2016 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Airbag warning light or recall
- 99owner reports
- 40,100median miles
- $1,211median quote
- 9involved a crash
Newest report Sep 16, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
99 of the 414 complaints on this car describe airbag, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2016 Forester.
Narrower sheets: Passenger airbag sensor problems (49 reports) · Takata airbag inflator recall (37 reports)
Tick what matches of 99 reports
Airbag 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
Airbag complaints split into a few kinds. The most common is an airbag warning light that won't go out. Others involve the passenger seat sensor switching the passenger bag off with an adult sitting there, an airbag that didn't deploy in a crash, or one that went off without a crash at all. A large share also come from owners waiting on a recall part.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (53 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the airbags covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.
All 3 recalls on the 2016 Subaru Forester, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Forester
Occupant detection system (ods) failure. Closed jan 22, 2020, led to recall 19V-701.
What owners paid
25 of the 99 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,000 to $1,500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 55,000 miles, from the 45 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2016 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
“The passenger ods is not working right causing an error state of the airbags which is a safety hazard as they will not deploy in the event of a car accident.”
Filed Jun 1, 2025
“My 2016 subaru forester has Issue with the passenger side front airbag ODS and the. SRS light go on even if my car had been fixed on 2020 after recall. The airbag has a heavy safety an really important on person. Subaru need. to fix it completely and permanently not temporary.”
Filed May 22, 2025
“ODS failure on passenger side impacting air bag. Cost to repair is prohibitive, $1922.97. Complete seat needs to be replaced. There was never any damage to the seat.”
Filed Mar 14, 2024
“With car engine running and adult sitting in passemger seat, the passenger airbag on-off orange warning light will flicker between "on" and "off".”
Filed Jul 6, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 9 of 99 reports involved a crash and 7 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 Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 42 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 35 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 29 reports
- Seat belt or seat problems 27 reports