A Subaru class action lawsuit alleges certain vehicles have defective electrical systems which cause premature car battery failures.
The Subaru class action lawsuit targets the Subaru Outback (2016-19 model years) and Subaru Ascent (2019-20).
According to the Subaru class action lawsuit, plaintiff Dustin Dalen purchased a new 2017 Outback in March 2017 from a dealership in Oregon.
The original battery reportedly failed in April 2018 with only 12,000 miles on it, stranding Dalen’s wife and two children at a park. When he took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection, the technician could not diagnose the problem, the filing states.
“From then on, Mr. Dalen was required to regularly charge the battery at home to keep it from failing again,” according to the Subaru class action lawsuit.
It did fail again during a business trip to Seattle, where Dalen had to hire an Uber late at night to take him to buy a portable charger and cables so he could jump-start his vehicle and drive home the next morning, the Subaru class action lawsuit states.
During a February 2020 oil change at the dealership, techs reportedly discovered that his battery – which at this point had less than 36,000 miles on it – had low voltage, and they replaced it.
According to the Subaru class action lawsuit, sport-utility vehicle batteries usually have a lifespan of four to six years.
Dalen’s Outback and other vehicles targeted in the Subaru class action lawsuit allegedly have a specific defect that makes this a recurring problem.
“The Defect arises from Subaru’s decision to install batteries with insufficient capacity to power the Class Vehicles’ electrical components when the vehicle is turned off,” reads the Subaru class action lawsuit.
“Absent a repair to the vehicle that reduces the demand on the battery, drivers whose batteries are replaced with the same battery are substantially certain to experience the Defect again.”
The plaintiff also claims the company has known about the issue for at least three years.
“That Defendant has long known about the Defect is clear based on a related service bulletin in 2017 specifically describing the Defect, and by the large numbers of consumer complaints, including those made to Defendant’s authorized dealers,” the Subaru class action lawsuit states.
Complaints going back as far as 2016 cite the same issue, with some vehicle owners and lessees reporting they had to purchase portable chargers to avoid being stranded multiple times. One person claimed to being stranded “five times, including once in a remote part of Canada.”
And yet, according to the Subaru class action lawsuit: “After three years of mounting complaints about the Defect in Outbacks, Subaru knew about the Defect before it launched the Ascent, which was new to Subaru’s lineup for the 2019 model year.”
The alleged defect may also be present in the upcoming Outback model, according to the filing.
“An internal report dated April 26, 2019, from Subaru’s Quality Improvement Committee noted that Subaru was already concerned with battery failure problems in the 2020 Outback, which was set to enter production in the summer,” states the Subaru class action lawsuit.
The plaintiff says no reasonable person would expect this kind of problem from a new vehicle, nor would they knowingly choose to buy or lease a vehicle with a defect that would render it inoperable, posing a serious safety risk.
“Subaru had a duty to disclose the true quality and reliability of the Class Vehicles because the knowledge of the Defect and its details were known and/or accessible only to Subaru; Subaru had superior knowledge and access to the relevant facts; and Subaru knew the facts were not known to, or reasonably discoverable by, Plaintiff and Class Members,” according to the Subaru class action lawsuit.
The plaintiff is suing for breach of warranty (both express and implied, under federal law); breach of written warranty (under Oregon state law); fraudulent concealment; unjust enrichment; and violation of Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practices Act.
Dalen is demanding a jury trial to stop Subaru from continuing its alleged illegal practices and to order Subaru either to institute a recall or free replacement program, or to buy back the defective vehicles. The plaintiff also seeks punitive damages and restitution for related expenses and court costs.
The Subaru owner is represented by Bradley K. King, Tina Wolfson and Ruhandy Glezakos of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC.
The Subaru Battery Class Action Lawsuit is Amy Burd, et al. v. Subaru of America Inc., et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-03095, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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123 thoughts onSubaru Class Action Alleges Battery Defect
Dead battery again if you don’t drive or at least start this 2016 Outback limited every couple of days it’s battery is dead. Battery checks out good.
Just had my second dead battery incident with my 2018 Outback. I have complained about the entertainment system since I bought it – and the difficulty latching the hatch. For a new car, I think I have had it in about 8 times. Didn’t think I was buying a golf cart. Going to be my last Subaru. Hate to trade it in and pass the problem on but don’t know what else to do.
Search on eBay for “lighter plug voltmeter”. Keep one of these inexpensive units plugged in, and if you don’t have at least 12.5V before you try to start up, you have a situation that could leave you stranded. With engine running, it should be charging at more than 14V.
