Subaru Lemon Law Cases in Texas
Subaru's Texas Lemon Law cases focus on excessive oil consumption in FB-series engines, head gasket failures in EJ engines, CVT transmission issues, and Solterra EV cases.
Subaru vehicles produce a substantial share of Texas Lemon Law cases despite Subaru’s reputation for durability. The bulk of cases involve well-documented engine issues — particularly excessive oil consumption in newer engines and head gasket failures in older ones.
Common Subaru defect categories
FB-series excessive oil consumption
Subaru’s FB-series boxer engines (Forester, Outback, Legacy, Impreza, Crosstrek roughly 2011-2015) have produced one of the most-litigated engine issues in Texas. Affected vehicles consumed oil at rates of 1 quart per 1,000-1,500 miles or worse — multiples of normal consumption.
Subaru issued multiple TSBs, extended warranty coverage (Special Service Campaign WTY-82), and class-action settlements. Despite these, affected Texas buyers brought extensive Texas Lemon Law claims plus DTPA actions, often recovering substantial repurchases plus treble damages.
The oil-consumption test process — where Subaru required multiple measurement visits — produced exactly the multi-repair-visit pattern that supports the § 2301.605 thresholds. See engine defects article.
EJ-series head gasket failures
The older EJ-series boxer engines (Outback, Legacy, Forester roughly 2000-2010) developed widely documented head gasket failures producing coolant loss, coolant in oil, white smoke, overheating. Most of these older cases are past Texas Lemon Law statute, but newer EJ-equipped vehicles (Forester XT, WRX, STI) occasionally still produce viable Texas Lemon Law claims when defect issues persist within the warranty period.
CVT transmission issues
Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT has produced Texas cases involving shuddering during acceleration, hesitation under load, belt or chain issues, and various TSB-acknowledged shift quality concerns. See transmission defects article.
Eyesight ADAS issues
Subaru’s Eyesight driver-assistance system has produced cases involving unexpected braking or warnings, system disengagement, phantom warnings, and backup camera issues. See electrical and software defects article.
Solterra EV issues
Subaru’s first EV — Solterra (jointly developed with Toyota bZ4X) — was recalled in 2022 for potential wheel-hub bolt issues. Affected Texas buyers brought Texas Lemon Law claims plus DTPA actions, often with substantial out-of-service time during the recall fix.
Other emerging EV-related issues include battery management software and charging-system concerns. See EV-specific defects article.
Forester / Outback / Crosstrek issues
Beyond oil consumption and CVT cases, these models have produced cases involving various electrical issues, infotainment problems, and steering and suspension concerns.
WRX / STI issues
Performance-oriented WRX and STI models have produced cases involving various engine issues (FA20DIT, EJ257), transmission concerns (manual and CVT), and electrical issues.
Ascent issues
Subaru’s three-row SUV has produced cases involving various engine and transmission issues, electrical concerns, and specific build-quality issues.
Subaru’s customer-relations and litigation profile
Subaru of America, Inc. handles escalated cases through corporate customer-relations. Subaru settles most Texas Lemon Law cases at TxDMV mediation. Given oil-consumption volume, established settlement frameworks exist.
Subaru issues substantial TSBs, particularly for engine-related issues. The TSB and warranty-extension record provides discovery evidence for DTPA “knowing” violation findings.
Settlement values
Subaru repurchase values in Texas typically range:
- Impreza, Crosstrek: $25,000-$40,000+
- Legacy, Outback: $30,000-$50,000+
- Forester: $30,000-$45,000+
- Ascent: $40,000-$60,000+
- WRX, STI: $35,000-$60,000+ (STI higher)
- Solterra: $45,000-$70,000+
Lease cases follow standard framework.
What you should do
- Pull every repair order, including oil consumption test visits.
- For oil consumption cases, save oil change records showing top-offs.
- Save communications with Subaru customer relations.
- Save extended warranty notices and class-action participation records.
- Send § 2301.606(c) notice to Subaru.
- File TxDMV complaint; get a free case review.
Subaru cases — particularly FB-series oil consumption — settle reliably under Texas Lemon Law plus DTPA.
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Read →Think you've got a lemon?
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