Component
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
225 NHTSA complaints about air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger issues across 26 makes and 95 models.
Data updated August 2026. Counts render from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation standardized component field; severity flags cross-reference NHTSA ODI complaint flags for owner-reported crash, fire, and injury markers. This page is for informational purposes and does not replace NHTSA recall notices or a vehicle-specific inspection. Methodology · Corrections.
NHTSA ODI component intake brief
ODI category AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
225 filings · 95 models · 26 makes · vintage August 2026
- FILINGS SPARSE 225 ODI rows
- MODELS 95 nameplates citing this part
- MAKES 26 manufacturers in corpus
- CRASH 0.4% 1 crash-flagged
- RANK #253 of 696 categories
- SEV QUIET 0 deaths · 0 injuries
Filing-volume peers
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER sits SPARSE on ODI intake volume (#253 of 696 standardized categories) with a QUIET severity stamp (0 reported fatalities across 95 models). Open Subaru Forester (category leader) →
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER severity reading
The standout signal for air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger is severity: 0 reported fatalities and 0 injuries (QUIET stamp) on 225 filings (SPARSE volume).
Sparse categories can swing on a single high-volume nameplate; treat the leader row as the actionable signal, not the category headline alone.
Next step: compare Subaru Forester against SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING on filing totals before treating air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger volume as a purchase signal.
Most Affected Vehicles
| # | Vehicle | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subaru Forester | |
| 2 | MINI Cooper | |
| 3 | Subaru Impreza | |
| 4 | Nissan Altima | |
| 5 | BMW 328i | |
| 6 | BMW X3 | |
| 7 | Pontiac Solstice | |
| 8 | BMW X5 | |
| 9 | Subaru Outback | |
| 10 | BMW 528i | |
| 11 | BMW 328xi | |
| 12 | BMW 325i | |
| 13 | Tesla Model Y | |
| 14 | Nissan Maxima | |
| 15 | MINI Cooper S | |
| 16 | Audi A6 | |
| 17 | Nissan Rogue | |
| 18 | Nissan Murano | |
| 19 | MINI Cooper Convertible | |
| 20 | MINI Cooper Clubman | |
| 21 | Mercedes-Benz C300 | |
| 22 | Infiniti G35 | |
| 23 | Honda CR-V | |
| 24 | Chevrolet Volt | |
| 25 | Chevrolet Impala | |
| 26 | BMW Z4 | |
| 27 | BMW I3 | |
| 28 | BMW 535xi | |
| 29 | BMW 530xi | |
| 30 | BMW 530i |
Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) and El
See attached document for complaint.
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 335I. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger’s side air bag sensor warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to t
See attached document for complaint
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side occupant sensor failed to recognize a petite, smaller individual seated in the front passenger’s seat. The d
The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the passenger occupant sensor light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent me
The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failur
Passenger seat air bag sensor doesn't work.
The contact owns a 2012 BMW X5. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Passenger Restraint System Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had be
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the air bag warning light fluctuated on and off. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, but the mechan
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag failed to turn on while the front passenger's side seat was occupied. The contact stated that the failure re
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated with and without a passenger seated in the seat. Recently, the
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic te
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Rogue. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after buckling the passenger’s side seat belt,
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet SS. The contact stated that the service air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that th
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat was not sensing his wife seated in the seat due to her weight. The contact stated that his wife was 102 l
Related Vehicle Components
Verify with NHTSA · consumer-reported counts are not verified defect findings.