SUBARU BATTERY DRAIN CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT 2023

Subaru has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit brought over the company’s vehicles’ faulty batteries. Forester 2015-2020, Legacy 2015-2020, Ascent 2019-2020, WRX 2015-2020, and 2015-2020 Outback purchasers and lessees are included in the settlement.

Subaru is a Japanese automaker with headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The corporation was founded in 1935 and named after the Latin word subarnus, which means “subterranean river.” Subaru is known for manufacturing dependable vehicles with excellent fuel economy, safety features, and performance. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which also owns Volvo Cars, owns the company.

According to the lawsuit, poor battery timing in many Subaru vehicles causes them to shut down unexpectedly. Despite the fact that the Controller Area Network (CAN) is designed to utilize battery power when the vehicle is in operation, software issues in Sabaru vehicles prevent CAN from entering sleep mode when the car is turned off. As a result, the battery is depleted nearly around the clock.Other than that, there is a history of class action lawsuits alleging that Sabaru knew about the problem as early as 2014 but did nothing to fix it.

Subaru maintains that the cars are in perfect working order and refutes every claim made in the class action lawsuit. However, she agrees to settle the case out of court to avoid further legal charges.

Subaru further claims that the vehicles “function properly, are not defective, and that no warranties or statutes have been breached.”

Can I join the settlement?

Anyone who purchased or leased a Forester model year 2015–2020, a Legacy model year 2015–2020, an Ascent model year 2019–2020, a WRX model year 2015–2020, or an Outback model year 2015–2020 is eligible for this settlement.
However, these claims are not included in the settlement:

• Personal injury due to battery failure
• Used car dealers and affiliated companies
• Sabaru’s current employees
• Anyone who bought a settlement-class vehicle with a salvaged title

Benefits

Eligible class members will get lots of benefits, such as:

• More than 5 years of warranty coverage
• Anyone who incurs out-of-pocket expenses as a result of battery drainage issues, such as battery replacement, repair, or reflash, will be reimbursed in cash.

Extended Warranty Coverage

• For vehicles up to five years old or 60,000 miles, the full cost of a new battery—including all associated parts and labor—will be covered by the manufacturer.
• 80% of the cost of a new battery, including parts and labor, will be covered if the vehicle has been driven for up to seven years or 84,000 miles (whichever comes first).
• 60% of the cost of a new battery will be covered if the vehicle has been driven for up to eight years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first).

To receive all the benefits, the class member needs to file a valid claim before March 13, 2023.