Lemon Law · Subaru
Subaru lemon law attorney in California
Owners of recent Subaru vehicles report recurring problems across several systems. Federal regulators have recorded complaints about visibility and wiper components, electrical failures including auto start-stop malfunctions, forward collision avoidance errors, engine stalling, and power train defects affecting transmissions and driveshafts. The Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, and Ascent appear in reports across these categories. California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act requires the manufacturer to repair a defect covered by warranty within a reasonable number of attempts. If the same problem persists after four or more repair visits, or if a safety defect remains unresolved after two attempts, or if the vehicle spends more than thirty days out of service for warranty work, the owner may have a claim for replacement or repurchase. These presumptions apply when the defect is first reported, and the vehicle is presented for warranty repair, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first (Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22).
Known defects
What Subaru owners report, and why repeat repairs matter
These are the categories owners file most often with the federal safety regulator for the Subaru model years in the record below. A complaint is one owner's report, not a finding that a vehicle is defective.
Visibility and wiper system failures
Owners report wiper malfunctions and visibility problems. The regulator recorded a recall campaign affecting some Outback vehicles in which incorrect paint clearcoat caused insufficient windshield bonding, creating a risk of detachment in a crash. Repeat repair orders for visibility defects strengthen a claim under Song-Beverly, particularly when the problem affects the driver's ability to see the road or when a recall remedy does not resolve the underlying symptom.
Outback · Forester · Crosstrek · Ascent
Electrical system and auto start-stop defects
Owners describe repeated failures of the auto start-stop system, in which the engine shuts off at a traffic light and will not restart when the brake is released. Other electrical complaints include window regulators that malfunction and battery failures that strand the vehicle in traffic. One recall campaign involved improperly fastened ground bolts on heating components that posed a fire risk in the Ascent. Electrical defects that leave the vehicle inoperable or create a safety hazard tend to meet the statute's test for a substantial impairment.
Outback · Forester · Crosstrek · Ascent
Forward collision avoidance false activation
Owners report that the EyeSight forward collision avoidance system falsely engages emergency braking on clear roads with no obstacle ahead, bringing the vehicle to an abrupt stop without warning and creating a rear-end collision hazard. The regulator has recorded these complaints across the model line. When a safety system activates unpredictably and the dealer cannot eliminate the problem, the pattern of repair orders becomes evidence that the defect is not reasonably repairable.
Outback · Forester · Crosstrek · Ascent
Engine stalling and failure to start
Owners report engine stalls while driving and no-start conditions that strand the vehicle. One recall campaign involved damaged engine wiring harnesses in the Outback that caused loose electrical connections to the engine control unit, which could result in an engine stall. Complaints describe engines that shut off in traffic or fail to restart after an auto start-stop event. An engine defect that prevents safe operation and recurs after multiple dealer visits weighs heavily in a Song-Beverly analysis.
Forester · Outback · Crosstrek · Ascent
Power train transmission and driveshaft failures
The regulator has recorded multiple recall campaigns for power train defects. These include improperly tightened transmission select lever cables that could prevent the gear selector from functioning, programming errors in transmission control units that allowed drive chains to slip and break, inhibitor switch failures that disabled reverse lights and rearview cameras, and loose driveshaft center support bolts that caused driveshaft disconnection. Owners report loss of drive power and transmission malfunctions. Power train defects that cause sudden loss of propulsion typically satisfy the substantial impairment standard.
Ascent · Outback · Forester · Crosstrek
By model & year
Find your exact Subaru
Every model year the firm has read the federal record for has its own page. Pick your model year for what owners filed against it, the recall campaigns naming it, and what the statute asks.
Ascent
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Subaru Ascent | 1 | 1 | Hydraulic |
| 2025 Subaru Ascent | 14 | 1 | Electrical system |
| 2024 Subaru Ascent | 50 | 1 | Visibility |
| 2023 Subaru Ascent | 44 | 4 | Service brakes |
| 2022 Subaru Ascent | 55 | 2 | Power train |
| 2021 Subaru Ascent | 102 | 2 | Power train |
Crosstrek
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek | 10 | 0 | Vehicle speed control |
| 2025 Subaru Crosstrek | 43 | 0 | Lane departure |
| 2024 Subaru Crosstrek | 115 | 2 | Exterior lighting |
| 2023 Subaru Crosstrek | 34 | 0 | Electrical system |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | 31 | 0 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2021 Subaru Crosstrek | 115 | 1 | Visibility/wiper |
Forester
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Subaru Forester | 30 | 3 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2025 Subaru Forester | 93 | 3 | Fuel/propulsion system |
| 2024 Subaru Forester | 29 | 2 | Air bags |
| 2023 Subaru Forester | 73 | 1 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2022 Subaru Forester | 98 | 1 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2021 Subaru Forester | 207 | 0 | Visibility/wiper |
Outback
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Subaru Outback | 25 | 0 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2025 Subaru Outback | 80 | 0 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2024 Subaru Outback | 2 | 0 | Equipment |
| 2023 Subaru Outback | 89 | 2 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | 463 | 4 | Visibility/wiper |
| 2021 Subaru Outback | 296 | 4 | Visibility/wiper |
The statute
When a Subaru problem becomes a lemon
These are the presumptions in the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and the Tanner Consumer Protection Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22). Each applies when the defect is first reported, and the vehicle is presented for warranty repair, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. They are presumptions, not predictions about any individual vehicle.
A
Two or more attempts (safety)
For a defect that could cause death or serious injury, reported within 18 months or 18,000 miles.
B
Four or more attempts
For the same non-safety warranty problem, reported within 18 months or 18,000 miles.
C
30 days out of service
Cumulative, for warranty repair, within 18 months or 18,000 miles.
Have an attorney read your Subaru repair orders.
Start My Free Case ReviewAttorney Advertising disclaimer: Prior results do not predict or indicate a similar outcome in any future matter. The information on this page is general information about California law, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If your vehicle is unsafe to drive, stop driving it and call the firm on (619) 235-0137. Figures from the federal safety regulator's record are estimates taken from the record on the date shown.