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In a Subaru class action lawsuit, a Wisconsin woman claims that Outback and Forester vehicles may be equipped with defective windshields.
Plaintiff Christine Powell says the windshield defect pose an “imminent and significant safety hazard” in addition to causing monetary losses and other damages.
The alleged Subaru windshield defect reportedly causes cracks, chips, and breaks seemingly without any cause. These damages can reportedly occur even at low mileages and when a vehicle is brand new.
When the defective windshields crack, they allegedly prevent the operation of Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. According to Subaru, this system “monitors traffic movement, optimizes cruise control, and warns you if you sway outside your lane.”
When the windshield is broken, this system is allegedly unable to function as intended – reportedly meaning that drivers are not able to use a feature that likely drove their purchasing choices.
According to Powell’s Subaru class action, the defect affects 2017 to 2019 Subaru Forester and 2017 to 2019 Subaru Outback vehicles.
Powell allegedly experienced the defect with her 2018 Subaru Forester which she purchased in August 2017. After a few months of use, her vehicle allegedly cracked suddenly and unexpectedly. In December 2017, Powell reportedly took her vehicle to her local Subaru dealer who denied any responsibility and made her pay for the windshield replacement.
Powell’s windshield allegedly broke again in May 2019. Due to living several hours away from her nearest dealer, Powell has reportedly not taken her vehicle in for repairs and “hesitates to incur additional monetary losses and other damages.”
The Subaru class action claims that Powell and other consumers have experienced the defect and, in some cases, have been forced to foot the bill for repairs on their vehicles. Subaru has reportedly received hundreds of complaints about the issue but has failed to take any action to resolve the problem or reimburse consumers.
“Defendant has known for years of defects in the windshields of earlier model Subaru vehicles and Defendant is aware of a tremendous volume of complaints of this defect in the windshields of the Class Vehicles,” the Subaru class action lawsuit claims.
Powell seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchase or leased a 2017 to 2019 Subaru Forester or 2017 to 2019 Subaru Outback vehicle and suffered a damaged windshield. She also seeks to represent a Class of the same consumers from Wisconsin.
Did you purchase or lease a Subaru vehicle with a windshield defect involving chipping, cracking or breaking? Share your experiences in the comment section below!
Powell and the proposed Class are represented by Peter A. Muhic and Peter H. LeVan Jr. of LeVan Law Group LLC and Katrina Carroll, Edwin J. Kilpela Jr., and James P. McGraw III of Carlson Lynch LLP.
The Subaru Windshield Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Powell v. Subaru of America Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-19114-NLH-JS, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
UPDATE: On March 6, 2020, Subaru asked a judge to dismiss a class action lawsuit claiming the windshields in some Subaru vehicles crack during normal use.
UPDATE: The Vehicle Safety Defect Investigation is now open! If you own a vehicle that has a safety defect and you believe it should be covered by the warranty and it’s not, submit your information here.
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49 thoughts onSubaru Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Windshield Defect
I purhcased a 2018 Subaru Outback from Rivertown Subaru on 03/16/2020 and when i picked it up, i was informed by the salesperson that Subaru would be replacing the windshield due to a crack that was observed when they cleaned it up. I did not notice it when I did the test drive because of all of the pollen.
I also have a 2015 Subaru Outback that has a fine line crack from the lower left corner to the middle centerRon
2020 Outback, only a few months old. 3K miles only. One foot crack on windsheild found in the morning when I woke up. Nothing struck my car while driving or parked. So disappointed. Of course, it is not covered by Subaru
2018 Crosstrek. Windshield crack occurred in the 1st 5000 miles. No idea how it happened.
2019 Outback 9 months old, took off from red light heard a pop and then a 2 foot horizontal crack right across the windshield. Happened instantly. No chip, no rocks. Only one on the road at that time. Dealer said they will not take care of it because it was from a rock…says the man who wasn’t in the car.I was there. No rock.
Guess the dealer’s super detective work and genius sleuths solved that case pretty quickly. I will be contacting a lawyer.
I purchased a 2019 Subaru Forester Sport in late summer of 2019, and the first time I drove it on the freeway I ended up with a large horizontal crack in the windshield right across the driver’s line of sight from left to right. My insurance paid to replace the windshield with OEM glass from Subaru, but I was out considerable time and hassle in trying to get an appointment for the replacement. A few months later I noticed a small crack and was able again to file insurance and have the chip repaired without replacing the entire window (although this resulted in an additional insurance claim). Then today, only a matter of months later (February 25, 2020) I have another chip along with a completely separate horizontal crack along the passenger side of the windshield running right to left. This will require another complete windshield replacement– the second one in less than a year of owning the vehicle. My insurance company will surely raise my insurance rates due to these unavoidable claims! I am very frustrated since this ultimately directly impacts the safety of the vehicle. This is clearly a known defect in the materials used in windshield manufacturing by Subaru. I am seriously considering trading this vehicle in for some other brand where I can more trust the safety features which do not rely upon cameras mounted on the inside of the windshield which can become less effective or even nullified when chips and cracks are present in the glass. I feel Subaru should have to replace the windshields free of charge.
I have a 2017 Outback, was driving today with my family in the car, driving at slow speed in nice weather (Southern California), we were all shocked when my windshield made.a loud popping sound and suddenly had a crack in it coming from the bottom of the glass. Within a couple hours the crack grew to about a foot long. I scratched my head because I just couldn’t believe what had happened. I decided to check online and discovered all this info about this particular issue, I had no idea. Sounds like I’m in for a big headache, this sucks!
Three months old and on my third windshield. What a F***ing joke.
I’ve had my 2019 Subaru Outback since May 2019 and as of this morning will have to replace it for the 3rd time as it chips and cracks if something touches it. It’s less than a year old and will be on its fourth windshield. That’s crazy!
I’ve had my 2020 Subaru Legacy sedan for three weeks. Yesterday the windshield cracked. I live in AZ and I’m accustomed to chips and cracks from rocks on the road and the sound of a rock hitting the windshield. There was no sound yesterday, and no sign of impact…just a crack. Does anyone know if the defect is in the OEM windshield or is it some other design flaw? If it is the OEM windshield, wouldn’t replacement with an after-market glass resolve that problem? I’m in the process of scheduling the repair and would request a replacement product accordingly, if it is a glass defect.