Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
A number of Subaru vehicles have defective electrical systems that are draining consumers’ car batteries, time, and money, and the company has done little to remedy the issue, a new Subaru class action lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit was filed in Ontario by lead Plaintiff Steven Scott and adds to a number of other lawsuits the company is facing for the same issue. Scott alleges that his 2016 Subaru Outback, which he bought in British Columbia in 2017, started suffering from electrical problems at only 6,560 kilometers.
According to the class action lawsuit, Scott was unable to close the passenger window from the driver’s console and the battery would drain after leaving the tailgate open for 15 minutes. The power lift tail gate also failed to function, he says.
In June 2019, Scott’s vehicle wouldn’t start so he had it towed to a dealer where the technician gave the battery a boost and told him he needed a new battery. He then purchased a new battery and battery charger, but he has since had to charge the battery twice and had to use a spare battery on numerous occasions.
“Since purchasing the vehicle, the Plaintiff has incurred approximately $500 in out-of-pocket expenses and significant time in dealing with issues related to the Electrical Defect, hereinafter defined. The presence of the Electrical Defect has caused the Plaintiff significant anxiety,” the claim reads.
“This class action concerns the life threatening, negligent, and dangerous design, production, and manufacture of defective electrical components in the Class Vehicles,” the claim reads.
Those vehicles include 2015-2019 Subaru Outback, 2015-2019 Subaru WRX, 2015-2019 Subaru Forester, 2015-2019 Subaru Legacy, and 2019 Subaru Ascent.
The claim adds that had Scott known about the defect suffered by the vehicles, which causes “parasitic battery drain,” he would not have purchased his Outback.
Dealerships typically tell customers the batteries simply need to be recharged as a way to evade warranty obligations, Scott alleges in the claim.
The electrical issues with the vehicles have diminished resale values because Subaru refuses to issue recalls and repair the alleged defects, Scott says, and on top of that Subaru has not offered to reimburse owners for expenses related to the battery problems.
“Subaru has not only failed to disclose to consumers that the Class Vehicles were predisposed to the Electrical Defect and would therefore suffer from premature battery failure, but it also failed to disclose that the Defect would diminish the intrinsic and resale value of the Vehicles,” the claim reads.
It adds that Subaru’s conduct in marketing and selling the vehicles breaches its warranties and violates Ontario law.
“Subaru has and will continue to benefit from its unlawful conduct. It will continue to sell more vehicles, at a higher price, and will continue to avoid its warranty obligations. This will inevitably harm consumers at both the point of sale and as the batteries in their vehicles begin to fail.”
Scott wants to represent a nationwide Class of Subaru owners in Canada. He is seeking certification of the Class, damages, legal fees and costs, interest, and a jury trial.
Do you own any of the affected Subaru vehicles? Let us know your experience in the comments section!
Scott is represented by McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP.
The Subaru Battery Class Action Lawsuit is Steven Scott, v. Subaru Canada, Inc., et al., Case No. CV-21-00001058-00CP, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
3M issues recall for noise-reducing earmuffs due to potential breakage
April 30, 2024 | Product Recalls
40 thoughts onSubaru Hit With Another Class Action for Alleged Electrical Defect
I bought a 2021 Subaru Ascent in Dec 2020. It has been just a year and i’m having battery issues since Jan 2022. First the technicians mentioned the batteries are good and they charged it up. Went bust again in a week and they replaced batteries. Went bust again in 2 days and now they are replacing something else. This has been a very bad experience considering it is nee car with <8k miles. Anyway we can join the lawsuit?
I own a 2017 outback. We bought it brand new. Year and a half later we had to replace the battery as it died. It is now 3 years later and guess what, another new battery today.
When I got a boost to start it, there was a beeping alarm as I drove and found out I could not in any way open the tailgate. Went to start the car today and the battery was so flat, it could not even unlock the doors.
I purchased a new Subaru Crosstrek in December 2019. Almost immediately, we were having dead battery issues. At first I thought that we had left a door ajar, or something like that. I had to jump start the car several times in the first 6 months.
During Covid, my wife was using the car only once a week to do the shopping, and for the several days it sat not being driven, the battery would go dead. When I mentioned this at our first 6-month service at the dealership, I was told the car needed to be driven more, or buy a trickle-charger, which I did.
At my 2nd 6-month service, I asked for the charging system to be checked, and the battery “failed”; a new battery was installed.
Repeat, repeat. Next 6-month service: another battery “fail”, another new Subaru battery, and this time a “software update”, which worked for awhile, about 2 months.
Now, at my 24-month service, another battery fail, and they checked for “parasitic drain” and found none. They want to give me another battery . . . . that’s 4 in 2 years!
