— A Subaru melting dashboard lawsuit has been filed alleging the automaker refuses to acknowledge the dashboards can melt and become shiny to the point of interfering with a driver's view.
The proposed class-action lawsuit includes the 2005-2009 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles with allegedly defective dashboards that were manufactured to fail in high heat, sunlight and humidity. As a result, the dashboards are prone to melt, give off a chemical smell and become so shiny they can blind drivers.
According to the plaintiffs, the dashboards give off a shine onto the windshields creating images that interfere with viewing the road.
The plaintiffs claim the cost to replace a melted dashboard can be as high as $1000, an expense many owners cannot afford. Further, the lawsuit alleges that once a customer has paid to have a new dashboard installed, the original defective plastic is still used and will eventually melt and become a blinding menace.
The lawsuit is demanding Subaru warn owners about the alleged melting dashboards, reimburse owners for any past expenses related to the dashboards and cover the cost of replacing the dashboards.
The lawsuit also attacks from another angle by questioning the impact melting plastic in the Subaru vehicles has on the safety of the airbag systems. The plaintiffs say the passenger-side airbag deploys through perforations in the dashboard, not good news if the dashboard is damaged.
According to the plaintiffs, Subaru knew the Legacy and Outback dashboards would never hold up in prolonged sunlight and heat due to a defect in the plastic. The plaintiffs say the dashboards would have been tested in a simulation of long-term exposure to heat and humidity, therefore Subaru should have known the dashboards would melt.
Additionally, Subaru should have been well aware of the melting dashboards based on complaints and warranty repairs, yet chose to ignore the warning signs. The plaintiffs claim the Subaru melting dashboards are a clear case of an automaker concealing problems to keep selling cars.
The Subaru melting dashboard lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida - Janet Parks, Duane Gooch, Redmond Kelley and Gabor Vigh vs. Subaru of America, Inc. and Fuji Heavy Industries, LTD.
The plaintiffs are represented by Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group, and Greg Coleman Law, PC.
Melting dashboards have caused lawsuits against other car manufacturers, including Toyota, Lexus and Mazda. Read about those lawsuits below.
