2012 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG INDICATOR FLASHED ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MICHAEL HOHL SUBARU (2910 S CARSON ST, CARSON CITY, NV 89701, (775-885-0400) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE OCCUPANT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION CODE 'B16 50" APPEARED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT RECOMMEND ANY IMMEDIATE ACTION, EXCEPT TO CONTACT THE DEALER IF THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WE WERE BROADSIDED (T-BONED) IN AN INTERSECTION WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS. WE WERE EASTBOUND GOING 25MPH & HAD JUST LEFT HOME. TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOME AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE GREEN LIGHT AND BAM SHE HIT MY DRIVER SIDE. RECESSING MY FRONT TIRE 3 OR MORE INCHES IN TOWARDS MY ENGINE. SHE WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON THE INTERSECTING ROAD. SHE MUST HAVE BEEN TRAVELING 25 MPH OR MORE BECAUSE DAMAGE CONTINUED ALL THE WAY DOWN THE DRIVER SIDE (BOTH DOORS) FINISHING ON MY REAR TIRE WHERE IT BENT IT INWARDS AS IF IT WAS A STEERING TIRE MAKING A TURN. THE REAR TIRE HAS A LARGE GASH IN THE SIDE WALL. THE FOLLOWING WHERE MY WIFE'S INJURIES AS SHE WAS DRIVING: ACUTE CERVICAL MYOFASCIAL STRAIN, CERVICAL STRAIN, CLOSED HEAD INJURY, DYSARTHRIA, ELBOW CONTUSION, HEADACHE, MUSCLE TENSION HEADACHE, POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME, AND SHOULDER CONTUSION. SHE RECEIVED ALL THESE INJURIES BECAUSE THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH HAS TO BE A MAJOR MANUFACTURING FLAW OF SOME TYPE. PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY THIS HAPPENED. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER HAS TOTALED MY WIFE'S CAR. IT IS A 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA PREMIUM. I HAVE INCLUDED SOME DOCUMENTS/PHOTOS.

AN AIRBAG MALFUNCTION INDICATOR WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT DISPLAY WHEN I SET MY CELLPHONE ON THE EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT. IT ALSO ACTIVATED WHEN MY DAUGHTERS WERE RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A LOCAL SUBARU DEALER ON APRIL 4, 2017.

MY ENGINE BURNS THROUGH OIL RAPIDLY EVERY 800 TO 1300 MILES I NEED AN OIL CHANGE. THIS ISSUE IS EXASPERATED WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. I ONCE BURNED THROUGH A WHILE QUART OF OIL AFTER 600 MILES WHEN TRAVELING. SUBARU DEFINES AN ENGINE ISSUE IF IT IS UNDER 2000 MILES. BUT THEY WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY ENGINE FAILED THE TEST AND THAT THEY HAD ORDERED PARTS. WHEN I CALLED BACK TO SEE WHEN PARTS WOULD BE IN BECAUSE I HAD GONE IN TWICE IN THE SPAN OF 2 MONTHS FOR OIL TOP OFFS THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS NO LONGER GETTING THE PARTS AND THAT WE HAD TO REDO THE TEST. WE REDO THE TEST AND MY OIL LIGHT COMES ON AT 800 MILES, AND THEY TOLD MY MY ISSUE WAS A SENSOR AND THAT THE HISTORY OF MY VEHICLE WAS INVALID. I AM NOW AFRAID THAT MY ENGINE IS GOING TO BLOW UP.

WE WERE RIDING ALONG AT LESS THAN 40MPH, AND WITH NO WARNING, THERE WAS A SUDDEN, LOUD, EXPLOSION NOISE ON THE ROOF OF THE CAR. WE PULLED OVER TO DISCOVER THAT THE SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED. THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE ROAD NEAR US AT THE TIME, AND THERE IS NOTHING ABOVE TO SEND ANYTHING DOWN. WE ARE POSITIVE THAT NOTHING HIT OUR ROOF. IF THE INTERNAL COVER HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED ONE OF THE 3 OF US COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THIS INCIDENT VERY NEARLY COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. SUBARU REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT IS VERY CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE. AS SHE ENTERED THE PARKING AREA, THE CAR ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE HOUSE. THE FRONT AND SIDE AIRBAGS CAME OUT. THE ONLY INJURY TO HER WAS A BADLY SCRAPED RIGHT LEG AND CHEST PAIN. THE HOUSE SUFFERED DAMAGE.

