2012 Subaru Impreza Airbags Problems
Airbags are the top complaint area for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, with 105 complaints (43% of all complaints for the year), tied to 7 crashes, 1 fire, and 4 injuries. NHTSA recall 15V419000 addresses a faulty Occupant Control Unit on this model year.
- Airbags complaints
- 105
- 43% of 243
- Crashes reported
- 7
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 4
- Median mileage
- 36,750 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Frontal airbags failed to deploy during low-to-moderate speed collisions, including impacts around 30-35 mph and even a rollover, leaving occupants without protection.
- Passenger-seat airbag warning light switched to 'off' even while an adult occupied the seat, disabling that airbag without any alert to unbuckle.
- Owners reported the passenger airbag indicator toggling between on and off unpredictably, sometimes requiring the vehicle to be restarted multiple times to reset.
- Dealers attributed the passenger occupancy sensor faults to moisture or electronic devices on the seat, but the problem recurred after repairs.
- Airbag wiring was found damaged after a crash in which the airbags did not deploy and the driver sustained head and arm injuries.
When 2012 Subaru Impreza airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Jun 28, 2012, latest Jan 5, 2025.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Subaru Impreza
- NHTSA 15V419000Jul 1, 2015Airbags30,348 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012 model year Subaru Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon vehicles (except WRX/STI models) manufactured April 21, 2011, to February 16, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may deactivate if a front seat passenger operates a device that is plugged into the power outlet such as a music player or cell phone, or touches a metal part of the vehicle such as the forward/rearward seat adjuster lever.
Risk: If the ODS deactivates, the front passenger air bag will be turned off and the front passenger air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Occupant Control Unit with a modified one, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQT-55.
Airbags complaints by Impreza model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does the 2012 Subaru Impreza have?
- NHTSA lists 105 airbag-related complaints for the 2012 Impreza, which is 43% of all 243 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for airbag problems on the 2012 Subaru Impreza?
- Yes. Recall 15V419000, reported July 1, 2015, covers 2012 Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon models (except WRX/STI) built between April 21, 2011 and February 16, 2012, for an Occupant Control Unit issue. Subaru's remedy is to replace the unit with a modified one free of charge.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for airbag complaints on the 2012 Impreza is 36,750 miles.
- Did the 2012 Impreza's airbag issues cause injuries or crashes?
- NHTSA data links the airbag complaints to 7 crashes, 1 fire, and 4 injuries.
- How does the 2012 Impreza compare to other model years for airbag complaints?
- The 2012 model year has the highest airbag complaint share among Impreza years listed, at 43%, compared to 32% in 2013 and 35% in 2014, then dropping to single digits by 2018.