Subaru Class Action Lawsuit
The settlement over battery drain in certain 2015-2020 Subaru vehicles is closed to new claims. The deadline to file a claim for cash reimbursement passed on May 8, 2023.
What happens next with the Subaru settlement
The claim deadline passed on May 8, 2023. New claims for this settlement are no longer being accepted.
The court held its approval hearing on January 24, 2023. That was the final approval hearing, where a judge decides whether to approve the settlement. Nothing is paid out until that approval is final.
Payments come after approval, and after any appeals. Anyone who objected to the settlement can ask a higher court to look at it again — an appeal — and that has to finish first. Eligible payments are sent once approval is final, and the stretch from a claim deadline to money in hand often runs a year or more. It varies from one settlement to the next.
Filed this claim with Chimo? The status of your claim is on the claims page in your account.
Settlements you can still claim in October 2026
.svg.png){kind=logo}
Toyota
$250
Hyundai
$350
Ford
$6,000
Subaru Class Action Lawsuit
Owners and lessees of certain Subaru vehicles sued Subaru of America, Inc., and Subaru Corporation, saying a design defect could drain the vehicles' batteries. The vehicles were 2015-2020 Outback, Forester, Legacy and WRX models and the 2019-2020 Ascent.
According to the settlement website, the lawsuit alleged that these vehicles have a design defect that can cause battery drain. It also alleged that Subaru broke certain consumer protection laws, which govern how products are sold and advertised, and that it breached certain warranties, meaning it did not live up to the promises that came with the vehicles.
Subaru denies the claims. The settlement website says Subaru maintains that the vehicles are not defective, that they were properly designed, built, marketed and sold, and that it broke no warranty, statute or law. It also says that where repairs were needed, Subaru maintains it provided warranty coverage where appropriate. The court never decided who was right: both sides agreed to settle instead.
The case (In re Subaru Battery Drain Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:20-cv-03095-JHR-MJS) was in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The deadline to file a claim passed on May 8, 2023.
Subaru Class Action Settlement - Uncapped
The settlement was between the vehicle owners and lessees who sued and Subaru of America, Inc., and Subaru Corporation. It offered two things.
The first is an extended warranty for qualifying battery failures that happened on or after the date notice of the settlement was given. In September 2026 the settlement website said class members did not need to do anything to be covered by it.
The second is cash reimbursement for people who filed a claim. It covers certain costs from a qualifying battery failure before that date: a battery replacement and the related testing and diagnosis done by an authorized Subaru retailer (or, in some situations, an independent shop), towing, and reasonable costs from being stranded. The settlement website does not give a total dollar amount.
The deadlines to exclude yourself and to object both passed on November 5, 2022. The court held the final approval hearing on January 24, 2023, and approved the settlement. The deadline to file a claim for cash reimbursement passed on May 8, 2023. JND Legal Administration is the settlement administrator.
Claims closed: May 8, 2023
Subaru Battery Drain Class Action Payout: 100% to 165% of documented battery costs
There was no settlement fund and no fixed payment. Eligible claimants could be reimbursed for battery replacements, testing and towing they paid for before notice of the settlement went out: 100% of the cost for one repair within five years or 60,000 miles of the vehicle's in-service date, or 120% within three years or 36,000 miles.
Owners who paid for more repairs could receive more, up to 165% for three or more repairs within three years or 36,000 miles. Owners with two or more battery failures within five years or 60,000 miles could also claim 140% of certain costs from being stranded, such as a hotel or meals, plus a $140 Subaru service coupon.
Car Owner Settlement Payouts per Vehicle
Subaru Battery Drain Class Action Eligibility
The settlement covered people in the continental United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, who owned or leased one of the covered vehicles, now or in the past, when the vehicle was first bought or leased in the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii. The settlement website says military personnel stationed overseas were not meant to be left out.
The covered vehicles were model year 2015-2020 Outback, Forester, Legacy and WRX models, and the 2019-2020 Ascent. Cash reimbursement was only for people who filed a claim form with supporting documents by May 8, 2023, and that deadline has passed.
FAQ
No. The settlement website says the deadline to submit claim forms and supporting documents for cash reimbursement passed on May 8, 2023. The deadlines to exclude yourself or object passed on November 5, 2022, so every deadline in this settlement has passed.
In September 2026 the settlement website said class members did not need to do anything to be covered by the settlement's extended warranty for qualifying battery failures. According to the settlement notice, it paid for a first battery replacement in full for up to five years or 60,000 miles from the vehicle's in-service date, for the first owner or lessee, and for part of later replacements for up to eight years or 100,000 miles. A Subaru retailer or the administrator can confirm whether a specific vehicle is still covered.
The settlement website says reimbursements would be made after the court approved the settlement and any appeals were resolved. The court approved it on January 24, 2023. In September 2026 the website still gave no payment date and did not say whether reimbursements had gone out, so the settlement administrator is the place to ask.
Contact the settlement administrator: Subaru Battery Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91305, Seattle, WA 98111. You can also call 855-606-2625 or email info@SubaruBatterySettlement.com.
The owners and lessees who sued said a design defect in certain 2015-2020 Subaru vehicles can cause battery drain, and that Subaru broke consumer protection laws and warranties. Subaru denies the claims and says the vehicles are not defective.