Toyota and Subaru are facing a new class action lawsuit alleging that their jointly developed electric vehicles, the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra. Each one suffers from a recurring issue with the 12-volt battery system which can lead to repeated failures and leave drivers stranded.
The lawsuit points to a widespread design or electrical fault that kills replacement batteries as quickly as the original ones, despite no official fix being offered.
History Behind the Lawsuit
Filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of California, the class action centers on the experience of lead plaintiff Wade, a Toyota bZ4X owner whose 12-volt accessory battery has failed three times in under 5,000 miles of driving. Despite replacing the battery twice since March 2023, each new unit drained within weeks or months, leaving the vehicle inoperable and requiring dealership intervention.
The complaint alleges that Toyota and Subaru knew about this defect prior to the release of the 2023–2025 bZ4X and Solterra models. The lawsuit claims that both manufacturers ignored consumer complaints, failed to alert new buyers, and have continued selling defective vehicles without a permanent fix.
Although the lawsuit doesn’t pinpoint the exact technical cause, it highlights that the 12-volt batteries are persistently draining regardless of usage. Online forums, Reddit posts, and NHTSA complaints mirror the plaintiff’s experience. With drivers reporting multiple battery failures within the first year of ownership.
Which Vehicles Are Affected
- 2023–2025 Toyota bZ4X
- 2023–2025 Subaru Solterra
Both models share nearly identical engineering platforms, including the battery and electrical systems that are at the heart of the legal complaint.
What Owners Need to Know
According to the filing, neither Subaru nor Toyota has publicly acknowledged the widespread nature of the 12-volt battery problem or issued a technical service bulletin or recall. Instead, many owners say they have been offered replacement batteries that eventually suffer the same fate.
The class action seeks to represent all affected owners and lessees of bZ4X and Solterra vehicles in the United States, demanding reimbursement for costs, compensation for diminished value, and any other relief the court deems just.
How Toyota and Subaru Drivers Can Take Back Control
While this class action lawsuit has began, thousands of Toyota and Subaru drivers are likely to be affected by the same 12-volt battery defect, with many expressing dissatisfaction over inadequate solutions. These types of issues often lead to escalated legal action like this, highlighting the importance of protecting consumer rights.
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