2016 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet
Takata airbag inflator recall
- 37owner reports
- 55,000median miles
- $1,211median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 16, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
37 of the 99 reports of airbag on the 2016 Forester describe Takata airbag recall.
Part of Airbag warning light or recall (99 reports) · also: passenger airbag sensor faults
Tick what matches of 37 reports
Takata airbag recall 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 is the narrower sheet inside airbag problems for complaints about inflator recalls, Takata's above all. Many owners here aren't describing a failure they've seen. They're describing a recall notice, a dealer who doesn't have the part, and the question of whether the car is safe to drive in the meantime.
What got replaced
Few of these reports name the part that was replaced.
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
17 of the 37 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 36,100 and 60,000 miles, from the 10 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Iâm 2016 Subaru Forester owner [XXX]. I know there was a recall for airbag. My passenger seat has Defective airbag sensor. The SRS lights comes ON even when the passenger is sitting on the seat. Hopefully there is a repair for the problem. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”
Filed Jul 30, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 37 reports involved a crash and 1 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