The Subaru Fuel Pump Lawsuit Is Finally Settled, New Details Are Here

Subaru has settled its long-running fuel pump lawsuit. Here is a new update on what customers with a Subaru Forester, Outback, Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, WRX, or BRZ should know. 

It's Finally Over

The long-running Subaru fuel pump lawsuit has reached a settlement after nearly four years. I've been following this case since the first fuel pump lawsuit in 2020, providing you with comprehensive updates. 

Later on, in 2020, the Subaru Forester and WRX were added to the lawsuit. Read my report here. 

Which vehicles are affected by the new settlement?

Before we delve into the details of the settlement, let's first identify the affected Subaru vehicles and their model years. If you own a 2017-2020 Subaru Outback, Legacy, Forester, Ascent, BRZ, or WRX, your vehicle may be part of the recall. Read on for more information. 

• 2017-2020 Subaru Forester
• 2017-2020 Subaru Outback
• 2017-2020 Subaru Ascent
• 2017-2020 Subaru Impreza
• 2017-2020 Subaru Legacy
• 2017-2020 Subaru WRX
• 2017-2020 Subaru BRZ

Subaru and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did have a defective fuel pump recall in November 2020 for the 2019 Subaru Outback, 2019 Ascent, 2019 Impreza, and 2019 Legacy models.

In August 2021, Subaru issued another fuel pump recall affecting Forester, Outback, Ascent, WRX, Impreza, Legacy, and BRZ carlines. 165,026 Subaru vehicles were recalled. Read my report here. 

The Safety Risk

The four Subaru vehicles equipped with Denso's low-pressure fuel pumps include an impeller manufactured with a lower density that could fail. 

Subaru says, "If the surface of the lower density impeller is exposed to solvent drying for longer periods, it may develop fine cracks. Those cracks may lead to excessive fuel absorption, resulting in impeller deformation."

If the fuel pump in your Subaru fails, it could lead to your engine stalling. In such a situation, you won't be able to restart your vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash. The first recall in the U.S. affected 188,207 Subaru vehicles. For more details, read my report here. 

It Didn't End There

The fuel pump class action was consolidated from four separate class action lawsuits, including Griffin vs. Subaru, Anderson vs. Subaru, and Adnan vs. Subaru, according to information from CarComplaints. 

Subaru asked the court to dismiss the case and told the judge that only 1% of the vehicles may have had a defective fuel pump. But the trial went on. 

The Subaru defective fuel pump lawsuit settlement

Information from CarComplaints says that, as part of the settlement, Subaru will offer an extended warranty for the fuel pumps for 15 years after replacing the defective pump. This means that if your vehicle is part of the recall and the fuel pump is replaced, you will have an extended warranty period for the new fuel pump. For more details, continue reading.

Subaru has offered reimbursements and loaner vehicles during the original recalls. However, the settlement states that customers may receive reimbursements if they were previously denied, provided they can provide proof of denial. If you believe you are eligible for a reimbursement, you must provide proof that Subaru denied your reimbursement request.

The settlement will not apply in all cases.

The lawsuit says," Out-of-pocket expenses resulting from damage, collision, and misuse/abuse will not be eligible for reimbursement. Vehicles where the title, before the date of the qualifying Fuel Pump repair, was transferred to a salvage yard, junkyard, wreckage facility, or similar entity, inoperable vehicles, and vehicles with titles marked flood-damaged are not eligible for this benefit."

If a settlement vehicle wasn't previously recalled and needs to be towed to a dealer, the owner can arrange to have it towed by contacting a Subaru dealer.

According to the fuel pump lawsuit settlement, 11 plaintiffs who filed the class action against Subaru of America will receive $3,750 each.

The plaintiffs are Muhammad Adnan, Dan Rosenthal, Alexandra Efantis, Steven Biondo, Jacqueline Brockman, Marty Brown, Kevin King, Christine Schultz, David Sroelov, Donny Woo, and Katherine Griffin.

And 16 plaintiffs will receive $2,500 each:

Gilles Cohen, Benjamin Moore, Mary Lou Plante, Meredith Mein de Vera, Blaise Fontenot, Katherine Mutschler, Benjamin Christensen, Jennifer Lilley, Chantel Nelson, Christine King, Paula Weeks, Martin Torresquintero, Cole Sweeton, John Micklo, Jaqueline Ferguson, and Troy Perry.

Subaru owners will eventually be able to check if their vehicle is affected by the fuel pump settlement by inputting their vehicle VIN at the Subaru fuel pump settlement website. You can find the information here at SubaruFuelPumpsSettlement.com (NOTE: As of this writing, the website has not been activated.) 

Subaru denies any wrongdoing.

In agreeing to settle the fuel pump lawsuit, Subaru denies all liability and wrongdoing.

What should Forester, Outback, Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, WRX, and BRZ owners do?

If you still need to update your vehicle with the new fuel pump in the current recall campaign, check your Subaru recall and VIN lookup here.

If you continue to have problems with your Subaru Forester, Outback, Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, WRX, or BRZ, you can report a safety issue to the NHTSA. The NHTSA plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of vehicles on the road, and your report can help them identify potential issues and take appropriate action. You can report a safety issue by going to the link above or calling 1-888-327-4236.

This is the latest information on the Subaru defective fuel pump lawsuit. I will keep owners updated if there are any new developments.  

Have you experienced fuel pump problems with your Subaru? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below to let us know.

I am Denis Flierl, a top Torque News reporter since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Subaru USA