by After more than five years of legal battles, Subaru has finally agreed to settle a lawsuit in the U.S. regarding claims that windshields on some of the brand’s most popular car models are prone to cracking, forcing owners to cover replacement costs. The automaker will compensate those who had to replace or repair their windshields and will pay funds to four plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit. However, the real winners turned out to be the lawyers involved in the case. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, accused Subaru of using defective windshields in 2017-2019 Forester and Outback models, which allegedly cracked and broke without warning.
The case was resolved in April 2025, although the list of affected vehicles has grown. Now, owners of 2019-2022 Ascent, 2019-2022 Forester, 2020-2022 Legacy, and 2020-2022 Outback models are eligible for compensation. The four plaintiffs will receive $5,000 each, while the attorneys will receive $7,250,000. To qualify for compensation, owners must have what Subaru calls a ‘qualified crack.’
According to Subaru, such a crack ‘is a distinct type of windshield damage characterized by specific features. It appears as a single-line crack that originates from or passes through one identified impact point and extends to the edge of the windshield.’ These ‘identified impact points’ must also meet certain criteria to qualify.
Crucially, the impact points must be less than 5 mm in diameter, and the cracks must align with a small impact. Additionally, the impact point must be visually identifiable. However, if a dealer cannot clearly identify the impact point but a qualified crack exists, the repair will be free. The requirements for owners do not end there. Customers must provide proof of repair and at least one photo of the windshield crack.
If they do, they will receive 125% of the repair cost. Those who underwent two repairs will be reimbursed 150%, while those who dealt with three or more repairs will receive 200% of the cost. Owners without cameras (quite rare today, as modern smartphones can take multiple high-quality photos) can use a specialized Subaru website where they will be shown six random crack photos and must choose the one that best matches the crack they observed. If they select the correct photo, they will qualify for compensation. Otherwise, they will be out of luck.
