Subaru drivers make up a small share of the U.S. auto market, however are typically loyal to the model.
Within the J.D. Energy 2025 U.S. Gross sales Satisfaction Index, launched in November 2025, Subaru ranked second for mass-market manufacturers, trailing solely Buick. Automobile & Driver additionally named three Subaru fashions to its 2025 Editors’ Alternative Listing.
Regardless of its stable popularity, Subaru has offered between 600,000 and 660,000 vehicles within the U.S. As compared, People buy greater than 2.3 million Toyotas yearly, and Ford sells over 2 million autos every year, based on automotive gross sales monitoring agency GoodCarBadCar.
I am shocked extra folks do not drive Subies, as a result of they have a tendency to carry their worth higher than many rivals, based on Kelley Blue E book. And as a former Subaru proprietor, I can attest that these vehicles keep on the highway for a very long time.
After we offered our Legacy a few years in the past, it had properly over 200,000 miles on it, had survived a teenage driver, and nonetheless had years of life in it.
Plaintiffs in a significant class-action lawsuit claimed Subaru’s EyeSight pre-collision braking, rear automated braking, and lane-keeping help options might malfunction.
Photograph by Justin Sullivan on Getty Pictures
Plaintiffs alleged Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assistance expertise was faulty
Regardless of these accolades, 2026 is off to a difficult begin for Subaru.
Subaru introduced it has settled a significant class-action lawsuit after a federal decide within the U.S. District Courtroom for the District of New Jersey granted ultimate approval to the settlement, formally resolving claims tied to Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assistance expertise.
For background, in April 2021 9 plaintiffs sued Subaru, claiming the corporate’s EyeSight pre-collision braking, rear automated braking, and lane-keeping help (LKA) options in sure 2013-2021 fashions might malfunction, based on CarComplaints.
About 3.4 million Subarus are implicated within the lawsuit, together with Outback, Forester, Legacy, and Crosstrek fashions, based on a Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Administration (NHTSA) assertion.
The plaintiffs alleged Subaru didn’t adequately warn clients about issues with the automated emergency braking methods, which allegedly had defects with software program calibration from a number of management modules. The category motion lawsuit alleged the brakes would activate when there have been no objects in entrance or behind the automobile, per CarComplaints.
Courtroom filings additionally alleged the lane-keeping help system would shut down fully till the automobile was restarted, stopping them from providing the protection options Subaru marketed. In some instances, the system would jerk the steering wheel, which might trigger the automotive to steer into different autos.
Associated: McDonald’s accused of deceptive clients on McRib
“As extra expertise is added to autos, producers want to make sure that driver help methods are built-in in such a approach that enhances security with out detracting from the general driving expertise,” Senior Director of World Automotive Provider Benchmarking and Different Mobility at J.D. Energy Ashley Edgar stated in a press launch.
The lawsuit, Sampson, et al., v. Subaru of America, Inc., et al. (case #1:21-cv-10284), was filed within the U.S. District Courtroom for the District of New Jersey. The plaintiffs had been represented by a minimum of 5 regulation companies.
Subaru denied all wrongdoing, and as a part of the settlement, the corporate said that the settlement was meant to keep away from the price and uncertainty of continued litigation.
Which Subaru fashions are concerned within the class-action lawsuit?
This settlement includes autos distributed by Subaru of America within the continental U.S., particularly together with the fashions beneath, in the event that they had been outfitted with EyeSight (excluding autos with EyeSight Model 4), based on the Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Administration (NHTSA):
- 2013- 2022MY Legacy
- 2013- 2022MY Outback
- 2015-2023MY Impreza
- 2015-2023MY Crosstrek
- 2014-2021MY Forester
- 2019-2022MY Ascent
- 2016-2021MY WRX
- 2022 and 2024MY BRZ
How a lot will Subaru house owners get?
Every of the 9 named plaintiffs will obtain $5,000, whereas the attorneys representing the plaintiffs had been awarded $2,428,118.67 in charges and bills, based on Automobile & Driver.
Some Subaru house owners could have their warranties prolonged.
In accordance with the settlement discover revealed by NHTSA, the automobile’s authentic 3-year/36,000-mile New Car Restricted Guarantee will probably be prolonged by 1 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.
- 100% of a qualifying EyeSight restore will probably be coated if the automobile remains to be throughout the authentic 3-year/36,000-mile New Car Restricted Guarantee on the time of restore.
- 75% of a qualifying EyeSight restore will probably be coated by SOA if the automobile is throughout the 1-year/12,000-mile guarantee extension interval. The remaining 25% would be the duty of the shopper.
If the prolonged guarantee interval would have expired previous to July 29, 2025, then there will probably be a 4-month protection interval that expires on 11/29/2025.
- 75% of a qualifying EyeSight restore will probably be coated by SOA if the automobile is inside this 4-month different protection interval. The remaining 25% would be the duty of the shopper.
Subaru additionally agreed to an prolonged guarantee for repairs to the EyeSight system, in addition to reimbursement for some out-of-pocket bills.
Subaru agreed to cowl 75 % of restore prices, however the coated repairs are restricted to 48 months or 48,000 miles from the automobile’s authentic in-service date, which is able to doubtless draw criticism from house owners whose vehicles are past these limits.
What Subaru house owners ought to do now
Anybody who owns a Subaru with a mannequin 12 months between 2013 and 2021 ought to verify to see if the automotive is supplied with EyeSight (excluding Model 4).
Subaru house owners ought to obtain a settlement discover by U.S. mail or electronic mail with directions about their eligibility for a guaranty extension or reimbursement.
Past that:
- Collect all receipts and document repairs associated to EyeSight and driver-assistance options.
- Contact your Subaru supplier if you happen to expertise EyeSight warning lights, braking irregularities, or lane-keeping help malfunctions, because the repairs to those methods could also be partially coated.
- Verify declare deadlines associated to this class-action settlement.
