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2009-2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI engine failure lawsuit
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By Denis Flierl Jun 1 2021 - 7:28am

Subaru WRX And STI Engine Failure Lawsuit - A New Ruling Says It’s Not Over Yet

The Subaru WRX and WRX STI engine failure lawsuit is not over yet. Check out the new ruling and how it affects 2009-2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI owners.
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If you own a 2009 through 2018 Subaru WRX or Subaru WRX STI performance sports car, a new ruling in the Subaru WRX and WRX STI engine failure lawsuit by Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, denies Subaru of America's motion to dismiss. Here is how it affects WRX and WRX STI owners.

A new report from Bloomberg Law (by subscription) says plaintiff Joseph Amato, represented by attorneys Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C., says Subaru WRX and WRX STI have defective ringlands around the pistons in the EJ25 2.5-liter turbocharged Boxer engines.

2009-2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI engine failure lawsuit

The class-action contends WRX and STI containing a ringlands defect experience a sudden loss of power or stalling that severely compromises the owner's ability to maintain vehicle control. The defective class engine components and engine management system also can cause sudden and catastrophic engine destruction as overheated internal parts seize.

History of the case

Subaru WRX and WRX STI owners contended in the lawsuit in 2017, the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine had a defect that allowed contaminated oil to carry "damaging metal debris through the engines," and Subaru knowingly sold the cars with defective parts that led to engine failure. The lawsuit said, "Plaintiffs alleged that Subaru was aware of this engine defect, but failed to disclose it to consumers."

2009-2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI engine failure lawsuit

A settlement was reached with Subaru of America in 2018 "following months of negotiations and discovery." Owners who filed the lawsuit asked the New Jersey federal judge to approve a settlement that included reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket repairs and compensation to those who sold or traded in their vehicles.

The current lawsuit

The New Jersey court addressed disputed legal questions about economic-loss claims under Pennsylvania's consumer law and claims on behalf of a proposed class under Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act.

A new plaintiff, Andrew Hinshaw from Michigan, claims the owner's manual in his Subaru WRX, purchased from a third party, contained misleading information using incorrect engine maintenance and service recommendations.

The lawsuit alleges, "The owner's manual and warranty and maintenance booklet materials accompanying class vehicles do not contain any maintenance or service information for defective class engine pistons or piston ringlands."

2009-2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI engine failure lawsuit

Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez said last week, each of those claims may now proceed. The New Jersey court will permit the plaintiffs to file a second amended lawsuit that includes plaintiff Hinshaw's negligent misrepresentation claim only.

What should WRX and WRX STI owners do?

If you have experienced engine failure with your 2009 - 2018 Subaru WRX or WRX STI and have received an estimate or have paid for the repair or engine rebuild, you may be entitled to compensation in the event this case resolves. If you believe you are a potential class member and have an engine defect, you can contact Gary S. Graifman, Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman.

