2016 Subaru Forester Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/12/2026

94Air Bags complaints

23.2%Of all 405 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS94 · 23.2%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM90 · 22.2%

Unspecified / other68 · 16.8%

ENGINE60 · 14.8%

POWER TRAIN47 · 11.6%

Share of the 405 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2016 Subaru Forester overview page.

What owners report

“KEEP GETTING MESSAGE "SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED" WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE SET SENSOR AT MY COST. THE VEHICLE ONLY…”NHTSA complaint 11194451 — filed 04/07/2019

“THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING AND SWITCHING OFF THE AIRBAG WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT.”NHTSA complaint 11192564 — filed 03/30/2019

“SRS MESSAGE AND WARNING LIGHT COMING ON. MESSAGE SRS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER I EXPLAINED THE…”NHTSA complaint 11156964 — filed 12/08/2018

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Subaru Forester have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2016 Subaru Forester: 94 of 405 complaints on file (23.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2016 Subaru Forester have in total?

405 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 39 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 16 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.