2015 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet

Passenger airbag sensor problems

49owner reports
72,000median miles
$1,032median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Jul 1, 2026 · checked Sep 19, 2026

49 of the 98 reports of airbag on the 2015 Forester describe passenger airbag sensor faults.

Part of Airbag warning light or recall (98 reports) · also: Takata airbag recall, airbag light on

Tick what matches of 49 reports

the passenger airbag light stays on

the seat sensor does not detect a passenger

a light object is read as a passenger

the passenger airbag is disabled

a code was found for the sensor

the seat cushion or foam was replaced

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (25 reports) and the seat cushion (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the airbags covers the 2015 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

19V-701Oct 3, 2019

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

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.

Risk and remedy

Risk: If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ODS sensor mat harness, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98.

NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Forester

PE19-009opened Aug 6, 2019

Airbags · model years 2016 to 2018

Occupant detection system (ods) failure. Closed jan 22, 2020, led to recall 19V-701.

NHTSA summary

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 either full-sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The complaints reported the ODS failed to operate properly, the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light illuminated, and/or the ODS incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied by a full-sized passenger. In a frontal crash that is sufficient to warrant deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat.On August 14, 2019 ODI sent an Information Request (IR) to Subaru requesting information on the subject vehicles and MY 2014-2015 Subaru Forester vehicles.On October 3, 2019, Subaru submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect in the passenger-side front airbag Occupant Detection System (ODS) harness of 366,282 MY 2015-2018 Subaru Forester vehicles equipped with seat heaters.The DIR stated that over time, due to a decrease in contact pressure between the terminals in the ODS sensor mat harness, a temporarily unstable electrical connection may be possible. If the connection is temporarily unsta

None of these investigations covers the 2015 model year.

What owners paid

10 of the 49 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $989 to $1,200.

$989$1,032$1,200

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 40,125 and 98,950 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.

115

1019

920

521

322

823

424

625

326

What owners wrote

“Passenger airbag sensor intermittently works and turns off when passenger is in the seat. Dashboard light for airbag is constantly on and passenger airbag is constantly off. Issues with seat sensor going off when no one is sitting in the passenger seat. Abs system error message. All identical to recall symptoms.”
Filed Dec 5, 2025

“Passenger airbag says to be checked. Was a recall previously fixed in 2020. Same issue is arising and dealership will not fix for free Passenger airbag is off even with person sitting in it with seatbelt buckled”
Filed Oct 22, 2024

“The passenger airbag kept turning off while someone was sitting ðª n the seat. It would turn off intermittently, but then turned off for a very extended period. Photo attached is a screenshot of a video we took while driving.”
Filed Aug 7, 2024

“The error message for air bag/seat belt warning comes on and off. It turns the passenger side air bag to off. It seems to be activated by weight on the seat.”
Filed Dec 1, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 49 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.