2017 Subaru Forester Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/14/2026

158Air Bags complaints

27.3%Of all 579 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 BAGS158 · 27.3%

VISIBILITY/WIPER103 · 17.8%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM101 · 17.4%

Unspecified / other96 · 16.6%

ENGINE46 · 7.9%

Share of the 579 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2017 Subaru Forester overview page.

What owners report

“THE LIGHTS INDICATING AN AIR BAG MALFUNCTION COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. IT APPEARS THAT THE AIR BAGS ARE BOTH OFF. WE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER…”NHTSA complaint 11243563 — filed 08/13/2019

“AT RANDOM TIMES THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD TURN OFF EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT. THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN…”NHTSA complaint 11243370 — filed 08/12/2019

“SEAT BOTTOM OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM FAILED TO WORK. NOTICE THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICED APPEARED ON DASH MESSAGE. NOTICE OCCURRED BOTH…”NHTSA complaint 11243315 — filed 08/12/2019

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

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2017 Subaru Forester have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2017 Subaru Forester: 158 of 579 complaints on file (27.3%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2017 Subaru Forester have in total?

579 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 39 involved a crash, 1 involved a fire, 27 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 07/14/2026.