SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. has determined that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2003-2014 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2003-2006 model year Baja vehicles, 2009-2013 model year Forester vehicles, 2004-2011 model year Impreza vehicles, and 2004- 2014 WRX (including STI) vehicles equipped with a non-desiccated Takata-sourced passenger-side frontal air bag containing the propellant Phase Stabilized Ammonium Nitrate (PSAN).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2013 Subaru Forester airbags problems
severe 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
5crashes
8injuries
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Takata Front Passenger Airbag Module / Inflator âLike for Likeâ Recall
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Takata Front Passenger Airbag Module / Inflator âLike for Likeâ Recall
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. has determined that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2003-2014 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2003-2006 model year Baja vehicles, 2009-2013 model year Forester vehicles, 2004-2011 model year Impreza vehicles, and 2004-2014 WRX (including STI) vehicles equipped with a non-desiccated Takata-sourced passenger-side frontal air bag containing the propellant Phase Stabilized Ammonium Nitrate (PSAN).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. has determined that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 2003-2014 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2003-2006 model year Baja vehicles, 2009-2013 model year Forester vehicles, 2004-2011 model year Impreza vehicles, and 2004- 2014 WRX (including STI) vehicles equipped with a non-desiccated Takata-sourced passenger-side frontal air bag containing the propellant Phase Stabilized Ammonium Nitrate (PSAN).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Front and side airbags have failed to deploy in actual crashes. One owner was rear-ended at 58 mph, spun into a concrete barrier twice, and the front driver airbag never deployed—side airbags worked, but that didn't prevent fractured thumb, neck strain, head lumps, and body bruises requiring hospital care. Another owner rolled the vehicle after swerving at 40 mph; both front driver and passenger airbags failed, leaving the owner with knee injury and collarbone scratches. A third rollover produced zero deployment visible in post-crash photos.
Side-impact crashes also show non-deployment: one owner hit broadside hard enough to crush both front doors and blow out the window; the side airbag never fired. The owner suspects a sensor defect.
On the recall front, Subaru issued NHTSA Campaign 19V009000 for airbags in 2019. Six owners tried to get the repair done but sat waiting for parts—Northtown Subaru in Amherst NY, Carter in Seattle, Continental in Anchorage, and Subaru of Muskegon all confirmed Takata airbag parts were backordered indefinitely or not available until mid-2019. Subaru couldn't give owners a timeline. One owner's original August 2019 appointment got rescheduled to April after the dealer called back saying parts weren't in yet.
In a separate frontal hit, an airbag deployed but didn't prevent the driver's head from striking the windshield despite the seatbelt being fastened.
Same Subaru Forester airbags reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Front driver-side airbag non-deployment in frontal/rollover crashes
Owner experienced rear-end collision at 58 mph followed by multi-impact crash into concrete barrier; front driver airbag did not deploy despite side airbags functioning. Another owner in rollover after driving over embankment at 40 mph reported both front driver and passenger airbags failed to deploy. Third owner reported rollover crash with no airbag deployment visible. These suggest sensor or firing-pin defects preventing deployment in impact events that should trigger the system.
When: 60,698 miles (first incident); mileage unknown on second; unspecified on third
Symptoms owners cite: Front driver-side airbag did not deploy during rear-end collision followed by frontal impacts; Front driver and passenger airbags failed to deploy in rollover crash; No airbags deployed in rollover crash; airbags remained visibly rolled up post-crash; Driver's seatbelt did not restrain occupant adequately during rear-end impact
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles declared total loss or destroyed in crashes; no repair costs cited by owners
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 18V012000 (airbags) issued; rollover-crash owner received recall notification but not contacted by dealer or manufacturer
Side airbag non-deployment in side-impact crashes
Two separate side-impact incidents reported in which side airbags did not deploy. First incident involved side-impact on driver side that crushed both front doors and blew out driver window; vehicle nearly rolled. Owner suspected sensor-system defect. Owner expressed concern about defective sensor system.
When: Unspecified mileage; timing not provided
Symptoms owners cite: Side impact crushed driver and passenger doors and blew out driver window; Side airbag did not deploy during side-impact collision that nearly caused rollover; Driver sustained minor injury; occupants in other vehicles sustained serious injuries
Takata recall parts unavailability and delayed repair
Six owners received NHTSA Campaign 19V009000 (airbags) recall notifications but could not schedule timely repairs due to chronic parts shortages. Dealers (Northtown Subaru in Amherst NY, Carter Subaru Shoreline in Seattle WA, Continental Subaru in Anchorage AK, and Subaru of Muskegon in Muskegon MI) confirmed parts unavailable or would not be available until mid-2019. One owner scheduled appointment for 8/20/19 initially, then rescheduled to 4/16/19 after dealer callback. Manufacturer exceeded reasonable timeframe to supply parts for recall remedy.
When: Recall notification received 2019; appointments scheduled spring through summer 2019
Symptoms owners cite: Recall parts unavailable at multiple dealerships; Manufacturer unable to confirm parts availability timeline; Appointment delays and rescheduling due to parts shortage
Repairs/costs cited: No repair completed; parts backordered at all contacted dealers
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 19V009000 issued; manufacturer contacted by some owners but unable to provide parts-availability timeline; other owners stated manufacturer was not notified
Airbag deployment inadequacy in frontal collision
Owner rear-ended a parked UPS truck and airbag deployed, but head still struck windshield despite seatbelt being worn. Owner questioned why airbag and seatbelt did not prevent head impact.
When: Unspecified mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Head struck windshield despite airbag deployment and seatbelt use in rear-end collision
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
I had a family member driving an 2013 Subaru Forester all-wheel drive with a manual transition. The car had crash and rolled. The car at the most rolled twice and none of the air bags never deployed. I have photos of the accident and of the vehicle at the towed yard and its clear as day that the air bags are still rolled up.
Had airbags trouble with your 2013 Subaru Forester?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2013 Subaru Forester?
It's a meaningful issue. 12 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 12 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 30,633 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2013/Subaru/Forester.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.