Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Subaru Impreza submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The passenger occupancy detection system is not working, so the passenger air bag is not coming on even when I have an adult passenger. Sometimes, it will register that there is an adult in the seat, but the air bag will not come on, but other times, it doesn't even detect someone is sitting there.
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.
PERIODICALLY THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" SIGN ILLUMINATES EVEN THOUGH SOMEONE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM ENTERPRISE RENTAL SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION. SOMEHOW THEIR MECHANIC GOT LIGHT TO GO OFF. PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED BUT DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION UNTIL NOW. MY DAUGHTER WILL BE DRIVING THE CAR. DO NOT TRUST THE AIRBAG OR SEAT SENSOR.ON PASSENGER SIDE.
THE PASSENGER'S SEAT OCS MALFUNCTIONS WITH TERRIFYING FREQUENCY. THE CAR WILL BE IN MOTION WITH THE PASSENGER'S SEAT OCCUPIED AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD. ONCE AGAIN WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS DETAILING THE SAME EXPERIENCE. SUBARU HAS RECALLED OTHER CARS FOR THIS PROBLEM. MY 2013 IMPREZA NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED AS WELL.
SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR DOES NOT REGISTER ADULT HUMAN MALE, GETS TRIPPED IF CELL PHON E IS IN PROXIMITY TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. FRONT AIRBAG IS THEREFORE OFF AND WILL NOT GO OFF IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. THIS OCCURS IF THE FRONT PASSENGER HAS A LAPTOP OR CELLPHONE. UPON INSPECTION BY DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE SENSOR IS BROKEN BUT DUE TO WATER DAMAGE WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED - IF A DAMP USER IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO SENSOR I BELIEVE SUBARU IS PURPOSEFULLY RELEASING POORLY DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED PARTS. THIS ISSUES FIRST APPEARED IN 2017 AND WAS INTERMITTENT AND IS NOT OCCURRING EVERY TIME A PASSENGER RIDES WITH ME.
RECALL IN OTHER IMPREZA IN SAME YEAR MODEL, BUT NOT MINE SPECIFICALLY. SAME ISSUE OCCURS WITH AIRBAG OCCUPANCY SENSOR IN PASSENGER SEAT. AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON WITH ANY AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN PASSENGER SEAT, AIRBAG HOWEVER DOES NOT TURN ON. STAYS OFF WITH PASSENGER IN SEAT. THIS WAS RECALLED IN MANY OTHER 2012-2014 IMPREZA. SUBARU CONFIRMED THAT PASSENGER OCCUPANCY IN MY IMPREZA IS SAME PART AS OCCUPANY SENSOR RECALLED IN OTHER IMPREZA. I WAS SOLD THIS CAR BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WITH THIS ISSUE (NOT THE COMPANY LISTED ON THE RECEIPTS PROVIDED). HAD TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED FOR INSPECTION. HAVE TO REPLACE SEAT BOTTOM, ALMOST $700 FOR SEAT ALONE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND UNFAIR. SUBARU ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BY GIVING ME $500 GOODWILL REPAIR CERTIFICATE, BUT NOT FULL PRICE OF REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED IN MANY OTHER VEHICLES.
WARNING LAMPS FOR STABILITY CONTROL AIR BAG RANDOMLY LIGHT UP ON MY DASH BOARD PANEL. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL ALSO SWITCH TO OFF EVEN WHEN A PASSER IS SITTING IN THE SEAT OR THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WARNING SOUND WILL GO OFF IF A SMALL OBJECT IS PLACED ON THE SEAT. MY MECHANIC CAN'T FIND THE ISSUE AS I CANNOT RECREATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CAUSE THE LAMPS TO SWITCH ON OR THE WARNING SIREN TO CHIME. COMPUTER READINGS DO NOT RETURN ANY "CODES" IF THE LAMPS AREN'T ON.
ON A HOT, LONG DRIVE WITH A SWEATY FRIEND IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNED OFF ACCORDING TO THE DASH INDICATOR. THE AIRBAG ERROR INDICATOR ALSO TURNED ON. IT WAS A LONG, HIGHWAY DRIVE AND OUTDOOR TEMPERATURES WERE 80-100F, THOUGH I WAS RUNNING AC INSIDE.
THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR THAT CONTROLS AIRBAG IS FAULTY. SOMETIMES WITH A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL GO ON INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IS DISABLED EVEN THOUGH PASSENGER IS IN SEAT AND BELTED. THIS CAN ALWAYS BE RESET BY TURNING IGNIOTION OFF AND ON AGAIN. ALSO SENSOR INCORRECTLY THINKS THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT EVEN WHEN VERY LIGHT PACKAGES OR GROCERIES ARE ON THE SEAT WEIGHING 2-12 POUNDS. I'VE CALLED SUBARU AND THEY CLAIM SENSOR IS SET TO 27 PUNDS OR MORE, WHICH IS CLEARLY NOT WORKING HERE. SUBARU WILL NOT FIX THIS UNDER WARRANTY SO I THINK NHTSA SHOULD LOOK AT ALL THE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS HERE AND INVESTIGATE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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