3.0

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
46,143 miles

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problem #14

Nov 062020

Impreza

  • 122,000 miles
When driving my vehicle the passenger airbag warning would go off with no passenger in the vehicle. When I have a passenger in my vehicle, the airbag sensor can't detect a passenger which is extremely dangerous. Also, for whatever reason the drivers seat isnt detecting a driver so the airbag light is on. After googling this issue I see that many other 2012 Subaru Impreza owners are having the same issue with no resolve.

- East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

problem #13

Feb 222019

Impreza

  • miles
The occupant detection sensor (ods) cannot detect a person when seated in the passenger. I have attempted to sit in the passenger seat with the engine on and off; while in motion and also when the car is stationary. The passenger air bag light on the center dash remains illuminated "off" also, the airbag symbol turns on at almost random times, indicating that there is an error with the airbag system. About 50% of the time I drive, the airbag system light will come on and stay on during my drive, whether I am driving alone or with a passenger in the front seat. Sometimes if I turn off the vehicle and turn it back on, the airbag light will turn off - but there is no consistent pattern.

- Bellevue, WA, USA

problem #12

Oct 172018

Impreza

  • 130,000 miles
Passenger seat airbag warning light shows passenger airbag disabled while a passenger is in the seat. This happens whether the car is moving or stopped. Car is a 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door wagon, built 10/2011. I see 2012 Impreza sedans have been recalled, but I am having the same issue as those, but my car is a 5-door wagon and isn't on the recall list. Please expand the recall.

- Milton, NY, USA

problem #11

Aug 162018

Impreza

  • 100,000 miles
Occupant detection sustem on passenger side malfunction, does not always recognize passenger. Sometime S it stops working in middle of trip. Happens sporadically, but is becoming more frequent and does not always resolve with restarting car. Has to do with capacitance detection, but so far Subaru dealers I contact act like it's not an issue though earlier model apparently has recall for exact issue. And no the passenger isn't wet. Has been occurring for over a year and we have pulled over and restarted car, but on recent trip it was much worse. And shouldn't be happening anyway!

- Yuba City, CA, USA

problem #10

Sep 242017

Impreza

  • 70,000 miles
I was driving down the interstate with a passenger and the airbag light came on and the light for the passenger airbag said off. While driving, my passenger looked up some troubleshooting for this issue. Apparently there is a recall for other same year, same makes and models of my vehicle. My vehicle is not part of this recall based on what month it was made. After I stopped the car and restarted it, the light did not illuminate again until I was going at a high rate of speed again. This has happened more than once. Every time with a passenger and driving on an expressway.

- Homewood, IL, USA

problem #9

Jul 272017

Impreza

  • 98,000 miles
I was driving down the interstate highway with my mother in the passenger seat when I suddenly noticed that the airbag light on the dashboard had come on. I then looked at the passenger airbag sensor light and noticed that it was in the "off" position. It concerned me that my passenger was not being detected by the airbag sensor, especially considering that I was driving at a speed of 65 mph. We continued to our destination and then shut off the car and restarted it to see if the airbag sensor would detect my passenger, which it did not. After this incident, I brought the car to my dealership service center and was told that the sensor in the seat was faulty and, as a result, the entire seat bottom needed to be replaced, at a cost of about $1000. They claimed that the sensor can be rendered ineffective by liquid spills, though I have no recollection of ever spilling anything liquid on the passenger seat of this car. I then looked online and discovered that this is a known problem with this make/model/year Subaru, and that Subaru actually issued a recall for 32,000 2012 Subaru Imprezas (blog.caranddriver.com/Subaru-recalls-32000-Imprezas-for-airbag-sensors/). unfortunately, as was explained by my dealer, my particular VIN was not included in that recall. The dealer's service reps explained that if I continue to drive with a passenger in my vehicle as is, the passenger airbag may not deploy in an accident, as the sensor may or may not be accurately detecting the presence of a passenger. I believe this is a huge safety concern, and one which I should not have to pay to fix, considering that there has already been a recall affecting the exact same make/model/year car that I drive. Since seeing the dealer, I have had this happen once more. I was driving city streets with a passenger, and the airbag light came on and the passenger airbag light was "off."