I would like to join the lawsuit, but suspect that I cannot, because it does not cover the Crosstrek model (2019).
We have a 2020 Outback . Two mornings in a row the battery was 0 volts. Dealership replaced the battery but did determine the cause. The car is kept in a heated garage. Dealer compared the car to a cell phone. Requires car to be operated occasionally to charge the battery. Can not find that in the owners manual.
Both our 2014 Impreza and 2017 WRX have gone through tons of batteries…the WRX within 6 months of having the car. I ended up buying battery voltage meters because it made me so paranoid with my long work commute.
I have a war 2018 that malfunctioned and pulled me off a bridge almost I hit so hard but now I’m lying in my bed none of my airbags went out I am looking for a lawyer that will help me Sue these people
I have a 2018 cross track, I bought new. It started doing this dying battery spring 2021 and has done it maybe 6 times now, I am told by the dealer, you need to drive it more. I just found this class actions and want to see what I can do to be part of this action.
I had a Subaru Legacy for 16 years before this cross trace, NEVER a problem, now all I have is dead battery after dead battery.
I can not trust this piece of garbage.
I could not start my 2018 Subaru Outback yesterday, again!! The last time I drove the vehicle was on Tuesday, two days ago. A new battery was put on Nov 5, 2020, one year ago. Before the replacement, I had multiple “car would not start” incidents in 2020, causing me all kinds of problem!! I always, always, make sure that all the lights are off, all the doors are closed when I stop the vehicle, and the car is locked.
My mechanic told me the infrequent driving due to the pandemic could be the cause of the problem. I do make sure I go driving at least once a week since the battery replacement. So far so good until yesterday. Ah!! There is something going on with the car, and I am sure that something is draining the battery. No, I would not have bought this car if I knew about this problem. I am a very unhappy Subaru Outback owner!!
We own a 2016 Subaru Forester and our battery also died and we had to get a jump after only purchasing it a year or 2 earlier. Subaru did replace the battery under warranty and since then we do not have the headlights on auto ever and that has seemed to help.
I am also looking to see how to get something going over the issue we have with our driver side seat cracking on the vinyl outer bolster. Car is low kms, parked indoors not in direct sun, well looked after. Subaru is not willing to do anything even though it seems to be a major issue I have read.
The power hatch has also been sort of flakey. Not all that impressed overall.
I just bought 2022 model, and having the same issue. 5 weeks have had it. 3 boosts, 2 in last 2 days on to the 4th boost now. Subaru is still negligent in this problem.
I purchased a 2017 Outback and drive it to Florida and leave it covered at my Cousins in Tampa and we fly to Mexico for 2 months . Twice we came back and had to buy New Batteries , dealers are no help
Hi Everyone,
I just joined the class-action suit stated at this address: https://www.mckenzielake.com/subaru-electrical-defect/
I have a Subaru Outback 2018 and my family and I got stranded on the weekend 200km away from home on cottage country. I drove 2.5 hours north from Toronto on Friday evening and when I tried to leave on Sunday morning the battery was basically completely drained for no reason. The car is only 3 years old and with 20,000km.
We called CAA and after 2 hours a CAA truck came by… it couldn’t get to where we were because of the really narrow driveway that led to the cottage but he was able to walk down and give the battery a boost and we could start the car.
We thought our problems were over, my son was sick and I wanted to get home as soon as I could….however after 10 minutes when we were ready to leave I realized I couldn’t put the car on reverse and not change any gears…also I had the Christmas Tree effect on the panel where all the lights on were on. It was like the system had a glitch and I couldn’t reset it. I tried everything I could but I wasn’t able to get rid of the problem.
We called CAA again. I had to find a cab to take my family home because I was told this time that only one person could be in the truck (imagine how much that costs). To make a long story short everyone got home ok and it was an ordeal to get the car from the place it was parked in the cottage through the narrow driveway and have it towed all the way to Toronto.
We took the vehicle to the Subaru dealership and they can’t give an explanation why the car had the battery drained or why we had the electronic glitch after the battery boost. They just fully charged the battery and said they couldn’t do anything else because the battery was technically ok after testing for 2 days. No matter what I said they were just giving a lame explanation that the battery was ok over and over and they were following Subaru’s protocol. They recommended that I drive the car on a highway for at least 30 minutes every week (seriously?).
Obviously we are going to have this problem again (especially in the winter), so I’m thinking of buying a booster and keeping it in the car. If I buy a new battery I might have the same issue as I heard from one of the technicians that the car drains the battery even when it’s off.
Anyway, just sharing my story.