2016 Subaru Forester air bags problems
96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2016 Subaru Forester — 24% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“SRS airbag error warning appears randomly when driving. It turns off passenger side airbags with a passenger in the seat and makes it unsafe to drive. Narrowing it down to the wiring harness seems to be an issue with a loose connection in the airbag seat sensor. Unplugging and re-plugging plus…”
filed Jul 26, 2026
“Problem: Recall for passenger side airbag malfunction in heated seats for my model year. Manufacturer has said they addressed the recall but they have not. My car and thousands of others are unsafe for passengers to ride in because the airbag system does not work. Warning light is the airbag symbol…”
filed May 27, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the Occupant Detection System…Campaign 19V701000 · Oct 3, 2019
Air Bags problems in other Forester years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 4 | 5% |
| 2024 Forester | 6 | 21% |
| 2023 Forester | 6 | 8% |
| 2022 Forester | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 Forester | 2 | 1% |
| 2020 Forester | 11 | 2% |
| 2019 Forester | 16 | 2% |
| 2018 Forester | 94 | 19% |
| 2017 Forester | 162 | 28% |
| 2015 Forester | 101 | 16% |
| 2014 Forester | 57 | 14% |
| 2013 Forester | 13 | 17% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 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.