Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger's side front seat and air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
My vehicle had the WUM98 Safety recall completed on March 09, 2020. In July 2022, the SRS system started giving error messages that the system needed to be checked. It seemed to reset when the vehicle was turned off and restarted. When it happened for the 3rd time in 3 weeks, I took it in to the Subaru Dealership where they found this: B1650 Perform Diag TSB#07-108-16R. They claimed that the seat must have gotten wet to create this error code, but it seems to me to be the same problem as was reported in the :NUMBER: WUM-98R NHTSA ID: 19V-701 DATE: 10/14/19 REVISED: 12/13/19 documents that I found on the NHSTA site. I think the same issue is in this newer harness that was in the older one. On August 16,2022, we picked up the vehicle from its other repairs (60,000 mile service and AC condenser replacement). The dealer had just reset the B1650 code. …
I noticed that the airbag light was continuously illuminated on the dashboard of my Subaru Forester. I promptly took my vehicle to a certified Subaru dealership to have the issue diagnosed and resolved. After a thorough inspection, it was determined that the passenger seat bottom occupant seat mat required replacement to rectify the problem. Otherwise, my airbags would not inflate in the event that I would need them. I would like to emphasize that I have always maintained my vehicle in excellent condition and followed all recommended maintenance procedures. I have never exposed the seat to moisture or allowed any foreign objects to be shoved under it. Furthermore, I am the primary driver of the vehicle and rarely have passengers, which makes it highly unlikely for any undue stress or wear to be placed on the seat mat. …
My 2017 Subaru Forester is experiencing the exact component failure and severe safety hazard outlined in NHTSA Recall 19V-701 (Subaru Campaign WUM-98R). The front passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) is failing continuously, which illuminates the "Passenger Airbag Off" indicator and completely deactivates the front passenger airbag safety restraint system even when an adult is securely seated. Because my specific VIN was omitted from the recall population list, my local Subaru dealership refused to perform the recall repair, stating no active campaign exists for my vehicle. As a result, I have driven this vehicle for over a year with a completely disabled, non-functioning passenger airbag system. …
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 vehicle.. Per the dealership service report: "SCANNED CODES AND FOUND CODE B1760 STORED IN BODY CONTROL MODULE REGARDING THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BOTTOM. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT DUE TO A FAULTY OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR." This car was recalled several years ago regarding the passenger seat airbag sensor issue. The car was serviced per the recall. This car has not been in an accident. The car has approximately 70,000 miles which were driven primarily by me. The front passenger seat was occupied less than 25 percent of the time. There was never anything spilled on the seat. …
Passenger air bag light on dash coming on, started off dinging even with no one sitting in the passenger seat. Now the Air bag light stays on constantly. I was told by the Subaru dealership near me that they found a B1650 in the system for occupant detection malfunction. Tested the seat with a human and the scan tool and they found the sensor is not picking anything up. The mechanic told me the seat appeared to be wet, which it was not and has never had water damage. The vehicle is garage kept and has low mileage so minimal exposure. The dealership told me I would have to pay $160 for diagnostic and $1200 before tax to have the seat base replaced. I know there was a recall for the passenger air bag in the past which I did take into the same dealership who says the replaced the defective part. I feel the Subaru company should stand behind their product and correct this issue. …
The WUM-98 recall fix did not address the problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. We, and many other Subaru Forester owners are continuing to experience problems post recall repair with the SRS Airbag light on, indicating error code B1760 "Occupant Detection Sensor Mat" failure. Subaru is not covering the cost of addressing this problem, and the entire seat frame and bottom cushion (that includes the sensor mat) are required to be replaced at the consumer's expense, with bills for repair in excess of $2,000. And, due to the high demand for this repair, parts are not available to perform the repair for as much as 6 months! This is jeopardizing the safety of occupants in the front passenger seat for extended periods of time while waiting for parts, whereby the airbag is not active due to the sensor mat problem. …
There is intermittent failure of the passenger air bag occupancy detection system (ODS). This shows up as aporadic display of the passenger air bag failure code in the car, and became more frequent until the code rained on. This was previously an issue, but a couple years ago I performed the Subaru issued recall related to this sensor and it went away for a time. Now the same issue has come back. It is pretty clear that the issue has persisted and the recall did not adequately address the issue, but Subaru refuses to address the issue, citing the completed recall. In searching online, it seems that many others have this same experience. \n\nIf the passenger air bag fails to deploy in a crash this is clearly a major safety issue that Subaru should take steps to resolve, even if it means replacing the sensor multiple times.
The passenger seat sensor intermittently turns on and off as indicated by the warning light on the dashboard and the "passenger airbag on off" light indicating it is off when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. This put the passenger at risk of serious injury if a collision would have occurred or could occur. I took my car to the dealership on January 1, 2025 where they inspected the vehicle and said that the seat sensor needed to be replace costing ~$1,700. The above warning first occurred on December 19, 2024 and then on December 26, 2024, which both occurred on a 250-mile trip. The passenger airbag wiring harness was replaced under recall in August 2020 but failed to correct the problem. Internet searches have indicated that this is a continuing safety issue, but currently there is no recall on the seat sensor.
Had recall completed for passenger airbag prior now SRS airbag on since 6/7/2026 per dealer code B1650 & B1760 as history codes. States found passenger side airbag sensor has erratic operation, recommended replacing seat bottom with integrated sensor for $2015 at Spreen Subaru of San Bernardino. Why is the sensor failing again? Unable to drive vehicle due to potential of airbags not deploying, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. No other issues with vehicle no one in front passenger seat when SRS airbag illuminated on dashboard, no spills, have seat covers to protect from ant fluids. No accidents that would cause this issue.
Seat complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the seats of the 2017 Subaru Forester, 6% of the model year's 592 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Subaru Forester seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2017 Subaru Forester, though it has 1 recall 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 2017 Subaru Forester seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 28,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.