2002 Subaru Forester air bags problems
10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2002 Subaru Forester — 11% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“6/15/2009 I was headed home at a rate of ~20-25 mph on pisgah church rd as I was approaching where I turn right onto lawndale ave and I rear ended a vehicle which was pushed forward rear ending a 2nd vehicle to the tune of $16,183.57 erie insurance charge (claim # 010910179459) and 3 nasty points…”
filed Mar 14, 2017
“The airbag that is in the center of the steering wheel has a design flaw. The cover section under the the words srs airbag is a weak point it develops a large crack line on the weak spot. Should the airbag be deployed with this crack, the sharp broken pieces could cause serious lacerations to…”
filed Aug 21, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Air Bags problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 4% |
| 2024 Forester | 7 | 24% |
| 2023 Forester | 6 | 8% |
| 2022 Forester | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 Forester | 2 | 1% |
| 2020 Forester | 11 | 2% |
| 2019 Forester | 17 | 2% |
| 2018 Forester | 96 | 19% |
| 2017 Forester | 164 | 28% |
| 2016 Forester | 99 | 24% |
| 2015 Forester | 101 | 16% |
| 2014 Forester | 57 | 14% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2002 Subaru Forester
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.