Category: Subaru

By: Andrea Plata

Subaru owners have complained for years about battery problems with their vehicles. All too often, Subaru owners have found that they take their vehicles in over-and-over again for battery problems; but that the authorized dealerships are unable to finally resolve the problems. Recently, a class action lawsuit has been brought against Subaru for issues relating to the 2016-2020 Subaru Outback and Subaru Ascent models. The lawsuit is alleging that the vehicles have a battery drain issue and do not have the capacity to power the electrical systems when turned off. 

What is an Automobile Class Action Lawsuit? 

A class action lawsuit is a lawsuit brought by a group of plaintiffs who have suffered similar damages or injuries. Automobile class action lawsuits are typically brought when a group of plaintiffs is claiming that a specific auto part has either design or manufacturing defects. The term defect is used to describe a condition of a consumer product that does not meet a consumer’s reasonable expectation. 

In re Subaru Battery Drain Products Liability Litigation

Several individual suits were consolidated and brought as, In re Subaru Battery Drain Products Liability Litigation. Plaintiffs allege that the vehicle models have an uncommonly short battery life and that this leads to drivers facing serious issues on the road. Subaru owners have complained that the short battery life has resulted in them becoming stranded on the side of the road and forced to purchase battery chargers or alternative transportation. 

Plaintiffs claim that Subaru was aware of the battery drain issues in the Outback and Ascent models starting in 2017 and that the company concealed the known defect to consumers. Subaru has issued new batteries under their product warranty in the past although consumers are alleging that the replacement batteries also suffer from the same battery drain. 

One Plaintiff in the Class Action lawsuit described the issues as follows: “Defendant attempts to remedy the Defect by simply replacing the battery. But Defendant does so with batteries that have the same Defect, and thus, fails to fix the problem. This makes it substantially certain that the Defect will occur again, and many Class Members have in fact had their batteries replaced multiple times.”  Another owner of a 2018 Subaru Outback described the frustration with the constantly failing batteries, “This is the third time I have had to deal with a dead battery for the car. I don’t drive it often, and the car runs absolutely fine when the battery is actually working, but the battery dies on its own which leads me to believe that it’s somehow draining on its own.”  

How We Can Help

The California Lemon Law is one of the strongest in the United States and provides robust protections when automakers do not stand behind their warranties and are unable to quickly fix vehicles.  If your Subaru has given you repeated headaches, please call CCA today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM. We will get you the compensation you deserve – and at no cost to you! 

By Nicole Halavi

In October 2020, a lawsuit against Subaru alleges that the automaker failed to issue a recall that included all Subaru vehicles with defective DENSO fuel pumps. These pumps are designed to last 100,000 miles, but the suit alleges that the pumps fail prematurely, creating a potentially dangerous driving condition.

In April 2020, Subaru recalled around 188,000 of these vehicles, while DENSO announced a recall of over 2 million fuel pumps:

• 2019 Subaru Impreza
• 2019 Subaru Outback
• 2019 Subaru Legacy
• 2019 Subaru Ascent

However, the October lawsuit alleges that the following vehicles should have been included in the April recall:

• 2015-2019 Subaru Impreza
• 2015-2019 Subaru Ascent
• 2015-2019 Subaru Legacy
• 2015-2019 Subaru Outback
• 2015-2019 Subaru Forester
• 2015-2019 Subaru Crosstrek
• 2015-2019 Subaru WRX

Interestingly, Subaru recalled vehicles equipped with DENSO pumps manufactured within a 4-month period, while DENSO’s own recall was for fuel pumps built over a 13-month period.

The plaintiffs also claim that the impellers in some low-pressure pumps may become deformed under some conditions which could result in an inoperable fuel pump. DENSO warns: “An inoperative fuel pump may result in the illumination of the check engine light and/or master warning indicators, rough engine running, engine no start and/or vehicle stall while driving at low speed and, in rare instances, a vehicle stall could occur while driving at higher speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.” 

What Can I Do if My Subaru is Exhibiting Fuel Pump Issues?

If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned issues, California’s lemon laws are here to protect you and prevent any further complications. The attorneys at CCA are very knowledgeable about the defective fuel pumps in Subaru vehicles discussed above and will work with you to fight back against the automaker.

Please do not hesitate to call CCA today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM. We’ll get you the compensation you deserve – and at no cost to you!

By: Nicole Halavi

Subaru is a famous automobile brand, a division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation (earlier known as Fuji Heavy Industries). Subaru vehicles are known for their boxer engine layouts. In the west, Subaru vehicles have appealed to a small but devoted set of automobile enthusiasts. The company has been focused on offering signature engines, all-wheel drive, affordable sports cars, and rough-road capabilities.

Recently, a lawsuit was filed against Subaru in California, alleging several Subaru Models (Forester, Legacy, and Outback) have exhibited defects that led to a spontaneous acceleration. This is a serious issue that can lead to fatal accidents in unfortunate situations. As per the lawsuit, the problem tends to occur when there is a disturbance in the throttle body’s electrical current.

CCA is here to help if your Subaru manufactured vehicle has exhibited any acceleration issues. We invite you to call our experts today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

What are the Acceleration Issues in the Subaru Vehicles that Resulted in a Class Action Lawsuit?

The recent California class-action lawsuit filed against Subaru alleges the following models have exhibited software problems that cause unintended acceleration: 2015-2019 Subaru Legacy, 2012-2018 Subaru Forester, 2015-2019 Subaru Outback.

One plaintiff, Suzanne Bare from California, purchased a used 2016 Subaru Legacy in July 2019. She also claims she purchased an extended Subaru warranty covering up to the first 84 months and 100,000 miles.

In January 2020, when the plaintiff was driving, with the vehicle on about 33,000 miles, she put her foot on the brake to stop the car, but it instead accelerated when she attempted to put the vehicle on park mode. She continued to apply pressure to the brakes, but the vehicle continued to accelerate and she slammed into a fence ahead. This resulted in severe damages, and the owner suffered $1,600 in damages.

Another California plaintiff, Michael Nickel, purchased a used 2014 Subaru Forester Limited in November 2019 and had similar spontaneous acceleration experiences. He also mentioned that such incidents usually occurred when he stopped the vehicle with his foot on the brake pedal. He remains concerned that the car is unsafe.

The class-action suit claims the CAN (Control Area Network) has software errors, and the brake override system is defected, which leads to unintended acceleration. Moreover, the lawsuit also mentions that the issue could be caused due to a hindrance in the electrical current inside the throttle body. Technicians cannot easily detect this issue.

A 2018 Subaru Legacy user explained the issue as follows: “Car was at a turning intersection. Car was completely stopped, foot was applied to brake with normal pressure. Within a few seconds, car started to progress forward, I lifted foot off brake and reapplied. The brake did not sense pressure, I put the car in park. These actions did not stop the car. Last effort attempt was to lift the emergency brake applied. This stopped the car. I turned off the engine and restarted the car.”

The suit claims that despite receiving multiple complaints from users regarding the same, Subaru failed to issue a recall or even a technical bulletin.

What Can I Do if My Subaru Manufactured Vehicle is Subject to Unintended Acceleration Issues?

If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned issues, such as unintended acceleration with your Subaru Model, California’s lemon laws are here to protect you and prevent further complications. Our lawyers at CCA are well aware of the recent lawsuit filed against Subaru and the spontaneous acceleration issues in the vehicles. At CCA, we can help you get the compensation you deserve – and at no cost to you!

Feel free to contact our experts for a free consultation at: (833) LEMON-FIRM.