger. Light will turn on several hours into the drive or after several minutes. Usually when I start the car the light is not on. By the time I could get to the dealer the light was no longer on.
There is an intermittent problem where the passenger air bag is disabled. I have had the dealership look at the problem and they claim Subaru knows about it and it is caused by a sensor getting wet in some fashion. The front passenger seat is never wet when the problem occurs.
SRS airbag system needs to be checked light is on and passage air bag off indicator shows off. The dealership ordered replacement part which has been on back order since sept. 9, 2017. Problem started in sept.
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…
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Subaru Forester names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2017 Subaru Forester
Source: the same files- electrical problems 106 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre airbag problems common on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 197 owner complaints naming the airbags on this model year (34% of everything owners filed about it), and 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 2017 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 2017 Subaru Forester?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 26,000 miles; half of them between 15,000 and 42,000. 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.