2012 Subaru Impreza Airbags Problems

The Airbag warning light has been lit within the dashboard. The front passenger seat airbag is faulty and is not able to correctly sense when a passenger is within the seat or not, which disables the airbags. This can be deadly to the passenger if in an accident. The issue seems to be in the ODS passenger seat mat that determines when the airbag is active or not. If moisture is able to get within the mat, then it can short the circuit and cause airbags to not deploy. My car was "supposed" to already been fixed with the issue in 2015 on the recall #WQT55, NHTSA Campaign 15V419000, but I don't believe the underlying issue was fixed correctly or the same part has failed again. Looking further into recalls, the exact same issue is happening again with Subarus with #WRA-24 and NHTSA campaign 24V227. The dealer has asked me to pay over $1700 on to replace this part. Subaru America should fully cover the cost of any Passenger ODS issue especially when there have already been two recalls with the exact same issue.

NHTSA ID

11634194

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11613051

Incident

Aug 21, 2024

Mileage

88,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11516870

Incident

Jan 11, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11486147

Incident

Sep 23, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11374738

Incident

Oct 1, 2020

Mileage

134,750 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11373771

Incident

Oct 30, 2020

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

NHTSA ID

11343975

Incident

Jun 24, 2020

Mileage

102,500 mi

THE AIRBAG SENSOR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT DOES NOT DETECT A PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE SENSOR WILL TURN OFF THE AIRBAG, WHILE A PASSENGER IS OCCUPYING THE SEAT. MOST OF THE TIME BETWEEN 30-45 MINUTES AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

11339679

Incident

Jan 6, 2016

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.

NHTSA ID

11339386

Incident

Jul 1, 2020

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

NHTSA ID

11330107

Incident

Jun 22, 2020

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.

NHTSA ID

11300882

Incident

Jan 17, 2020

Mileage

109,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11288490

Incident

Dec 8, 2019

Mileage

5 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11268343

Incident

Sep 30, 2019

Mileage

52,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11245971

Incident

Jul 14, 2019

Mileage

86,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11244215

Incident

Aug 10, 2019

Mileage

110,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11208472

Incident

May 18, 2019

Mileage

79,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11194648

Incident

Apr 8, 2019

Mileage

40,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11181995

Incident

Feb 22, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V419000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF CORVALLIS (LOCATED AT 800 NW 5TH ST, CORVALLIS, OR 97330, (541) 754-1515) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11144997

Incident

Nov 17, 2016

Mileage

102,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11141154

Incident

Oct 17, 2018

Mileage

130,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11129864

Incident

Sep 16, 2018

Mileage

75,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11124409

Incident

Sep 3, 2018

Mileage

92,600 mi

OCCUPANT DETECTION SUSTEM ON PASSENGER SIDE MALFUNCTION, DOES NOT ALWAYS RECOGNIZE PASSENGER. SOMETIME S IT STOPS WORKING IN MIDDLE OF TRIP. HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, BUT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT AND DOES NOT ALWAYS RESOLVE WITH RESTARTING CAR. HAS TO DO WITH CAPACITANCE DETECTION, BUT SO FAR SUBARU DEALERS I CONTACT ACT LIKE IT'S NOT AN ISSUE THOUGH EARLIER MODEL APPARENTLY HAS RECALL FOR EXACT ISSUE. AND NO THE PASSENGER ISN'T WET. HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER A YEAR AND WE HAVE PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED CAR, BUT ON RECENT TRIP IT WAS MUCH WORSE. AND SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING ANYWAY!

NHTSA ID

11120825

Incident

Aug 16, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM. WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT THE AIRBAG SIGN WILL SAY PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF. THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING OR STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID

11118246

Incident

Aug 3, 2018

Mileage

64,000 mi

PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S AIR BAGS WILL SHOW DISABLED WHENEVER AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IS PRESENT ON THE PERSON IN THE SEAT. OCCURS IN ALL CONDITIONS. DOES NOT ENABLE AFTER REMOVING ELECTRONIC DEVICE FROM PERSON.

NHTSA ID

11113274

Incident

Jul 23, 2018

Mileage

130,000 mi