2013 Subaru Impreza

I RECENTLY BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN ISSUE WITH MY 2013 IMPREZA - IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE DETECTION SYSTEM WOULD FAILED TO DETECT THE PASSENGER, AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON, INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS NOT ACTIVATED. I HAD THE ISSUE DIAGNOSED WHILE IN FOR MY REGULAR MAINTENANCE, AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A MALFUNCTION OF THE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM. OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW MONTHS, THE FREQUENCY OF THE ISSUE INCREASED, TO THE POINT THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS RARELY ACTIVATED. I UNDERSTAND THE OCCUPANCY DETECTION SYSTEM IS UNDER RECALL FOR SUBARU'S FORESTER MODEL; THOUGH MY SEATS ARE NOT HEATED, AND MY CAR IS SLIGHTLY OLDER, MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME MALFUNCTION, I BELIEVE IT TOO SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE RECALL AND REPAIRED BY SUBARU.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE PASSENGER SIDE SOMETIMES SAYS "PASSENGER AIRBAG ON" INAPPROPRIATELY (NOBODY IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT). ALSO IT SOMETIMES SAYS "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" IF SOMEBODY IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I AM NERVOUS IF I GET IN A CRASH MY AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NO PROTECT MY PASSENGER. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ISSUED FOR 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA AIRBAG SYSTEMS, AND THE SAME SYSTEM IS USED IN THE 2013 MODEL, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY THIS IS NOT BEING FIXED.

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON I-10 ON 11/27/2019 AT 2 PM. I WAS TRAVELING AT 60- TO 65 MPH AND HIT A SUV THAT HAD STOPPED IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ( PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE) I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO SUBARU AND SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HELPFUL. I RECEIVED CONTUSIONS FROM MY RIGHT HIP TO MY LEFT CLAVICLE BUT NO BROKEN BONES.

SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR DOES NOT REGISTER ADULT HUMAN MALE, GETS TRIPPED IF CELL PHON E IS IN PROXIMITY TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. FRONT AIRBAG IS THEREFORE OFF AND WILL NOT GO OFF IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. THIS OCCURS IF THE FRONT PASSENGER HAS A LAPTOP OR CELLPHONE. UPON INSPECTION BY DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE SENSOR IS BROKEN BUT DUE TO WATER DAMAGE WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED - IF A DAMP USER IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO SENSOR I BELIEVE SUBARU IS PURPOSEFULLY RELEASING POORLY DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED PARTS. THIS ISSUES FIRST APPEARED IN 2017 AND WAS INTERMITTENT AND IS NOT OCCURRING EVERY TIME A PASSENGER RIDES WITH ME.

RECALL IN OTHER IMPREZA IN SAME YEAR MODEL, BUT NOT MINE SPECIFICALLY. SAME ISSUE OCCURS WITH AIRBAG OCCUPANCY SENSOR IN PASSENGER SEAT. AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON WITH ANY AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN PASSENGER SEAT, AIRBAG HOWEVER DOES NOT TURN ON. STAYS OFF WITH PASSENGER IN SEAT. THIS WAS RECALLED IN MANY OTHER 2012-2014 IMPREZA. SUBARU CONFIRMED THAT PASSENGER OCCUPANCY IN MY IMPREZA IS SAME PART AS OCCUPANY SENSOR RECALLED IN OTHER IMPREZA. I WAS SOLD THIS CAR BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WITH THIS ISSUE (NOT THE COMPANY LISTED ON THE RECEIPTS PROVIDED). HAD TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED FOR INSPECTION. HAVE TO REPLACE SEAT BOTTOM, ALMOST $700 FOR SEAT ALONE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND UNFAIR. SUBARU ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BY GIVING ME $500 GOODWILL REPAIR CERTIFICATE, BUT NOT FULL PRICE OF REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED IN MANY OTHER VEHICLES.

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DISABLED BECAUSE THE UNDER SEAT SENSOR IS FAULTY IN 2013 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $154.95 JUST TO READ THE CODE TO EXPLAIN THE FAULT. CODES B1760 AND B1761 INDICATE THE "SENSOR MAT IS ABNORMAL." TECH RECOMMENDS TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM. THE ISSUE IS THAT THIS COSTS $1181.85 TO REPLACE. SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL BECAUSE MANY OF US ARE PUTTING OUR PASSENGERS AT UNREASONABLE RISK DUE TO A FAULTY SENSOR INSTALLED BY SUBARU. THE COST TO REPLACE IT IS EXTORTIONATE. I LOVE MY CAR AND I HOPE THAT SUBARU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND HELP RESTORE MY TRUST IN THEIR SAFETY RECORD.

SOMETIMES WHILE I'M DRIVING AND WHEN A PERSON IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIR BAG RANDOMLY TURNS OFF. ALSO TWICE THE SEAT BELT ALARM HAS SOUNDED WHILE I'M DRIVING AND NON ONE IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAD THE ISSUE CHECKED OUT AT THE DEALER TODAY AND THE SENSOR IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A $800 PLUS COST TO ME. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE SAME SENSOR THAT WAS RECALLED ON THE 2012 MODELS.

TAKATA RECALL - I PURCHASED MY CAR USED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN MAY 2018 AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL SHUT OFF REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A PURSE, BACKPACK OR PERSON IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IN SOME CASES THERE ARE NO ELECTRONICS, OTHERS THERE ARE. IT CAN ALSO SHUT OFF IF SOMEONE SITS IN THE CAR WITH WET CLOTHING (AFTER A RAIN STORM OR AFTER SWIMMING). THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AS A RECALL ISSUE. THIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2012, BUT IS A 2013 MODEL. WITH THE EXACT SAME AIRBAG AND SEAT FEATURES AS 2011-2012 SUBARUS WITH RECALLS ISSUED, THIS IS EXTREMELY NEGLIGENT ON SUBARU'S PART. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO MAKE PASSENGERS SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. THIS IS MY FIRST SUBARU, BASED ON FRIEND RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY I WOULD BUY ANOTHER DUE TO THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY TAKEN BY SUBARU TO REPAIR THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT. I BELIEVED THAT SUBARU TOOK PRIDE IN MAKING SAFETY A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WITH THEIR VEHICLES, BUT NO LONGER BELIEVE THAT TO BE THE CASE. I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE THAT SPENDING $1,100 ON A REPLACEMENT SEAT, WITH NO GUARANTEE OF THIS FIXING THE PROBLEM, SHOULD BE MY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL AND PROVE YOU ARE THE REPUTABLE COMPANY I BELIEVED YOU TO BE.