Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/17/2012 | 48000 | 1 | |
| Traveling on icy road approx. 20mph or less in 2010 outback 3.6 ltd. very accustomed to driving severe mountain winter conditions & 8th subaru among family members. seatbelt, shoulder restraint in place on driver. oncoming driver in mid-size to large truck lost control at high speed, crossed center line and impacted subaru head-on, offset to left side of outback & 2010 outback was totaled. subaru airbags did not deploy. impact into front left side, crumpled hood up to windshield, which shattered. his hood was inside subaru engine compartment, remained under subaru hood along with other parts of his vehicle after vehicles were towed. subaru radiator was pushed in at approx 45 degree angle, left wheel bent inwards, left front bumper gone back to tire and much more damage. his airbags deployed and subaru's did not. subaru driver hit head, knees, shins on interior parts of subaru: black eye, forehead hematoma, indentation & scraped, knees/shins bruised and scraped plus back/neck plus more scrapes/bruises and concussion. thankful that his truck stopped up against driver side doorpost and didn't encroach into driver compartment but unbelievable that subaru airbags didn't deploy. 5'6 & approx. 135 pounds. first of our subarus to be in a crash and had no idea airbags wouldn't deploy. *tr | |||
| 12/17/2012 | 48000 | ||
| Traveling on icy road approx. 20mph or less in 2010 outback 3.6 ltd. very accustomed to driving severe mountain winter conditions & 8th subaru among family members. seatbelt, shoulder restraint in place on driver. oncoming driver in mid-size to large truck lost control at high speed, crossed center line and impacted subaru head-on, offset to left side of outback & 2010 outback was totaled. subaru airbags did not deploy. impact into front left side, crumpled hood up to windshield, which shattered. his hood was inside subaru engine compartment, remained under subaru hood along with other parts of his vehicle after vehicles were towed. subaru radiator was pushed in at approx 45 degree angle, left wheel bent inwards, left front bumper gone back to tire and much more damage. his airbags deployed and subaru's did not. subaru driver hit head, knees, shins on interior parts of subaru: black eye, forehead hematoma, indentation & scraped, knees/shins bruised and scraped plus back/neck plus more scrapes/bruises and concussion. thankful that his truck stopped up against driver side doorpost and didn't encroach into driver compartment but unbelievable that subaru airbags didn't deploy. 5'6 & approx. 135 pounds. first of our subarus to be in a crash and had no idea airbags wouldn't deploy. | |||
| 08/06/2010 | 1 | ||
| The passenger side airbag of our 2010 subaru outback will intermittently turn off when there is an adult in the passenger seat. we've brought the car to two subaru dealers and they both have told us there's nothing they can do unless the system is broken when we bring the car to the shop because the car doesn't show a fault code. *tr | |||
| 08/06/2010 | |||
| The passenger side airbag of our 2010 subaru outback will intermittently turn off when there is an adult in the passenger seat. we've brought the car to two subaru dealers and they both have told us there's nothing they can do unless the system is broken when we bring the car to the shop because the car doesn't show a fault code. | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 34000 | 1 | |
| I was involved in a head-on collision, traveling at 40 mph and the vehicles airbags failed to deploy. *tr | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 34000 | ||
| I was involved in a head-on collision, traveling at 40 mph and the vehicles airbags failed to deploy. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | |||
| The 'front passenger's frontal airbag off indicator' remains illuminated while my wife (who weighs more than 100 pounds) rides in this seat. (i.e., the airbag is not armed.) at best, the indicator (and the air bag) is intermittent, going on and off while we drive. dealer has repeatedly tested the air bag sensor system and states it's working within specification. this is a serious safety issue that seems to be due to a faulty design, not a manufacturing defect. | |||
| 08/02/2010 | 10000 | ||
| Almost every time i sit in the passenger seat the airbag sensor does not come on at first. i am a 5'2, 120lb woman. i have to wiggle and set on one cheek just right in the middle of the seat, sometimes lift myself up and then sit back down again to get the passenger airbag sensor to show on. when this happens there is nothing under the passenger seat as the dealership has blamed it on that. the service department has re-calibrated the sensor but i still have the same problem. heavier people do not have this problem. | |||
| 05/15/2010 | 2700 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2010 subaru outback. when a passenger sat in the passenger seat the air bag off light illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the bottom of the passenger seat was replaced. the failure continues to recur. the failure mileage was 2,700 and the current mileage was 3,500. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 02/07/2010 | |||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2010 subaru outback. while the vehicle was being driven at approximately 45 mph, the contact observed that the passenger air bag warning indicator illuminated. the failure occurred intermittent at various speeds being traveled. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician informed that the air bag warning indicator operated normally. the contact stated the failure had been occurring since the purchase date of the vehicle. the failure mileage and vin were unavailable. js | |||
| 05/15/2010 | |||
| We recently purchased a 2010 subaru outback for it's safety rating. my wife has been in two bad accidents and needed a car she feels safe in. we purchased this car in march and recently noticed that when i am driving and she is in the passenger seat that the airbag indicator goes on and off. she weighs 125 pounds and is 5'3 tall. we contacted the dealer and are getting the run around. they say there is nothing wrong with it. they tell us the seat belt woks fine and not to worry. i didn't buy this car for a seat belt. i wanted the best safety equipment and if it doesn't work, i do not want this car. this needs to be fixed before a passenger is killed in a wreck. i would rather the airbag is on all the time. on the toyota my wife just wrecked there was an on and off switch. | |||