I HAVE 2012 SUBARU IMPREZA, AND HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT. WHEN SOMEONE SITS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR TURNS ON AFTER A FEW MINUTES, AND THEN DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. THERE IS A FACTORY RECALL FOR OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (ODS), AND THE ODS CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER (4/18/2017); HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AGAIN (11/6/2017), AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE SENSOR MAT, WHICH IS NOT UNDER RECALL. IT IS $1,300 TO FIX IT. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 29K MILEAGE, AND ODS SENSOR MAD WENT BAD! WHY IS SENSOR MAT NOT COVERED BY RECALL?

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: ON TWO OCCASIONS IN THE PAST WEEK, WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPIED, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON IN THE DASHBOARD AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT SWITCHED TO "OFF". IN EACH INSTANCE, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TURNED OFF LATER THAT DAY AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG RETURNED TO NORMAL ("ON" WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED). A REPRESENTATIVE OF SUBARU OF AMERICA CLAIMS THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS TO OCCUR IF THERE IS ANY MOISTURE ON THE SEAT. OF THE TWO TIMES THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, THERE WAS MOISTURE ON THE SEAT IN ONE CASE, BUT NOT IN THE SECOND CASE. MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED OR FIXED UNLESS IT IS ACTIVELY OCCURRING. THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS FAR TOO CRITICAL OF A SAFETY FEATURE TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH INTERMITTENT FAILURES, AND I HOPE THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH A PASSENGER AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SAID OFF. WHILE DRIVING, MY PASSENGER LOOKED UP SOME TROUBLESHOOTING FOR THIS ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER SAME YEAR, SAME MAKES AND MODELS OF MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL BASED ON WHAT MONTH IT WAS MADE. AFTER I STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT, THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AGAIN UNTIL I WAS GOING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE. EVERY TIME WITH A PASSENGER AND DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH MY MOTHER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN I SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD HAD COME ON. I THEN LOOKED AT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT AND NOTICED THAT IT WAS IN THE "OFF" POSITION. IT CONCERNED ME THAT MY PASSENGER WAS NOT BEING DETECTED BY THE AIRBAG SENSOR, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 65 MPH. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DESTINATION AND THEN SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT TO SEE IF THE AIRBAG SENSOR WOULD DETECT MY PASSENGER, WHICH IT DID NOT. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT WAS FAULTY AND, AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1000. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE SENSOR CAN BE RENDERED INEFFECTIVE BY LIQUID SPILLS, THOUGH I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF EVER SPILLING ANYTHING LIQUID ON THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THIS CAR. I THEN LOOKED ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR SUBARU, AND THAT SUBARU ACTUALLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR 32,000 2012 SUBARU IMPREZAS (HTTP://BLOG.CARANDDRIVER.COM/SUBARU-RECALLS-32000-IMPREZAS-FOR-AIRBAG-SENSORS/). UNFORTUNATELY, AS WAS EXPLAINED BY MY DEALER, MY PARTICULAR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. THE DEALER'S SERVICE REPS EXPLAINED THAT IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH A PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE AS IS, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT, AS THE SENSOR MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATELY DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A PASSENGER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, AND ONE WHICH I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY TO FIX, CONSIDERING THAT THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A RECALL AFFECTING THE EXACT SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR CAR THAT I DRIVE. SINCE SEEING THE DEALER, I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ONCE MORE. I WAS DRIVING CITY STREETS WITH A PASSENGER, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WAS "OFF."