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Subaru lemon law
If your Subaru keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Subaru owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Subaru owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 664 |
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 414 |
| Automatic emergency braking and collision warning | 297 |
| Engine | 225 |
| Transmission, drive shafts and axles | 171 |
| Brakes | 147 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 547 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- Outback 1,059
- Forester 544
- Crosstrek 355
- Ascent 273
- Legacy 98
- Solterra 77
Latest Subaru recalls
- Suspension, October 19, 2026: 2026 Crosstrek, 2026 Forester, about 8 vehicles.
“A ball joint that separates from the lower control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V685000 - Equipment, July 7, 2026: 2025 Forester, 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2026 Forester, 2026 Ascent, about 541,237 vehicles.
“An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V436000 - Electrical System, June 18, 2026: 2026 Solterra, about 20,991 vehicles.
“An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V393000 - Visibility, May 28, 2026: 2026 Forester Hybrid, 2026 Forester, about 69,663 vehicles.
“A detached glass panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V346000 - Fuel System, Gasoline, February 23, 2026: 2025 Forester Hybrid, 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, about 69,870 vehicles.
“A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.”
NHTSA recall 26V106000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Subaru dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Subaru Of America opted in to the state's new lemon law process on April 29, 2025. Owners send the written demand to cawrittennotice@subaru.com at least 30 days before suing. How the new process works
How a Subaru lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Subaru, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Subaru refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Subaru lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Subaru lemons
How many complaints have Subaru owners filed with NHTSA?
2,626 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is visibility/wiper.
How many Subaru recalls are there?
31 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Subaru models, for about 2,473,656 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Subaru a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Subaru lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Subaru at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Subaru have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Subaru opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Yes. SUBARU OF AMERICA opted in on April 29, 2025. California owners send the written demand to cawrittennotice@subaru.com, at least 30 days before suing.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make SUBARU. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Subaru a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More