Subaru Hands Out $5K To Owners While Lawyers Score $7.2M Payday

Curiously, Subaru will only provide compensation for windshields with certain types of cracks

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/                                    

After over five years of legal wrangling, Subaru has finally agreed to settle a lawsuit in the US over claims that the windshields in some of its most popular models are prone to cracking, forcing owners to foot the bill for replacements. The automaker will reimburse those who’ve had to replace or repair their windshields and will pay the four plaintiffs who brought the case. However, it’s the lawyers who are involved who are the real winners.

The lawsuit, filed in 2019, accused Subaru of using defective windshields in its 2017-2019 Forester and Outback models, which allegedly cracked and broke without warning. The suit also claimed that Subaru had concealed the defect. Fast forward to April 2025, and the case is settled, though not before the list of affected vehicles has grown.

Read: Mercedes Owners Sue Over Exploding Sunroofs

Now, owners of 2019-2022 Ascent, 2019-2022 Forester, 2020-2022 Legacy, and 2020-2022 Outback models are eligible for reimbursement. The four plaintiffs will each receive $5,000, while the lawyers will walk away with $7,250,000. To qualify for reimbursement, owners must have what Subaru refers to as a ‘qualifying crack.’

According to Subaru, such a crack “is a distinct type of windshield damage characterized by certain specific features. It manifests as a crack, which takes the form of a single line extending from or through a single Discernible Impact Point and reaching toward the edge of the windshield.” Such ‘Discernible Impact Points’ also need to have certain characteristics to qualify.

The Requirements Continue…

For example, impact points must be less than 5 mm in diameter and must have a crack pattern consistent with a minor impact. Additionally, the impact point must be visible and identifiable. However, if a dealer is unable to discern an impact point clearly, yet there is a qualifying crack, the repair will be covered. The hoops that owners have to jump through don’t stop there.

Customers need to provide proof of a repair and at least one photo of a windshield crack. If they do so, they’ll receive 125% of the cost of repair. Those who have experienced two repairs will be reimbursed 150%, while those who have had to deal with three or more repairs will receive 200% of the cost.

Eligible owners who don’t have cameras (quite rare today since modern smartphones can take high-res ones) can use a dedicated Subaru website where they will be presented with six random photographs of cracks and must select the one that best mimics the crack they experienced. If they choose the right photo, they’ll be entitled to reimbursement. If they don’t, they’re out of luck.