2018 Subaru Forester · symptom sheet

Passenger airbag sensor problems

52owner reports
14,000median miles
$1,216median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Sep 22, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

52 of the 97 reports of airbag on the 2018 Forester describe passenger airbag sensor faults.

Part of Airbag warning light or recall (97 reports) · also: Takata airbag recall, airbag light on

1 recall on this systemcovering the 2018 model year

No crash reportedin 52 reports

NHTSA investigation1 covering the 2018

Tick what matches of 52 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

Passenger airbag sensor faults on other Forester years

201429 reports 201549 reports 201649 reports 201798 reports 201852 reports

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.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (18 reports) and the seat cushion (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the airbags covers the 2018 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

An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may loosen.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 19V-701

All 3 recalls on the 2018 Subaru Forester, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

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.

What owners paid

8 of the 52 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $900 to $1,483.

$900$1,216$1,483

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

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 8,300 and 35,000 miles, from the 13 reports that gave a mileage.

What owners wrote

“I receive a warning light and the passenger air bag does not turn on when I have a passenger in the front seat.”
Filed Apr 27, 2024

“Repeatedly the passenger air bag turns off during road trips (warning lights turn on) with passenger in front seat. This will be my second complaint because I felt you all needed time to add my cars VIN to your recall list. Anytime we are in the car and it is deactivated it puts the passenger at risk if an accident would occur.”
Filed Sep 12, 2021

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 52 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 Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works