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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
2019 Outback 3.6 Harmon Pardon bubbles starting to form. Eyesight occasionally just turns off. PLEASE LET ME JOIN THIS LAWSUIT
Same. I’m at Subaru right now having this infotainment replaced. $1200 part plus $300 labor. I’m hoping I can get reimbursed for this if this is headed for a recall. Since the phantom scanning and turn off started I’ve stopped using the cruise control and Eyesight for fear it will malfunction.
I’d like to join lawsuit or recall in order to be reimbursed.
My 2019 Outback infotainment system problems slowly started with spontaneous radio scanning and now is completely unusable. Once I turn it on it “ghosts” from channel to channel, frequency to frequency, bluetooth to radio, etc.. I cannot use usb, cd, radio, bluetooth, or navigation. My dealer tells me that they will be happy to replace the radio head for $2,233.86.
I Have 2 2019 Oubacks that have delamination problems. I am screwed cause the car is worth 0
I purchased a brand new 2022 Subaru Forester in October 2022 and everything worked great until 13 months in and my phone quit connecting to my car speakers, although the phone itself was still connecting to the car. My car stopped responding to my voice commands. My Starlink app quit working (has said it’s under maintenance for over a month now). My autostart hasn’t worked for over a month now (and I live in Alaska) and none of my features on MySubaru app work anymore. I’ve been paying for a service that doesn’t work, during the coldest time of the year! I called my local dealership and they told me to bring it in for a $180 diagnostic test to see IF my issue is covered under warranty. I then called Starlink and they passed me onto Subaru of America. No one would take responsibility for my issue, nor did they act like they knew what was wrong. I emailed the customer advocacy department and was told a week later to take it into my dealership to get a diagnostic test. Back at square one, so now I have to wait until the middle of next week before I can get it looked at locally and hoping I’m not stuck with the bill! We’ll see what happens! I’m super frustrated that none of my features that I have paid for work and it’s also not safe that I can’t use my phone through my car speakers anymore! I have updated everything I can update and still nothing! I told them in my email that I wanted to be credited back money for the time I haven’t been able to use the system and I got no response to that, of course.
My husband and I purchased a used 2019 Subaru Outback from a dealership just a few months ago. The screen is inoperable. It flips through buttons and settings, makes calls, and turns the sound on and off. It’s distracting, dangerous, and makes driving the car worrisome.
Bought a uses 2018 subara legacy with starlink info head issues that started
I have a Subaru 2019 Legacy with the addressed issues.
Yes, how do we get included? I have a 2019 Outback that has issues with the display.
How do I get my 2019 Legacy included in this law suit?
I have a 2018 Outback. Infotainment center screen is bubbly and stained in top half. The system has gone completely haywire by flashing, beeping, calling random contacts etc. Serious safety hazard.