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Update:
- A federal judge in New Jersey declined to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing Subaru of manufacturing and selling certain vehicles containing defective Starlink infotainment systems.
- U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler determined the court did not have enough facts to dismiss the common law claims of fraud, breach of warranty, unjust enrichment and fraudulent concealment.
- The judge also allowed all but one state consumer protection claim to move forward, ruling the class action adequately alleged the Starlink information systems did not work as advertised.
- Subaru, in its attempt to dismiss the claims, argued some of the claims were untimely and that any warranty would have been made solely by Subaru of America.
- The judge ruled it was too early in the case to distinguish the liability or severability between Subaru of America and Subaru Corp.
Subaru Starlink class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Marco Cilluffo, Jeffrey Quarles, Pamela Doze and Carl Jean-Louis filed a class action lawsuit against Subaru of America Inc. and Subaru Corp.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim Subaru manufactured and sold certain vehicles equipped with allegedly defective Starlink infotainment systems that create a safety risk.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New Jersey federal court.
- What are my options: Advance Auto Parts carries many options when it comes to entertainment systems.
(April 14, 2023)
Subaru of America manufactured and sold certain vehicles equipped with Starlink infotainment systems containing a defect that has rendered them partially or wholly inoperable, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiffs Marco Cillufo, Jeffrey Quarles, Pamela Doze and Carl Jean-Louis claim the Starlink systems contain a defect that causes them to “freeze, become non-responsive, experience ‘ghost touch’ or phantom input, shut off, reboot, work intermittently or not at all.”
The plaintiffs argue further that Subaru falsely promises the Starlink systems will provide drivers with “seamless navigation,” “extra safety” and “everyday convenience.”
“Instead, Subaru sells and leases Class Vehicles equipped with defective Starlink systems that fail intermittently or altogether, causing serious inconvenience and safety concerns for lessees and owners, their passengers, and other drivers on the road,” the class action states.
The plaintiffs want to represent a nationwide class and Arizona, New York, New Hampshire and Washington classes of consumers who have purchased or leased a Subaru vehicle equipped with a Starlink infotainment system.
Certain Outback, Legacy, Forester, WRX vehicles have defective Starlink systems, class action says
Subaru vehicles equipped with the allegedly defective Starlink infotainment system include model year 2019-2023 Subaru Outback, Legacy, Forester and WRX vehicles, according to the Subaru class action.
The plaintiffs claim the allegedly defective Starlink systems present a safety risk for drivers of the class vehicles by disabling safety features and presenting drivers with “distracting and frustrating” effects.
Further, the plaintiffs argue Subaru must be aware of the alleged defect based on “related service bulletins” and since it conducted pre-release vehicle testing and the alleged defect “manifests so quickly.”
The plaintiffs claim Subaru is guilty of unjust enrichment, common law fraud and fraudulent concealment, and of violating the New Hampshire Consumer Protection Act and New York General Business Law, among other things.
Plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and requesting injunctive relief along with an award of punitive damages for themselves and all class members.
Subaru initiated a recall in December for certain of its model year 2019-2022 Subaru Ascent vehicles over concerns an issue with the fastening of their Positive Temperature Coefficient ground terminals could pose a fire risk.
Have you purchased or leased a Subaru vehicle equipped with a Starlink infotainment system you believe is defective? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Andrew W. Ferich, Robert R. Ahdoot and Bradley K. King of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC.
The Subaru Starlink class action lawsuit is Cillufo, et al. v. Subaru of America, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-01897, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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65 thoughts onSubaru class action over Starlink infotainment defect escapes dismissal
2016 Subaru Outback
Hi, I have an Outback late 2018. In early April 2023, my headunit froze and died overnight, no help from Subaru yet, called them innumerable times (both the dealer and the advocacy dept).I believe head unit was replaced in 2019 but the one replaced was faulty as well. Came across your lawsuit, wondering how I can get mine fixed. Thanks.
Does this include Massachusetts ?even though I paid for Starlink on the window sticker on my 2023 Forester it has been disabled in Massachusetts because of some right to repair law.. God forbid someone crashes into the woods and is unconscious and the dam crash alert system can’t call out for help like it was intended to do..
My head unit goes wonky, like someone is pressing all of the softbuttons simultaneously, after the unit is over 65F. Dealer just said sorry, but out of warranty. Quote is >$1300 to repair. That part has a very benign environment and so there is no excuse for it to break so soon. (Bought car in 2019)
I have a 2019 Subaru Outback with the STARLINK system that goes “wonky”.
