Subaru Faces Some Warranty, Fraud Claims Over Drained Batteries

Consumers may proceed with some claims against Subaru Corp. in a multistate proposed class action alleging several vehicle models have an electronics network that continues to draw on the battery even when the engine is off, a federal court in New Jersey ruled.

The 13 vehicle owners—residents of New Jersey, New York, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and Washington state—allege that the defect affects Outback, Forester, Legacy, WRX, and Ascent vehicles, mostly from model years 2015 to 2020.

All the cars contain a “Controller Area Network” electrical system through which other electronic components communicate, according to the court. It should, ...