Since the very first week I purchased my new Subaru Outback in 2018 I had trouble with the starter button. I was press it and no start. Usually by the second press it would turn over … but this has been ongoing for three years. I bring it to the dealership and each time they say that can not find a problem with this. The battery had to be replaced during the first year.
My 2016 Subaru Outback is now on its 4th battery. I was stranded three times in parking lots, once at my mountain cabin, twice in my drive-way. There are serious electronic issues with this car! I have AAA Road Service and the only good news, with this unnecessary power drain problem, is I bought my first replacement battery from the AAA Tow Service and every battery replacement since was at no additional charge.
Based on all the testimonies I’ve read, Subaru is in complete denial to the problem they know exists. Sad!
I will never buy another Subaru.
I have a 2015 Subaru Forester with under 70K miles and am on battery #3. I have never had this issue with any other vehicle.
I have a 2016 Subaru Outback with 78k miles on it. Just replaced my battery making it #3. We live in San Diego so the weather is pretty steady. My husband couldn’t figure out what I was doing to my batteries and maybe this is the answer. It is really frustrating because I have had other issues with my car. Overall have been disappointed with Subaru
I bought a new 2021 Subaru Outback in mid-January 2021. A week after I purchased it, the battery went dead. Had about 200 miles on it. Had someone come out to jump start it. That person told me that the battery going dead in brand new Subaru’s had been a big problem the prior year and that I was the first person with a 2021 model to have the same problem. Brought the car to the dealership and they changed out the battery. Problem solved? Not at all. It is now mid-April. There’s maybe 1,000 miles on the car, if that. I am in New York City, a five hour drive from where I live. The battery is dead again. Car is parked on a NYC street. A nightmare. I’ll deal with it in the morning. I have always driven Subaru’s. Love them. This is my third. It is also my last. The tire pressure signal hasn’t been working either. When I get home I’m going straight back to the dealership. They are taking this car back and giving me a refund or I’m going to sue them.
I have a 2018 Subaru Outback LTD. My electrical system has gone haywire. I have 37,000 miles on the car, just out of warranty. One morning, the car was completely dead. I replaced the battery. Next morning same issue, car completely dead. Got a jumpstart and drove to the dealer. After a week, got the car back. They couldn’t find anything wrong. Was driving it a week later and all the dummy lights came on and the car conked out. Had it towed to the dealer. They replaced a switch on the trunk lid. Worked fine for two days and now totally conked out again. Bottom line, some weird electrical problem they cannot find. I would love to be part of a lawsuit. What a dangerous, unsettling, pain in the AXX
Are there any updates on your situation?
Bought a used 2020 Subaru Outback from the second owner (I’m now the 3rd owner) and the car had 3,400 total miles and a dead battery. Analyzing the original battery stamped 08/06/2020 (8 months old) it charges to 12.4 volts off the car, but can’t maintain the charge with nothing connected, and drains to 11 volts. Analyzing the car with a new Die Hard battery, I see the car pulls a load 5 hours after each drive that lasts for ~15 minutes and draws the battery down as much as starting the engine. If the battery was a defective battery such as the original, it would never recover. The Subaru battery is defective.
2017 Outback battery failure at home. Had to install charger or after 4 to 5 days car won’t start. Dealer shop said need to drive car weekly and later went back again and was told drive daily. Contacted Subaru advocacy and told to weekly idle car for 30 minutes. (EPA?)? Unreliable car. We live above 2600 feet and higher Mtns near (6000 ft). Less than 50k miles. Wife loves car but agrees with me…our last Subaru.
I just bought a used 2020 Subaru Outback with 3,400 miles. The private party said the battery was dead because it was so rarely driven. I jump started it, drove it home and put it on a trickle charger for 24 hours. First time out, it started, drove five mile just fine, parked for 10 minutes, and the battery was dead.
So after doing some research on the topic, I bought a quality battery and a battery monitor with Bluetooth to log the batteries performance and the vehicle’s power demands.
The most noteworthy thing I’ve learned so far is that 5 hours after the car is driven, it has a proper drain that lasts for approximately 15 minutes, consuming ~2% of the available voltage of the new battery. By comparison, that is the voltage drop produced while starting the engine (which is typically the largest load on a car power system – thus the largest gage connection to any car battery).
Can anyone explain what the vehicle is doing with all that power while parked and unattended? I will continue to observe, but that is a load that a weaker battery would not be able to handle over time. Also, I’ve kept the original battery so I can run additional tests on it as well.