Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest May 27, 2006
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
9%
of 127 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2
What this page shows
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Subaru Outback submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.
Owner reports naming airbag
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Airbags
Filed May 27, 2006
Crash reported1 injury reported
MY CHILD CARE PROVIDER WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT. SHE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH IN WET/RAINY CONDITIONS WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HIT A TREE. THIS IMPACT CAUSED THE CAR TO SPIN AND HIT A SECOND TREE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END, THE PASSENGER DOOR AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE MOST DAMAGE WAS TO THE FRONT END AND THE DRIVER SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND SHE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS SUSTAINING A SEVERE HEAD INJURY. *JB
NHTSA ID
10158447
Incident
May 11, 2006
Mileage
120,000 mi
AirbagsOther / unspecified
Filed Jan 4, 2006
THE FRONT AIRBAGS ON MY 1998 SUBARU OUTBACK SPORT WENT OUT AT 76,000 MILES WITHOUT EVER DEPLOYING OR ANY OTHER INDICATORS. THE LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS THE ONLY SIGN THAT THE BAGS WERE NO LONGER WORKING. THE DEALER SAID TWO MODULES WENT OUT. THE ONE IN THE STEERING WHEEL WILL BE OVER $300 TO REPLACE AND THE ONE IN THE FLOOR OVER $700. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SAFETY FEATURES DON'T HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY. I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO HAVE THEM FIXED! *JB
NHTSA ID
10146907
Incident
Jun 15, 2005
Mileage
70,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Dec 11, 2004
Crash reported
DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE STRUCK STATIONARY OBJECT AT APROX. 15 MPH. AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. SIGNIFICANT FRONT END AND UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE. *JB
NHTSA ID
10102728
Incident
Sep 20, 2004
Mileage
43,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed Jun 29, 2004
Crash reported
WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A LIGHT POLE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S DESIGNATED REPAIR FACILITY. *AK THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY 2-3 MORE ACCELERATIONS IN WHICH THE VEHICLE GAINED SPEED EACH TIME. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE BEING SHIFTED INTO THE NEXT GEAR. *SC *JB
NHTSA ID
10074014
Incident
May 15, 2004
Mileage
40,691 mi
Airbags
Filed Oct 21, 2002
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE AIR BAG COULD BE INOPERATIVE IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
NHTSA ID
8021291
Incident
Oct 12, 2002
Airbags
Filed Mar 25, 2002
Crash reported1 injury reported
VEHICLE HIT AN EMBANKMENT AT 15 MPH, AND AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. CONSUMER SUFFERED NECK AND KNEE INJURIES.*AK
NHTSA ID
8006336
Incident
Mar 20, 2002
Airbags
Filed Mar 9, 2001
AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER SAID MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER CONCERNED THAT AIRBAGS WON'T WORK.*AK THE AIR BAG MODULE WAS REPLACED. *YH
NHTSA ID
882573
Incident
Feb 26, 2001
Airbags
Filed Jan 2, 2001
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, HOWEVER THE AIRBAGS EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT. *SLC
NHTSA ID
558534
Incident
Dec 1, 2000
Airbags
Filed Feb 1, 1999
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING ACCIDENT. YH
NHTSA ID
608910
Incident
Mar 5, 1998
Airbags
Filed Jan 21, 1999
Crash reported
THE VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A TRUCK THAT HIT VEHICLE AT 50MPH, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S NOR PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CAR IS TOTALED. *AK
NHTSA ID
833806
Airbags
Filed Sep 4, 1998
MANUAL STATES THAT NO CHILD YOUNGER THAN AGE 12 BE SEATED IN FRONT BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE INJURY WHICH CAN OCCUR DURING DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG. CONCERN ABOUT AIR BAG SAFETY (OTHER THAN SHORT PERSON). ADDED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
NHTSA ID
780233
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own