2015 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Seat belt or seat problems
- 25owner reports
- 65,000median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Dec 5, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
25 of the 607 complaints on this car describe seat belt.
Tick what matches of 25 reports
Seat belt 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: 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This group covers the belt and the seat it's bolted to: buckles that won't latch or won't let go, belts that lock up and won't pull out, and seats that shift or rock in their tracks. It's a wide bucket, with over 9,000 complaints across the vehicles on this site, and a quarter of them mention a recall.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the buckle (4 reports) and the seat frame or track (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the seats covers the 2015 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the seats on the Forester
Seat belt anchorage separation. Closed mar 26, 1999.
None of these investigations covers the 2015 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 40,125 and 80,000 miles, from the 11 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2015 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 bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of a squeaking sound originating from where the front seat belt buckle assembly attaches to the seat frame.
This Service Information Bulletin provides a revised troubleshooting procedure and tips to follow when diagnosing a DTC B1650- ?Occupant Classification System Malfunction?.
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.
This bulletin announces a design change made to the front seat outer hinge cover trim panels. In some cases, when exiting the vehicle, the trim panel may inadvertently get kicked and become dislodged from the seat cushion assembly.
What owners wrote
“Front passenger seat doesn't detect passenger. Airbags off and come up with warning signs stating that they are off. "SRS airbag system needs to be checked."”
Filed Dec 6, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 25 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 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
- Airbag warning light or recall 99 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 79 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 66 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 35 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 27 reports
- Wheel bearing, tires or wheels 25 reports