2015 Subaru Forester Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 102about this part
- Share
- 17%of 616 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 59,900miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 102 complaints about the air bags of the 2015 Subaru Forester, 17% of the 616 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 59,900 miles. 17 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I have continually been having the srs light coming on telling me that someone is sitting in my passenger seat when there is no on there or when my 15 year old sits in the front seat it does not register that anyone is sitting in the front seat. I took it to our local dealership as I am the original owner and they want over 1600 to fix this issue”
NHTSA complaint #11397737, filed 2021-02, 151,000 miles“Passenger side airbag shuts off and a red indicator light appears on the dashboard while driving with someone in the seat. If you stop and turn the car off the system will reset. It has happened over 10xs. It's been checked out at the dealer several times. They said airbag related equipment is only covered for 3 years. I was 2 months out of warranty when I first complained. I thought the airbags and seatbelt systems were covered for 5 years.”
NHTSA complaint #11229456, filed 2019-07, 19,000 miles“The passenger airbag warning light first came on as soon as I started my car one morning in mid-october 2018, in which I took my car to Subaru of kennesaw, ga to have it looked at. They first asked if I had spilled anything on the front seat (in which I responded no ) and then advised me that the whole seat bottom would need to be replaced (about $989 parts and labor) and that the part was on back-order. I followed-up with them in december 2018 and never heard back. …”
NHTSA complaint #11182111, filed 2019-02, 72,000 miles“Our 2015 Subaru Forester was in an accident. We were turning left at an intersection. The SUV was hit on the passenger side door and front fender by another SUV. No side or curtain airbag was deployed.”
NHTSA complaint #11276933, filed 2019-10, 52,000 miles“The passenger airbag does not accurately sense when a passenger is in the seat. It sometimes senses a passenger when no passenger is present, and other times it will not sense a passenger when a passenger is present and will turn off the airbag when it should be on. There is an active recall, wum-98, which outlines the exact issue and fits my vehicle description (2015 Subaru Forester with heated seats), however, my VIN does not show it being affected by wum-98. I believe this is a severe safety issue and it needs to be included in the recall and resolved by Subaru.”
NHTSA complaint #11337720, filed 2020-07, 138,000 milesRelated recalls
- 19V701000Oct 3, 2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. An electrical connection in the front passenger…Covers: Subaru Forester 2015–2018
Related service bulletins
- 11005609Jul 15, 2024This announcement provides information on Takata Recall Escalated Towing Program.
- 10252544Mar 28, 2024Due to limited part supply, the availability of the passenger front seat cushion may not satisfy demand. To reduce extended downtime for the customer, this bulletin announces the…
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 4% |
| 2024 | 7 | 23% |
| 2023 | 6 | 8% |
| 2022 | 4 | 4% |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% |
| 2020 | 11 | 2% |
| 2019 | 17 | 2% |
| 2018 | 99 | 20% |
| 2017 | 167 | 28% |
| 2016 | 100 | 24% |
| 2015 | 102 | 17% |
| 2014 | 57 | 14% |
| 2013 | 13 | 17% |
| 2012 | 20 | 19% |
| 2011 | 29 | 20% |
| 2010 | 42 | 16% |
| 2009 | 40 | 22% |
| 2008 | 6 | 12% |
| 2007 | 6 | 8% |
| 2006 | 6 | 7% |
| 2005 | 5 | 5% |
| 2004 | 21 | 10% |
| 2003 | 25 | 13% |
| 2002 | 10 | 11% |
| 2001 | 12 | 9% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1999 | 2 | 2% |
| 1998 | 6 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2015 Subaru Forester
131 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
95 complaintsElectrical system
83 complaintsOther or unknown
74 complaintsVehicle speed control
70 complaintsSuspension
66 complaintsFuel system
57 complaintsBrakes
36 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
28 complaintsSeats
22 complaintsBody and structure
20 complaintsWheels
20 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2015 Subaru Forester
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology