2014 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Passenger airbag sensor problems
- 29owner reports
- 98,000median miles
- $1,100median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Apr 24, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
29 of the 56 reports of airbag on the 2014 Forester describe passenger airbag sensor faults.
Part of Airbag warning light or recall (56 reports)
Tick what matches of 29 reports
Passenger airbag sensor faults on other Forester years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside airbag problems for the passenger seat sensor, the system that decides whether the front passenger airbag should be on or off. Owners here see a "passenger airbag off" light with an adult in the seat, or an airbag warning that comes on when someone sits down.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (20 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the airbags covers the 2014 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Forester
Occupant detection system (ods) failure. Closed jan 22, 2020, led to recall 19V-701.
None of these investigations covers the 2014 model year.
What owners paid
14 of the 29 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $900 to $1,200.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 60,000 and 140,000 miles, from the 16 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2014 Subaru Forester that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This Service Information bulletin provides a procedure for diagnosis of Occupant Detection System (ODS) DTC B1760- Sensor Mat Abnormal and/or B1650- Occupant Classification System Malfunction.
What owners wrote
No report on this problem is short enough to quote in full.
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 29 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 90 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 27 reports