The New Jersey District Court gave the final approval for the Subaru Windshield settlement on 21 April 2025, leading to class members who have filed the claim for the cash payment and extended warranty anticipating the payout distribution date.
The deadline to claim the Subaru settlement was 31 January 2025; class members who have filed the valid claim form can expect the payout within 180 days of the final approval, if there is no appeal against the court decision on the settlement.
The settlement administrator will update the website when they begin the payment distribution, so keep visiting the settlement website regularly. According to the settlement, the claimants can expect a 125% reimbursement for the damages they faced due to the defendant’s negligence regarding the windshields.
| Settlement | Subaru Windshield Settlement |
| Who qualifies? | People who bought or leased the class vehicle and residents of the Continental US, Alaska, or Hawaii |
| Class Period | 2019 – 2022 |
| Class Vehicle | Ascent model year 2019 -2022, Legacy model year 2020 -2022, Forester model year 2019 – 2022, and Outback 2020 – 2022 |
| Claim Deadline | 31 January 2025 |
| Final Approval | 21 April 2025 |
| Benfit | Extended Warranty and Cash reimbursement for out-of-pocket loss |
| Settlement Website | https://www.subaruwindshieldsettlement.com/ |
Who will receive it?
The Subaru Settlement class members are those people who meet the following eligibility requirements:
- People who are continental residents of the US, Hawaii, or Alaska, and currently lease or own, earlier leased or owned, the class vehicle that was purchased in Alaska, Hawaii, and the continental US.
- The settlement vehicles under the Subaru settlement are: Ascent model year 2019 -2022, Legacy model year 2020 -2022, Forester model year 2019 – 2022, and Outback 2020 – 2022.
- The settlement also includes military personnel who are currently on duty overseas.
Exclusion:
- The judges, judicial staff, and those associated with the settlement lawsuit and their spouse or immediate family members are ineligible.
- The employees, directors, officers, and immediate family members of the defendant or parent, affiliate, or subsidiary companies of the settlement are excluded.
- The settlement does not apply to used automobile sellers or those who bought the class vehicles to resell.
- People who bought the settlement class vehicles with a salvage title, or/if the insurance company obtained the class vehicle due to total loss.
- The companies that issued service contracts and extended vehicle warranties will be excluded.
- Class members who filed the objection and exclusion form for the Subaru windshield settlement.
What’s the lawsuit about?
The case was filed against Subaru of America Inc. and Subaru Corporation in 2019, where the plaintiff alleges that the defendant sold settlement class vehicles that were equipped with defective windshields, which used to crack easily and frequently.
The dealer refused to replace the windshield under the vehicle’s warranty, which led to owners or people who leased the vehicle to cover the cost by themselves. According to reports, around 1.4 million vehicles were reported to be involved in the settlement from 2019 to 2022.
It is still unknown if the problem was in the manufacturing of the vehicle or the windshield quality. Subaru has also denied the allegations against the defendant but proposed to settle the lawsuit by providing compensation to the class members and extending the warranty.
Settlement Payout
The Subaru windshield settlement offers two benefits to the class members: one is an extended warranty for the qualifying windshield cracks, and the second cash reimbursement for the cost they covered the cost of fixing the broken windshield.
According to the settlement, the plaintiff will receive $5000 for each, whereas the attorneys may get a payout up to $7,250,000 from the settlement, and the fund also covers the administration cost. After the cost is deducted, the remaining funds will be used to provide cash to the class members with valid claims.
Class members received the cash payout from the settlement on the following conditions:
- When the pre-notice repair was not reimbursed, you will be entitled to the cash payout for the expenses you incurred to repair the windshield crack.
- If the repair of the windshield crack was completed in the 45-day period after the notice, you will receive the reimbursement for the out-of-pocket loss you incurred for labor and repair of the Qualifying Windshield Crack.
The settlement payout may differ for each class member as it depends on the cost they incurred for the cracked windshield repair.
Extended Warranty
With the cash reimbursement for the out-of-pocket losses, the settlement also offers coverage of an extended warranty for the qualifying windshield crack. Starting on February 5, 2025, the class vehicles’ warranty will last for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the settlement’s in-service date.
The warranty is restricted to the replacement of the cracked windshield, or one-time only. The owners can transfer the extended warranty during the coverage period. The warranty covers labor costs, all parts costs related to the repair of the Windshield crack. People who own or lease the class vehicle do not need to do anything to get the extended warranty.
The extended warranty will be applicable when you experience a crack in the windshield and take your vehicle to the authorized Subaru retailer.
The Subaru settlement has finally been approved, so the class members with valid claims can expect the payout soon for the cracked windshields in popular Subaru models.