Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Subaru Forester owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's mother owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt warning light failed to illuminate and alert the passenger to fasten the seat belt. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side seat and sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that a credit towards the repair would be provided. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
My 2018 Subaru Forester should be included in a recall and subaru is denying that this recall exists. My SRS air bag light is on. The dealership wants to charge $1216.73 to replace the passenger side seat occupant detection sensor mat Information from https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/SUBARU/FORESTER/SUV/AWD#recalls October 3, 2019 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V701000 Occupant Detection System May Deactivate Airbag If the connection loosens, the front passenger airbag may deactivate even though the seat is occupied, increasing the risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash. NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 Manufacturer Subaru of America, Inc. Components AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected 366,282 Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Forester vehicles equipped with heated seats. …
The passenger seat, passenger air bags, and occupant detection system are failing. YES! Available for inspection. Passenger occupants are put at risk riding in my passenger seat as the seat does not detect if the seatbelt is on, or even if someone is sitting in the seat. The AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN INTENDED! Issue was first brought to [redacted] at Subaru in Pasco WA, where they "could not do anything because it was not YET a recall." As of [redacted], it has been confirmed by an ISC (Subaru of Hermiston, OR) My vehicle has been there since!!! They have not been able to fix the issue or get the part. There is no date of when the part is expected to available. We have been working with Subaru Customer Advocates who have extended my loaner car out 30 days, but after that. I will be OUT OF A SAFE vehicle. …
My 2018 Subaru Forester has a faulty passenger air bag sensor, which has been diagnosed by my local Subaru dealer, with a repair cost of $1,500+ for labor and parts. It has intermittently turned on and off again, but after getting a separate issue fixed by my dealer, they diagnosed this problem, and every time the car is turned on, the warning light is constantly displayed, and the passenger seat airbag light shows "OFF" even when someone is in the passenger seat. Upon research, this is a known and common issue with other Subaru Foresters with heated seats in the same model year (my Forester does have heated seats), but my VIN is not included in the Subaru recall for this specific repair. …
THE ODS is not properly determining the status of the right front seat occupant. The airbag warning light is illuminated, and the front passenger airbag is deactivated even with a person sitting in the passenger seat. The ODS is also unable to determine if someone is in the seat and triggers the seatbelt alert when anything (even a purse) is on the seat. This exact issue was part of a Subaru recall WUM-98R, for 2015-2018 Subaru Foresters produced between January 20, 2015 - August 01, 2017. Subaru is claiming my vehicle doesn't qualify as it was not part of the recall even though I having the same issues as the recall and I own a 2018 Subaru Forester. Furthermore, as listed in the recall if a vehicle is part of the recall and is brought in for inspection "The part identification label affixed to the yellow sensor mat wiring harness is the focus of this inspection. …
Subaru recall WUM98 was issued in 2019 to replace the ODS harness on my 2018 Subaru Forester. The part replacement was completed in in April 2020. The harness failed again in Oct 2024. It was replaced for the 2nd time. Now, my passenger air bag light is on for the 3rd time, and the dealership is indicating that the ODS mat is the culprit (not the harness). Subaru is not covering this under any open recall. Note that Subaru currently has an open recall WRA-24 for certain 2020 - 2022 Forester & Outback models to replace all (four) of the Occupant Detection System sensors in the front passenger seat. Since Subaru is saying that the issue in recall WRA-24 is the same as my issue, it is my belief that other models should also be included in this recall. …
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 System (ODS) sensor harness.Despite the recall remedy being completed, the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag warning light re-illuminated on the dashboard, completely disabling the front passenger-side airbag.The dealership confirmed that the passenger-side airbag remains completely disabled and inoperable due to a hardware failure of the internal occupant detection sensor mat. Because the initial WUM-98 recall was previously marked as "closed" in Subaru's automated system, the manufacturer refused to cover the repair under the recall. …
The passenger seat Occupant Detection System (ODS) sensor failed, turning off the airbag and illuminating the SRS light. This is a known safety defect covered by Subaru recall 19V701 / WUM-98 for 2015-2018 Foresters built through August 1, 2017. My vehicle, a 2018 Forester XT Touring (VIN [redacted] ), has the same defect but Subaru and NHTSA do not list it as part of the recall. I waited nearly a year for the replacement seat to arrive, and Subaru of America only offered $500 goodwill assistance. I paid about $900 out of pocket for the repair. Given that this is a critical airbag safety system, I believe this vehicle should have been included in the recall population.
When there is a passenger in my Subaru Forrester, the Occupant Detection System deactivates the passenger airbag. When I researched the issue, I noticed there is a recall for Foresters but my specific vehicle doesn't fall into the recall. When reviewing Product Campaign Bulletin on the NHTSA website, the Harness Label Inspection Procedure states to inspect the label and if its has supplier code 6578 AND the date code before 18074, the harness must be replaced. My Forester has both the supplier code and the date code before 18074 but my vehicle doesn't have a recall associated with it so the Subaru service center won't replace it. I'm currently driving with a deactivated airbag and that can't possibly be safe. Please NHTSA, widen the recall!
Around 83,000 miles my passenger safety air bag warning sensor started coming on and off intermittently. It would happen both when a passenger was in the seat and when no one was in the seat. There have been no previous issues. I immediately scheduled my car to be diagnosed at the Subaru dealership and they notified me the passenger occupancy sensor pad is faulty and that it would cost $1,483.47 to replace. The dealer stated that the passenger airbag might not deploy if the sensor is not replaced. This puts the safety of the passenger at risk. I researched and found that there was a recall with 2016-2018 Subaru Forester SUV's with heated seats. Recall WUM-98. However, when I called Subaru they said that there were no open recalls on my car.
Seat complaints in other Forester years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2018 Subaru Forester?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the seats of the 2018 Subaru Forester, 6% of the model year's 498 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Subaru Forester seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2018 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 2018 Subaru Forester seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 14,000 miles, and 100% 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.