You Might Also Like: New Next-Generation Subaru WRX STI Information Revealed

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Comments

Puh-leez wrote on June 1, 2021 - 4:58pm
This is the mesothelioma of automotive lawsuits. "The owner's manual and warranty and maintenance booklet materials accompanying class vehicles do not contain any maintenance or service information for defective class engine pistons or piston ringlands."
Gerald wrote on June 2, 2021 - 7:49am
Two weeks ago we had to take our 2018 Subaru WRX to the mechanic for the third time. Engine related problems every time. Love the car but hate how unreliable it is.
susan wrote on June 2, 2021 - 10:31am
suit seems to be over sti engines and ej25 for wrx eyars 2009-2014; even then ej25 ringlands don't fail once a year but you have an fa20
Daniel Hill wrote on June 3, 2021 - 2:41am
That's strange, the regular (non-STi) 2015+ WRX utilises the very reliable FA20DiT engine, not the EJ25, which is notorious for ring land failure.
Sheryl Luksch wrote on March 31, 2023 - 12:06pm
I have a 2015 STI . Had in shop multiple times for surging and stalling ! States “ doesn’t do it for us , nothing wrong “ now I record all episodes and have a file !!!
Kaz wrote on June 2, 2021 - 11:00am
I'm fairly sure the WRX for those years has a 2.0L FA series engine, not a 2.5L EJ series engine.
kornaz wrote on June 2, 2021 - 2:54pm
FA came in 2015 for wrx, ej is still in current stis. For 2022 it is rumored it'll be fa24 for both (obviously STi will be more powerful).
Daniel Hill wrote on June 3, 2021 - 2:39am
The FA24 is built in North America, and is sold into that market exclusively.
George wrote on June 3, 2021 - 11:23am
I just took my well maintained stock 2015 WRX to the dealership for a wheel Bearing replacement. They text me the engine went out (rod bearing) while testing it which will cost me almost $17k. I had all mile maintenance done, oil changes on time, and I never tried pushing the WRX. As much as I loved the WRX, you can expect the engine to go out around 90k miles (assuming the dealership was not responsible of course). Seems like this is a common WRX theme.
Daniel Hill wrote on June 3, 2021 - 8:02pm
That's no good at all. I have a well maintained, regularly serviced MY17 WRX with 55,000 k's, and I find this quite shocking. I was under the impression that FA20 reliability was vastly improved over the EJ25, perhaps I was wrong... Perhaps you just got a bad motor? Is there evidence of the FA20 dying at 90,000 ks being a common occurrence? Cheers
George wrote on June 4, 2021 - 11:22am
Hi Daniel, I never had any issues with the WRX and never would have imagined catastrophic engine issues. Most of the car miles were easy interstate and I was the only owner. Talked to some local mechanics and the response was “happens more then you would think”. That being said I don’t know if other drivers had mods or how they drove their car. I am curious to see how common this is as more WRXs are reaching the 100k miles. I hope you have a different experience.
Ryan wrote on April 27, 2023 - 12:46pm
Hi I’m Ryan I got my 2017 Subaru wrx one year ago. My engine got rod nock at 86mile then I got it replaced under warranty and now on a new engine that has 12,000 miles on a brand engine got piston slap and now the dealership is saying I need to come out of pocket to get it fixed. I’m on my 3 transmission and about to be one my 3 engine in one year its crazy
EDWARD Mullen wrote on June 28, 2021 - 7:47pm
I have a blown motor now. I was just criusing down the highway @ 70 Mph when it went. How do I join the law suit?
Shariff wrote on July 6, 2021 - 12:45am
I’ve had every Subaru Impreza out there ever since 99 , in 02 the wrx had wheel bearing and synchro gear issues ( tranny ) , in 05+ sti they had ringland issues ever since I remember . Anytime anyone told me they had an 05+ sti all that’s stuck to my head is ringland issue as 90% have issues . Subaru sold spt upgrade parts in their dealerships and I remember getting denied for a warantee once because of Subaru stating that I had an aftermarket part that mixed the air and fuel ratio that caused the ringland issue , once again , Subaru themselves sold me the spt intake only to use it against me . It’s about time someone came forward with this claim as the number of people that have suffered is countless , Subaru knew of the issue but kept on mass producing and brainwashing its clients to purchase a vehicle they called bulletproof . I pray that every owner that underwent this issue can come up with honesty about all they dealt with .
Phil wrote on September 6, 2021 - 12:04pm
Hi Ed , I am in the same boat stock 2017 WRX STI 51K miles driving down the highway rod bearing issue , engine total loss. Subaru says not under warranty , they are claiming lack of maintenance and abuse which none are true. Was your car modified ? If it wasn't modified contact me so we can sue them again [email protected] . Anyone else with a Subaru WRX , STi , Forester with a EJ25 rod bearing issue that's not covered under the law suit contact me also . CAR CANNOT BE MODIFIED . If your car was modified (exhaust , downpipe , intake , ECU tune and etc. ) and you already carried it to a dealer who found this out you will not be able to get a claim.
Isaac gonzalez wrote on February 7, 2022 - 8:30pm
I have a 2015 sti that has a blown engine Baught it from a dealer not Subaru and drove it for 3 k miles and now no one wants to cover it
Shariff wrote on July 6, 2021 - 12:49am
I pray every owner that suffered from 05+ can come up front or is notified about this . Subaru knowingly kept producing these vehicles and always put the blame on the consumer . I once was denied the ringland issue because of a spt intake upgrade that I had the factory install for me and it was one I purchased from them at the dealership. They said that the intake gave the vehicle bad air to fuel ratio that then caused the ringland issue . Why sell it in the first place ?
John Doe wrote on July 6, 2021 - 8:55am
I have a owned a total of 11 vehicles of thous 11 2 of them being Subaru purchased back to back. First one was a 2004 Wrx(glass transmision) it had a major transmission problems and required a rebuild the second was a 2007 WRX Sti it had a built shortblock it sounded like a diesel at idle during a cold start.I spent hours after hours to make sure all the maintenance was done.Boom Blown headgasket and a pressured coolent sytem. The worst 2 vehicles I owned that both drank oil.I was so paranoid I check my oil everytime before leaving the house. I hope Subaru gets buried is all I'm gonna say.
JP wrote on December 30, 2021 - 6:14pm
My slightly modified 2006 STI had catastrophic engine failure at 40,000 miles. Lost 15k in "equity." Always thought it was because of my getting oil changed every 5k instead of 3k. Now I'm scratching my chin.
Brandon wrote on March 31, 2022 - 7:39pm
Slightly modified? If you never go into boost, 5k mile oil change is fine on synthetic. Driving spirited (going into boost) and downshifting as per every manual suggests earlier oil changes. The EPA and maintenance costs cause this problem.
William wrote on March 31, 2022 - 11:15pm
I just spent $11k at the dealer I bought it from to repair the motor in my 2008 STi Hatchback with just under 77k miles. I thought it was my fault, and now it seems it may not have been me at all... I emailed the firm, hopefully I can be included in the class action suit on some level, or at least help them further the case for others sake.
Rose Bowman wrote on July 1, 2022 - 9:42am
My car has been in the shop for over 2 months. Getting the run around. Offered a loaner several times. But no follow through. Don't know exactly what's wrong or how much I owe. Needs a short block. Where did you email your complaint too? Subaru of America is also giving me the run around. Thanls
nicola Parimucha wrote on February 4, 2023 - 5:11pm
I would really appreciate knowing What do I do with my car that I cant drive and presumably cannot sell?
Phil White wrote on August 31, 2022 - 10:17am
Bump got a few people with same issue need more to start new class action email me if you are in same boat . Subaru Rod bearing failure: I am in the same boat stock 2017 WRX STI 51K miles driving down the highway rod bearing issue , engine total loss. Subaru says not under warranty , they are claiming lack of maintenance and abuse which none are true. Was your car modified ? If it wasn't modified contact me so we can sue them again [email protected] . Anyone else with a Subaru WRX , STi , Forester with a EJ25 rod bearing issue that's not covered under the initial lawsuit contact me also . CAR CANNOT BE MODIFIED . If your car was modified (exhaust , downpipe , intake , ECU tune and etc. ) and you already carried it to a dealer who found this out you will not be able to get a claim.
Charles crist wrote on November 3, 2022 - 7:59pm
My 18 sti has been to the dealeship 9 months out of the 14 i have had it getting a short block the first time and a piston the second time. Both times the said ringland failure.