Subaru Has Been Here Before
This isn’t Subaru’s first legal headache over EyeSight. In 2021, the company settled a lawsuit after owners complained about their cars braking for no reason. Most people walked away with little more than a warranty extension or a reimbursement offer.
Now, Subaru is back in court over what looks like the same old problems. The latest class-action lawsuit says newer models with EyeSight still have glitchy emergency braking and lane-keeping tech that just doesn’t work right.
The lawsuit includes Subaru’s entire combustion-powered lineup, from the 2022 model year to the latest Forester, WRX, Legacy, Outback, Ascent, Impreza, Crosstrek, and BRZ. The plaintiffs say Subaru kept pushing EyeSight as a must-have safety feature, even though they supposedly knew about these ongoing problems.
Subaru
Drivers Say The Systems Behave Unpredictably
The main complaints target Pre-Collision Braking, Reverse Automatic Braking, and Lane Keep Assist – features bundled under EyeSight. According to the lawsuit, these systems can hit the brakes for no reason or fail to react when there’s a real danger ahead.
The lawsuit lists stories of cars suddenly slowing down on highways, in the middle of a turn, or while taking a curve – sometimes with nothing in sight. One Forester owner says their car braked hard on the highway and almost got rear-ended. Another Crosstrek driver says their SUV slammed on the brakes on an empty country road, leaving them with neck and shoulder pain.
There are also claims that Lane Keep Assist can fight your attempts to change lanes, yank the steering wheel without warning, or just quit working altogether. Some owners say their dealers told them to just switch the systems off every time they start the car, instead of actually fixing the problem.
To support the allegations, the filing calls back numerous complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), many involving “phantom braking” events at highway speeds.
Subaru
Subaru’s Legal Troubles Go Beyond EyeSight
This EyeSight lawsuit isn’t the only trouble Subaru is facing right now. The company has also been hit with lawsuits over battery drain issues in some of its cars.
One case says certain models go through batteries way too quickly, leaving owners stranded with dead cars. Another lawsuit points to older Subarus with outdated 3G hardware that keeps draining the battery, even though the cellular network is long gone.
Today’s cars have become increasingly complex, with more and more systems relying on software and electronics. EyeSight is still a big selling point for Subaru, but the company now has to prove it actually works the way owners expect when it matters most.
Kristen Brown
