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Consumers say that Subaru vehicles equipped with EyeSight driver assist technology pose serious and deadly problems due to defects in their components in a nationwide class action lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court.
The lead plaintiffs, all current and former Subaru owners, say that EyeSight technology suffers from a number of dangerous vehicle safety defects. These defects allegedly cause the lane assist function in Subarus to engage without reason, as well as the automatic braking system. Their class action lawsuit contends that the carmaker knew of these defects, but still sold the cars, touting their safety and reliability.
Lead plaintiffs Laura and James Sampson say that they purchased a new 2017 Subaru Outback limited in their home state of Illinois. They say that they depended on Subaru’s claims that the car was reliable and safe when making their purchase, but began to experience problems with the EyeSight driver technology within the first year. They allege their vehicle would stop abruptly, even though there were no obstacles, while they were backing out of their driveway and that their complaints were “brushed off” by the dealership.
Lead plaintiffs Anthony Ventura and Joanne Fulgieri Ventura of New York say that they decided to lease a 2020 Subaru Forester based on claims made about the car’s safety; however, they too allegedly ran into problems with both the lane assist technology and braking, including the car slowing significantly despite no obstacles.
Pennsylvania plaintiff Elizabeth Wheatley says that she purchased a new 2019 Subaru Crosstrek in 2018. The class action lawsuit says that Wheatley experienced the vehicle’s brakes suddenly engaging without reason on several occasions. Wheatley says her concerns were also dismissed by the Subaru dealership.
Lead plaintiff Shirley Reinhard, who is also representing her deceased husband Kenneth Reinhard, claims that the EyeSight defect caused their certified pre-owned 2015 Subaru Outback to get into a severe accident that caused the car to roll four times. Reinhard alleges that the couple had brought the Subaru in prior to the accident after experiencing problems with the braking system, but the dealership refused to do a repair.
The class action lawsuit alleges that the EyeSight system suffers from defects that affect the vehicles’ lane assist technology and braking. The technology includes cameras and sensors mounted on the front and back of the vehicles.
The components that make up the EyeSight technology are not calibrated correctly, allege the plaintiffs, and also have other issues that cause them to malfunction. In addition, Subaru allegedly failed to properly test the technology to ensure it was safe for motorists.
The plaintiffs seek to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased or leased any 2013 to 2021 Subaru with the allegedly defective EyeSight technology.
Do you own a Subaru with EyeSight technology? Have you had trouble with the automatic brakes or lane assist functions? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
The lead plaintiffs are represented by Russell D. Paul, Amey J. Park, Abigail J. Gertner, and Natalie Lesser of Berger Montague PC, and Steven Weinmann, Tarek H. Zohdy, and Cody R. Padgett of Capstone Law APC.
The Subaru EyeSight Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Sampson, et al. v. Subaru of America, Inc, et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-10284-RMB-KMW in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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68 thoughts onNationwide Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Subaru Eyesight Problems
I have a 2019 Subaru Outback. When on the highway, I will decide out of nowhere that the lane assistant needs to jerk the wheel left or right, causing my car to swerve for absolutely no reason. There was nothing around to prompt the car to do that. It’s gotten so bad that I don’t drive with it on anymore. The system also really struggles in work/construction zones or roads that have faint or partially erased lines from old road work done, which can cause the car to swerve as well. The auto braking will also like to engage when a car is exiting the highway and is in the lane next to me. It will brake heavily.
Bought 2020 subaru ascent from subaru dealership.
I’ve had multiple issues with this car, in fact 3 months after purchase I had told service department I felt like a Bought a 40k lemon. I’ve brought it into dealership multiple times with complaints from Trans slip, Acceleration issues, safety features switching back on after opt off (at one point it swiveled me into the lane next to me while I was attempting to turn left in parking lot; had to fight to keep control of wheel) it also currently miss reads or misses completely obscures from sides and back and full Manual vision back views are impossible because how the truck is designed… my battery drain started only a month after purchase and dealership would tell me its the cold weather when I park in a enclosed insulated garage. I’m just now seeing all these issues posted on here and I have almost had every single one! I’m been trying to figure how to afford to get from out under this car after the first 6 months of purchase. I’ve never had a car with this many issues and I’ve own some run down cars in my day….thought I was buying safety in this car for my young children… #1 worse mistake purchase in my lifetime and that says a lot. I can’t believe the service depart was dismissive when they knew there where class actions open & closed the every same issues on my model. Nothing short of Negligent on subaru dealerships part.
I was driving down a street and all of a sudden the eyesight warning light came on. It went away but came on again seconds later. I am afraid to drive my car know what it can do. What is my recourse?
I purchased a 2023 Subaru Legacy Limited in March 2023. At 8880 miles the Eyesight Disabled Light came on and continued for up to 100 miles and then would go off, only to reoccur over and over for different extended periods. The dealer replaced the camera and when that did not work, they replaced the windshield under the advice of Subaru Of America (SOA) tech support who said they have experienced the issue and that seemed to work. It did for another 4,000 miles when it started up again now for 2500 miles. This go round the dealer was advised by SOA tech, after SOA connected to my car remotely, that they have experienced the issue nationally and that it will require a “reset update,” however there is no date when such an update would be available. The basic warning code is an E5. I have since contacted SOA customer service and received a case # and I have written to SOA’s CEO on 11/20 and SOA’s COO on 11/30, all in vain. The customer rep never calls back when promised, I have to contact him and is an advocate for SOA not for me. As of late December, nothing has changed. I have asked the CEO, the COO and the customer rep to assist me in transferring out of this Legacy into a new one but that has been a dead end. The customer rep went so far as to tell me this is not a safety issue, much to my amazement. His rationale was that they sell base models without eyesight and those are not reliant on it. I advised this was the reason I purchased the Limited and not the base model to begin with and if that was so to refund me the sticker difference between the two and I’ll be satisfied, again a dead end. The vehicle drives fine but is without all the highly desired driver assist features. I had a finely functioning 2017 Legacy that I traded to get this one because of the driver assist features, not a blind car. There is absolutely no update (the SOA rep said that is created in Japan) and the dealer said when it is available it will come to them as a service bulletin not to customers as a recall. This is my 6th Subaru and, as a result, my last. As far as SOA goes, you are on your own, it is your problem not theirs.
I have a 2021 Ascent that I lease and I’ve complained about this twice and been brushed off. It’s awful. How do we get on this to get the cars fixed?
We recently bought a used 2020 accent limited and I almost had an accident because I stopped suddenly on a highway, luckily I was in the right lane and the car behind me was able to get off the road it was horrible there were children in the vehicle I am always scared when I go out
2021 Subaru Ascent- When we first got our car, we were learning the different systems and options. We put on the lane-keep assist and was letting it do its thing and we when into a road construction area near Atlanta, GA and it had multi road construction lines. The Lane assist tried to put us in a K-rail on the interstate doing 55 or 65 MPH. At that point both my wife and I said we are not using that anymore. It was a very close call.
My 2015 Subaru Forester started engaging the eyesight while driving on my mountainous dirt road, and slams the brakes on. I thought maybe it was a branch in the way. In December/ January 2023 the vehicle started engaging the brakes and bringing my car to a full stop on a stretch of highway with a 55mph speed limit. I am so thankful there were no vehicles behind me or it could be a bad result. I am scared to drive the vehicle now.
I have a 2020 Outback. Without any warning I lost my Eyesight application while I was out of town for a funeral. I called Subaru and the only help they could provide was take it to a dealership. Coincidentally I had this car on lease for 3 years and just purchased the car 1 week ago. I’m not happy.