Sometimes the system will work for 25/30 minutes and other times it will screw up in immediately.
I reported to my Las Vegas Subaru dealer in December and was told they would submit for Subaru of America to see if they would repair or replace the unit under a Customer satisfaction deal.
I checked back with them ask they asked me to do at the end of February and they check it again (1-1/2hr wait) and then again in March. Still no satisfaction.
I have been driving Subaru’s since 2014 both for work and personal use 5 different vehicles but this is the first time I have been completely dissatisfied.
One on the reasons I bought the car was because of the STARLINK system.
If I cannot get the repair done it drops the resale value and I will not buy another one of their products.
I have had issue with my 2021 Subaru Forester since I got it. Now I finally understand why the system acts so wonky
I have the same issue with ghost touching on my 2020 Outback limited as well as the thermo control valve which is a $1400 repair there are TSB. Out that state both of these items were redesigned and I am presently trying to get back the money I paid for the repair of these two latent defects
Oh boy, I bought my 2022 Outback Limited LX in Sc and live in NC. I have had problems with the Infotainment system since I bought the car (8/2021). For 20 months I have had issues that are not consistent (volume, temp), entire system goes blank. The car has a mind of its own. I have been dealing with the dealership and SOA. Have been told multiple times that an update will fix it, it never has. My car has been in and out of the dealership 9 times. The majority of those times for a week or more. I have been looking for an attorney to either file a lemon law claim or a class action. I have been told it’s not a safety issue, to which I say “try driving in the mountains around curves and tell me this isn’t a safety issue when systems stop, lights flash, disappear, navigation does not talk”, I could go on about the bizarre things the car did. From the start I was in forums and discovered very quickly this was not an unknown issue and SOA and dealership lead me to believe they had not heard of this, it must be user error. It was not! I have read their manual inside and out multiple times to try and figure out what’s going on, I know how to use the car. The car just chooses to do what it wants to and changes it’s mind a mile down the road. Displays don’t match, etc. so the forums lead me to ask the dealership and SOA to replace the CCU as many had done and found it worked (others were not so lucky). For 18 months I have been begging for them to replace the CCU, but no, they won’t. Finally, this week, I had the CCU replaced. After driving a car that I don’t have music, navigation or anything related to the infotainment system and spending hours on the side of the road, or even daily before I can drive having to set seat, temperature, music etc before I can go. I have wasted so much time trying to get the car to function, driving to the dealership (1 hr away), reading their manual and trying to figure out what’s wrong with this car. Oh, documenting the issues became a job as well every time I got in the car. Needless to say, my experience with a brand new car was pretty miserable and has cost me money and time and I most certainly did not get what I paid for and Subaru failed to honor my warranty. This Monday they replaced the CCU. The last 2 days the car has worked perfectly since replacing the CCU, I finally can get into the car, start it and leave. Nothing has blanked out, Apple car play does not disconnect and interestingly, my stereo seem to sound better and the start stop system is now working (I thought the inconsistency was how the system was), it used to be sporadic but I didn’t know that it was not working as it should. Driving the same conditions and the car performs so differently now that it has a new brain. But, I am mad I didn’t have that new car feeling, for the last 20 months this new car has been nothing but stress. I Shouldn’t be in a 2 yr old car being thankful that what I paid for I am now getting 2 years later. But I am so grateful that a new brain appears to have fixed the issue.
My 2020 Subaru Forester Touring seems to have its Infotainment not recognize taps, it will go black quite a bit. And it’s annoying. I didn’t realize there was a lawsuit about this. But I just bring it into my dealership and ask them to fix the defective unit?
Good luck, SOA and the dealership refused for 18 months. I think they realized they were out of options. I had major problems and sent them photos etc and they told me they needed a “diagnosis” before they could do anything. Unfortunately, there is no rhyme or reason so it’s hard to duplicate, this diagnosis. The gal at the dealership said SOA asked them if it was user error (after I had dealt with SOA for 18 months) and she told them most defiantly not, as it was doing weird things when it was in the shop. Again, SOA asked her to duplicate and she told them there was no way it was weird and inconsistent and each time it was something else. If I had to diagnosis each problem, it would be larger than their manual! Good luck to you, I finally got my new CCU 2 days ago and so far so good. This is the best I have felt about this car since before I drove it off the lot! 2 yrs later I might have gotten what I paid for!
I sent my dealer videos proving what the vehicle was doing and they still told Subaru of America they could not duplicate the problem
Just purchased 2020 Subaru Outback with 37K miles. Info system is going black at times, will not load and generally a mess at times. Subaru dealer I purchased it from is no help at all!