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After years of dispute, Subaru agrees to pay compensation to owners of vehicles with cracked windshields, but consumers must meet complex requirements to obtain reimbursement
After more than five years of legal wrangling, Subaru has reached a settlement in the United States to resolve allegations that its vehicles had defective windshields. assembler committed to reimburse affected property owners and compensate the four plaintiffs in the lawsuit. However, the biggest beneficiaries were the lawyers, who will receive millions.
Understaing the process
The lawsuit was filed in 2019. Customers alleged that Subaru installed defective windshields on Forester and Outback models manufactured between 2017 and 2019.
According to the complaints, the windows cracked spontaneously, without the need for impact. Furthermore, they accused the company of hiding the problem from consumers.
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In April 2025, the parties reached an agreement that expanded the number of models included. Owners of the Ascent (2019-2022), Forester (2019-2022), Legacy (2020-2022) and Outback (2020-2022) models are now also covered.
Agreement values
Each of the four plaintiffs will receive individual compensation of $5.000. The lawyers responsible for the lawsuit will receive $7,25 million. The million-dollar figure shows how highly lucrative lawsuits of this type can be for law firms.
For owners of affected vehicles, getting reimbursement will not be an easy task. They will need to prove that the damage to the windshield meets specific criteria established by the automaker.
How to request a refund
The defect must be classified as a “qualified crack”. This means that the crack must start from a discernible impact point, no larger than 5 mm in diameter, and run towards the edge of the glass.
If the authorized dealer is unable to clearly identify the point of impact, but the crack meets the required characteristics, the repair may still be accepted for reimbursement.
The customer must present proof of repair and at least one photo of the crack. Those who meet the conditions will be eligible to receive 125% of the repair cost. If two repairs were made, the reimbursement increases to 150%. For three or more repairs, the compensation reaches 200% of the total cost.
Alternative for those who don't have photos
For those who didn't take photos of the damage, Subaru has created an interesting alternative. Customers can access the automaker's website and choose the one that most closely resembles their crack from six images. If their choice is correct, they will be entitled to a refund. If they make a mistake, they will receive nothing.
Closing the process
The settlement ends a long process, but it also shows how complicated the rules for compensation can be. While consumers face multiple demands to recover their expenses, lawyers and the automaker itself come out on top, without officially admitting any error.
With information from Automotive News.