| 05/15/2010 | 186 | ||
| Low weight adult passengers (85 - 100 lbs) will not cause the passenger airbag to engage. warning light displays showing airbag is diabled while my wife is riding with me. | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 200 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2010 subaru outback. the contact stated while driving at any speed the passenger side air bag does not activate when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer two different times and the technicians were not able to diagnose the vehicles failure. the manufacturer was contacted and the technicians stated the seats where set for 125 lbs for the air bags to activate for the passenger seat.the approximate failure mileage was 200. ds | |||
| 02/08/2010 | 10000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2010 subaru outback. the contact stated that when driving on the highway at 65 mph, the steering wheel began to shake violently. the vehicle also pulled from left to the right no matter what speed. the contact also stated that the front passenger side air bag off light was always illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where it was at the time of the complaint, awaiting a response from the manufacturer. this visit would be the fourth time the vehicle was taken to the dealership and had been kept for a long period of time. the current and failure mileages were approximately 10,000. | |||
| 04/08/2010 | 0 | ||
| 2010 subaru outback 2.5i premium, purchased 3/23/10. when my wife, who weighs 130 pounds, sits in the front passenger seat, most of the time the airbag light says off, anly occasionaly and unpredicatably does it say on. i have had the vehicle in for service several times. the sensor was recalibrated, and the seat bottom was replaced. both the dealership and subaru of america say the system is operating as designed. i say i paid for an airbag that works and i want an airbag that works. | |||
| 05/14/2010 | 0 | ||
| Re: subaru outback 2010. passenger front airbag. my wife is 5'5' and 108lb. the passenger front airbag is deactivated or activated based on the weight of the front passenger. when my wife is in the passenger seat, approxibately 75% of the time, the dash indicates the passenger airbag is off, and this is irregardless of her sitting position. i called subaru dealership and they said it was working properly and nothing could be done. then i called subaru america and the representative said that is likely working properly and she is near the cut-off in weight to set off the airbag. the recommend i bring it to the subaru dealership to inspect that it is infact working properly. my understanding is that the airbag should be deployed for any person over 100lb and 5'0'. subaru would not release the information to what they set the airbag weight limit for activation. they said that if the inspection shows the system is working properly that nothing further can be done. 1) what is the weight limit recommended for passenger airbag deployment? 2) is subaru complaint with this safety standard? | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 1000 | ||
| My wife and i own a 2010 subaru outback. the passenger side air bag does not function properly or has a faulty design. the weight sensor is supposed to turn on the air bag when anyone over 100 pounds sits in the seat. my wife weighs 130 pounds. the air bag does not become active more than 50% of the time when she is sitting in the seat. subaru tells us that the sensor is functioning properly and is calibrated correctly, yet my wife continues to be unprotected more than half of the time. they offer no resolution to the problem other than recommending that she sit upright in the seat. the 2010 outback is all new this year and i believe that this air bag design is a flaw with catastrophic potential. this is a huge safety risk for people in or near this weight range. the air bag is supposed to come on for anyone over 100 pounds, but in reality isn't reliably engaging unless you are about 150 pounds or more. our local dealer has admitted to several complaints for the same issue. the internet also reveals others having the same problem. subaru needs to investigate the problem and probably initiate a recall in order to replace the sensor threshold with a lower weight limit so average size people will be protected. this top safety pick vehicle has a major safety issue. | |||
| 03/08/2010 | 40 | ||
| No injuries or accidents but the passenger airbag does not stay activated consistently in my 2010 subaru outback when a female adulxt passenger weighing approx 125 lbs sits in it. i was told by subaru mechanic that there have been problems with this sensor but there are no reset specs or recall for the seat from corporate yet. | |||
| 02/09/2010 | 3500 | 1 | |
| I have a new 2010 subaru outback that seems to be a fine automobile except for one safety-related defect. we noticed soon after starting to drive the outback that the air bag indicator light showed that the passenger side air bag stays off when my 140-pound wife or 135-pound daughter ride in the passenger seat. we took it to a dealer who said there is no adjustment that can be made, but they re-calibrated the airbag electronics to see if that helped. it did not. i took the car back to the same dealer a couple of weeks later and was again told that there was nothing that could be done to make the passenger airbag work properly and that they have several of the new outbacks in for the same problem and nothing can be done to fix it. just as a test i took my wife out to the lot and had her sit in the passenger seat of another outback to see if that one worked. it did not . i conclude that there is a design flaw in the airbag sensors in the new outbacks that keep the passenger airbags from turning on when 135 to 140-pound adults sit in the passenger seat. *tr | |||