Some Subaru drivers claim their cars are accelerating out of control without their even touching the pedal, prompting some to consider a class action lawsuit. While this is far from the first time we’ve heard people make such claims about their vehicle, this could soon become a legal battle for the Japanese automaker.
Chevy Camaro emblems can become like mini claymores.
Angry owners allege in a court filing that Subaru “knew… one or more defects” were present in certain vehicles, causing unintentional acceleration. At least two of the owners slammed through their garage door with what they claim was tremendous force.
For a brand that often scores high in safety and uses that in its marketing pitch, a class action lawsuit like this could be devastating. Just remember, it wasn’t that long ago Toyota was facing incredibly scrutiny over similar claims.
Subaru contends these “unintentional acceleration” incidents all boil down to driver error. A spokesperson told WSB that it’s not aware of a single confirmed case of unintentional acceleration without driver input. That’s not a completely unreasonable stance to take, at least when it comes to history.
As we mentioned before, quite a few automakers have endured accusations of unintentional acceleration, with the media jumping on the bandwagon. At one point Audis were banned from some parking garages for their supposed defects.
But in most if not all of those past cases, the unintentional acceleration was traced back to user error. Drivers panic, mash the wrong pedal or hit the accelerator along with the brake pedal, then claim they only hit the brakes.
Is that the case with these Subarus? That might be something for a judge and/or jury to decide if this class action lawsuit moves forward. As these things go, that could take years.
Image via WSB-TV/YouTube
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