Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
In March 2020, I took my 2016 Subaru Forester to the dealership to fix the issues associated with the Subaru Safety Recall WUM-98 / NHTSA Recall 19V-701 (unstable electrical connections causing issues with the occupant detection system in determining the correct status of the right front seat occupant, which would prevent the front passenger-side airbag from deploying in the event of a crash). Service was performed and the ODS harness was replaced. In August of 2021, I took my Forester back into the Subaru dealership (where previous service was performed) because the "airbag warning" light and the "Passenger airbag off" indicator began to illuminate, however this occurred somewhat inconsistently. Sometimes both warning lights illuminate when someone sits in the front passenger seat, sometimes they do not illuminate at all and everything seems fine. …
No damage or water spill to the car whatsoever, but now the SRS passenger airbag light is on. This is a recurrent issue with Suabru, and there was even a recall for this part a few years ago, which was replaced in my vehicle during that period. Less than 5 years later, there is already an issue with it. This is not an oil change or a tire replacement; it is an AIRBAG SENSOR!! I cannot find any definite information indicating that my own driver's airbag will go off while the SRS light is on. To think that my airbag may not go off, from no fault of my own, due to an issue with the PASSENGER airbag, is unacceptable. Subaru claims this is out of warranty, will not pay for it, and is charging me over $1000. This is no cosmetic issue; this is incredibly dangerous, and Subaru is aware of this. …
I am reporting a safety-critical failure of the passenger-side Occupant Detection System (ODS) in my 2016 Subaru Forester, which deactivates the airbag while the seat is occupied. This issue was first documented at an authorized Subaru dealer on 11/15/2023, where the technician identified 'poor contact of connectors' (a known condition in Recall 19V-701). The initial remedy performed was to reconnect the connector to restore the unstable electrical connection. However, that remedy has since failed, and the failure is now permanent. I have physically verified that my ODS harness carries the defective Supplier Code 6578 and Date Code 15280-the exact 'NG' (No Good) hardware identified in the recall. The dealer has quoted me $1,244 to replace the seat cushion assembly but refuses to cover it under the recall because my VIN was excluded from the initial list. …
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 startup cycle, over the course of a two-week road trip. In total, the problem occurred three times over the course of 3,750 miles. Our mechanic verified the issue with a scan tool, and determined that this was a fault in the sensor mesh in the seat that failed to reliably detect the presence of someone seated in the passenger seat. To correct this problem, we had to replace the passenger seat of the car (the seat alone cost $1,100; labor was approximately $400). Since the repair, we have not seen the problem recur.
Issue with the Front Passenger Seat Airbag Sensor. The Airbag Warning Light, indicating an issue with the passenger side airbag, has been illuminated recently. Passenger seat is also occasionally registering as occupied even when no one is sitting in it. Previous recall on the same seat's wiring harness was completed previously. Took the vehicle to the dealer and they told me that the seat must have gotten wet to cause the issue. The seat has not been wet. Dealer said a new seat is needed at a price of roughly $1500. This is a safety issue, as I am uncertain whether the airbag will deploy if needed. Googling "2016 Subaru Forester Passenger Seat Airbag Sensor Issues" indicates that this is a systematic issue across Foresters of this model year and not isolated to my car.
A warning light will randomly light up indicating a problem with the airbag or airbag sensor in my front passenger seat. I have had it looked at by multiple Subaru dealerships and shops and have had various quotes in the thousands of dollars to repair it. The technicians have told me that the sensor likely has an issue because of potential spillage on the seat that would seep into the sensor and cause it a problem, however there have not been recent spills on the seat and the light has only been turning on in the past year or so. I recently heard from another Subaru Forester owner that a similar maintenance issue happened in their car so I felt it was appropriate to report this issue.
I called Subaru made an appointment for service. I was not aware of the recall, although the dealership said it was repaired. No water damage to the seat bottom, the airbag sensor in the bottom of my passenger side seat cushion was bad. It's attached to the seat. They gave me a loaner for three months and then called to say the part is on back order until "sometime" in 2025. The part is not covered under the recall and it will be approximately $2000 to fix. This has been a complaint from many owners of the recalled airbag years. At this point it is being replaced so often the part is on back order with an undetermined in stock date.
The Driver Seat Lumbar suddenly broke while driving, which caused a sudden unplanned shit of my driving position. There was also a loud hardware breaking or snapping apart, which caused a certain degree of panic and distraction while driving. I fixed the broken lumbar seat approximately less than two years ago and now the incident I mentioned previously, has happened again. I paid for the first repairs through an extended warranty I bought, I explained this to Subaru Corporate Customer Service, and they refuse to take responsibility for the inferior nature of the Lumbar System and thus refuse to cover the cost of fixing it.
Passenger Occupant Detection System is malfunctioning. It is not registering a passenger in the seat, and in turn not turning the passenger airbag on when the seat is occupied. This puts any passnger who sit in this seat at risk of the airbag not deploying. This issue has been confirmed by the dealer. There was a recall for the Passenger ODS harness (WUM-98R) that the harness was replaced. Since this has been completed they state the Occupant Detection System is a seperate issue that requires seat base to be replaced in order for the system to register an occupant and have the air bags turn on when occupied.
The airbag SRS sensor on the passenger side cuts on even if someone is sitting in the passenger seat. Then it will randomly cut off when no one is in the passenger seat. I'm concerned that if I was to have a wreck then someone could die. I called the Subaru dealership when I first noticed it 2 years ago. They told me to bring it up there. They checked it out and said that no codes were showing. However, that sensor wasn't showing at the time. They also told me that if it did come back on to bring it back up there and then proceeded to quote me a price of $1500.
Seat complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2016 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the seats of the 2016 Subaru Forester, 6% of the model year's 415 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Subaru Forester seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2016 Subaru Forester, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Subaru Forester seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.