Subarunet Announcement
To: All Subaru Retailers
From: Subaru of America, Inc.
Date: October 14, 2019

Frequently Asked Questions: 2015-18 MY Forester ODS Recall WUM-98
To assist with customer inquiries regarding the ODS recall, please use the attached list of
answers to questions you can expect in the coming days.
 Question: Does this recall affect all 2015-2018 MY Foresters?
Answer: No. Not all 2015-2018MY Foresters are affected by this recall. Coverage will
be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on Subarunet.com. If the
vehicle is affected, additional details are described in the Product Campaign Bulletin. A
total of 366,282 vehicles have been affected by this recall. Vehicles not equipped with a
seat heater are not affected because the sensor mat harness connection is a different
design.
 Questions: What is an Occupant Detection System (ODS)?
Answer: The Occupant Detection System determines the presence and status of the
occupant in the passenger seat to enable or disable the passenger side airbag from
deployment in the event of an accident.
 Question: Reason for the recall?
Answer: Over time, the terminals connecting the ODS harness to the sensor mat in the
bottom of the passenger seat can develop an unstable electrical connection. If this
happens, the ODS may not properly determine the correct status of the right front seat
occupant and prevent the front passenger side airbag from deploying in the event of an
accident.
 Question: What is the recall remedy?
Answer: On affected vehicles, Subaru retailers will replace the ODS sensor mat harness
with an enhanced part at no cost to the customer.
 Question: When will customer notifications begin?
Answer: Customers will begin receiving notifications in early December. At that time,
customers will be advised the remedy parts are not yet available. Once remedy parts
become available, SOA will send customers another notification.

 Question: When will remedy parts become available?
Answer: We expect to have an adequate supply of parts in 4 to 6 months. Once we have
an adequate supply of remedy parts, we will send out another customer notification.
We currently have a very limited supply of ODS seat bottom assemblies available for
customers who experience an ODS failure (airbag lamp illuminated) prior to the recall
parts becoming available. To obtain one of these parts retailers will need to complete the
diagnostics listed in the WUM-98 recall bulletin to determine if a replacement harness is
needed. If the diagnosis indicates the ODS seat bottom harness requires replacement, the
retailer will need to contact a PIC (Parts Information Coordinator) and provide them
customer information including the RO Number, VIN number, Mileage, ODS and Airbag
Diagnostic Trouble Codes found, along with step by step diagnostic results.
Customers who have not experienced an ODS failure are ok to drive their vehicle until
parts become available, provided they do not allow passengers in the right front seat.
 Question: What if a customer vehicle does not have a current failure (airbag
lamp illuminated), but the customer feels unsafe driving the vehicle?
Answer: The customer should be offered a Subaru service loaner at no charge until their
car can be properly repaired. Please do your best to keep customers in Subaru vehicles
rather than another brand.
 Question: How long will the inspection and repair take?
Answer: The inspection will take 0.2 of an hour and if deemed necessary, the repair will
take 0.8 of an hour.
 Question: Can we obtain parts for pre-owned inventory?
Answer: No. Our current limited inventory is reserved for customer vehicles. Pre-owned
inventory will need to be parked until remedy parts become available in 3-4 months.
Please stay tuned for further information regarding curtailments provided by SOA.