Subaru Forester Seats Problems
Owners have filed 248 complaints with NHTSA about seats problems on the Subaru Forester across 24 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (76). The words owners use most often: “passenger seat” (29% of reports).
- 248seats complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 24%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 71 of 248 complaints (29%)
- Occupant detection: mentioned in 22 of 248 complaints (9%)
- Airbag off: mentioned in 20 of 248 complaints (8%)
- Front corner: mentioned in 13 of 248 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do seats problems happen?
Based on 140 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 248 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 6 an injury.
Subaru Forester seats complaints by model year
| Model year | Seats complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Forester | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Forester | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Forester | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2020 Forester | 4 | 1% | 23,515 |
| 2019 Forester | 4 | 0% | 2,000 |
| 2018 Forester | 30 | 6% | 14,000 |
| 2017 Forester | 33 | 6% | 28,000 |
| 2016 Forester | 23 | 6% | 44,300 |
| 2015 Forester | 22 | 4% | 62,450 |
| 2014 Forester | 14 | 3% | 85,000 |
| 2012 Forester | 2 | 2% | 90,000 |
| 2011 Forester | 4 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 2010 Forester | 76 | 29% | 79,500 |
| 2009 Forester | 16 | 9% | 69,000 |
| 2008 Forester | 2 | 4% | 73,350 |
| 2007 Forester | 2 | 3% | 64,000 |
| 2006 Forester | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2004 Forester | 1 | 0% | 15,000 |
| 2003 Forester | 3 | 2% | — |
| 2001 Forester | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2000 Forester | 2 | 3% | — |
| 1999 Forester | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1998 Forester | 1 | 1% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists seats for the Subaru Forester. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle reported an SRS Passenger problem intermittently, as displayed on the dashboard, the car's information system, and a diagnostic trouble code (the car's aftermarket radio is connected to the OBD-II connector and can pull codes). The problem would appear, and then disappear upon subsequent…
The airbag warning light for the front passenger seat has been intermittently lighting. Both when the passenger seat is occupied and vacant. The light sometimes indicates the passenger airbag is off when there is a passenger in the seat. I took the car to the Subaru dealer where I purchased the…
Airbag light came on - dealership confirmed it is an occupant detection system failure - wiring harness has gone bad. No history of moisture exposure, which would leave faulty part as the problem. Similar to Subaru recall from 2020 on heated passenger seats - this vehicle was not included in that…
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…
I brought my vehicle to an authorized Subaru dealership (Byers Imports, LLC in Columbus, Ohio) to diagnose the reason for the airbag warning lamp illuminating. The dealer had the manufacturer's WUM-98 Safety Recall (NHTSA Campaign Number 19V701000) performed to remedy a defective Occupant Detection…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Subaru Foresters have seats problems?
No. NHTSA has 248 owner complaints about seats for the Subaru Forester. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Subaru Forester seats?
No recall currently lists seats for this vehicle.
What do owners say about seats problems on the Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “passenger seat”, in 71 of 248 complaints, followed by “occupant detection” (22).
Other Subaru Forester problems
- Visibility/wiper problems (1,061)
- Engine problems (827)
- Air Bags problems (817)
- Electrical System problems (797)
- Power Train problems (556)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (532)
- Suspension problems (415)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (350)
See all Subaru Forester problems.