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #8

Nov 042016

Impreza

  • 20,000 miles
The airbag sensor in the passenger seat has failed 3 times while the car was under warranty and now again out of warranty. When a passenger is sitting in the seat while driving, the airbag sensor doesn't recognize the passenger's weight, and the airbag light will not turn on, putting my passenger at risk. Under warranty, carr Subaru in beaverton Oregon replaced the sensor each time it failed. They briefly explained to me that the sensor "fails all the time" and "its poorly designed." If I understood them correctly, these type of sensors are no longer used in newer models of my car. I am now having the airbag issue again and I am not covered by warranty, I feel this is a major safety issue. Subaru should take responsibility for this faulty system and replace it completely, rather that just replacing the sensor they already know is faulty.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #7

Jul 202015

Impreza

  • 32,000 miles
When a passenger of 215lbs or more sits in my 2012 Subaru Impreza passenger seat for more than 10miles the airbag light comes on and the passenger airbag is turned off.

- Massena, NY, USA

problem #6

May 252015

Impreza

  • miles
My front passenger seat doesn't register the passenger and disables the airbag.

- Stacy, MN, USA

problem #5

Apr 112014

Impreza

  • miles
The sensor that determines whether the passenger seat is occupied or not isn't working properly. When there is a passenger the air bags sometimes won't turn on. I have taken my car into the Subaru dealership, where they replaced the sensor and it continues to have the same problems.

- College Place, WA, USA

problem #4

Mar 102012

Impreza

  • 20,000 miles
Driving down mountain after day of skiing. Roads were treacherous and icy. 20 minutes into the drive, driver and passenger airbag lights turned on, indicating that airbags would not deploy in the case of a collision. Several months later I was wearing a damp bathing suit while driving and the same situation occurred, indicating that the airbags would not deploy in the event of a collision. On another occasion, I was driving on a hot day with the windows down. I was sweating quite a bit and the airbag light on my Subaru Impreza turned on yet again. This issue was brought up with the dealership while the car was still under warranty. The dealer's service department simply reset the sensor, not solving the issue or comprehending the severity of this issue. The occupant detection sensor in the seat must have faulted and turned off the airbags when a small amount of snow/water/sweat on my rear caused a fault in the elecrostatic sensor. The occupant detection sensor is an electrostatic sensor that will fault when it senses an arbitrary amount of moisture. An internal memo in August 2012 from Subaru to it's dealers in North America acknowledged, but not solved this problem with the airbags not engaging when the seat is wet. From Subaru's internal memo: "when water or anything with high moisture content is spilled on the front passenger seat cushion, the airbag is designed to remain off until the seat cushion is dry".

- Arroyo Grande, CA, USA

problem #3

Sep 172014

Impreza

  • 40,000 miles
At any speed, while carrying a passenger, the passenger airbag on light will turn to the off position. Passenger airbag is disabled while passenger is in vehicle at any given speed randomly. Could potentially cause severe injury/death in an accident. I have owned multiple 2012+ Imprezas with this exact issue.

- Sedona, AZ, USA

problem #2

Jan 102013

Impreza 4-cyl

  • 13,000 miles
While driving at highway speeds, with a passenger in the passenger seat, the 'passenger air bag off' light become illuminated and remained illuminated, indicating the passenger air bag was off. After pulling over and restarting the vehicle several times, the sensor behaves normally. Incident has occurred 3-4 times since, with no apparent pattern related to vehicle speed/driving conditions. Subaru dealership service has claimed it may be related to passenger weight or shifting in the seat, or cellular phone chargers nearby. Incident has occurred with or without said chargers present in the car, with passengers weighing 130 lbs and 190 lbs. Also, the relevant sensor (occupant detection system, or ods) in the 2012 Subaru Impreza is not based on weight at all, but on electrostatic capacitance. Seemingly random malfunction of the ods resulting in deactivation of the passenger air bag with an adult seated in the passenger seat constitutes dangerous failure of the airbag system.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #1

Jul 112012

Impreza 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
Passenger airbag sensor stated that it was disabled randomly (whether car was in motion or not), even though seat was occupied. Airbag light would illuminate on dashboard. To correct issue, vehicle had to be restarted multiple times, so that airbag would reactivate. This would need to be repeated, as issue recurred multiple times per day. In the case of an accident, airbag most likely would not have deployed due to faulty passenger sensor. Subaru stated airbag module required replacing, after inspection was made.

- North Bellmore, NY, USA