1995 Subaru Legacy Airbag Problems

Which parts fail

• Frontal
  40
• Side/window
  1

Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).

Mileage when the problem started

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Subaru Legacy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

10/162017 - I was walking down the street to meet my wife for dinner after parking my car. As I watched her pull into the parking lot in front of me in the Legacy I saw the windshield get blown out by the passenger airbag being deployed. She was stopped waiting for traffic on a city street to clear to pull in and was not moving very fast at all, approx 5 MPH. Luckily no one was in the passenger seat and my wife sustained minor injuries from flying glass. After inspecting the vehicle the following day our mechanic said he believed that the airbag recall # 96V315000 performed on 12/11/1998 apparently was not performed properly and he suspected that the poorly removed tow-hook was not cut off short enough (not to the recall spec) to prevent accidental inflation of the airbag. …

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the brake pedal froze and was resistant to engagement. The failure caused the contact to crash into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy upon impact. The vehicle was towed to the contact place of residence and was not inspected for the failure or repaired. The failure and current mileage was 174,278.

Consumer came to a complete stop at a stop sign. She proceeded to move forward and was bumped by another vehicle from behind. Upon impact, dual airbags deployed. But passenger's airbag broke windshield. Glass was everywhere. Dealership was notified, and mechanic told her that there was a problem.

When vehicle stopped short, rearended while accelerating, upon impact driver/passenger's airbags deployed, at approx. 20mph, 10:30 on front bumper, however, passenger's airbag broke through windshield, no pass in seat, shattering glass into pass. Seat.

Husband driving, 1st vehicle slammed on brakes, Legacy rearended 1st vehicle, a van rearended Legacy, seat belt held a little, driver's head hit windshield, driver's/passenger's air bag did not deploy. Mfgr said not at fault & do not repair vehicle.

Owner states that she was involved in a minor fender bender in which she struck another vehicle in the rear traveling at a very low speed, both airbags deployed. Owner thinks that that there May be a problem with her airbags.she has dual airbags.

Wife went to park vehicle in garage, vehicle bumped concrete wall slightly, the driver's side air bag deployed at 3mph unexpectedly, driver's was hit in face and suffered minor discomfort. Dealer said it was speed.

While driving about 45 MPH another vehicle in front of consumer was trying to make a left, and consumer hit the vehicle broadside. Upon impact, air bags deployed, burning consumer's right arm.

Vehicle was involved in an accident to right side in January 2000. Airbags did not employ. On May 12, 2000 while driving on a route #32 in the town of westminster, md., the air bag light came on and the bags deployed for no apparent reason. Lawrence Subaru in hanover pa was notified and Subaru sent an employee to hanover to inspect the car. At no time did Subaru state that there had been a recall on this vehicle #98V315000. No notification of recall was ever received previous to deployment. On the day of the inspection, Subaru did not say anything about this defect. They inspected the vehicle and pointed to the previous right side damage and damage under the vehicle and said the bags deployed because the car hit something. There is not now and was not at the time, any evidence of front impact damage. Subaru cust rel. …

My car was stopped,second in line, at the end of the exit ramp of I-91 in northampton ,ma (very slight downhill grade). The first car began to pull out. I removed foot from brake, did not place foot on gas and eased out clutch to cause car to creep forward. I looked left, saw traffic coming fast and reflexively hit brake hard. Both airbags deployed, smashing windshield. I was not hit because the seat was fully back (I'm 6'1") and because there was no impact to throw me forward. First car was 3' in front of mine. Driver confirmed I did not hit her. Massachusetts state police trooper, robert plant, responded. He asked first car driver if she had been hit (response "no"), then left scene without filing accident report (there was no accident, only a breakdown). I reported incident to Subaru. …

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Airbag complaints in other Legacy years