Subaru's record
What Subaru has acknowledged, and when
Subaru's own technical service bulletins describe the same failures owners report: CarPlay dropping, USB connections cutting out, and head units failing. Here's the timeline, with links to the documents Subaru filed with NHTSA.
Subaru's own bulletinsLawsuits and complaints
Earlier class action over Starlink head units
Udeen v. Subaru of America (D.N.J. 1:18-cv-17334) covered 2017–2018 vehicles with the Harman Gen 3.0 head unit. It settled in 2020 with an extended warranty for that earlier generation.
Owners of 2019+ models begin filing complaints
The first complaint in this directory about a 2019–2023 head unit was filed with NHTSA in January 2019.
New class action covers 2019–2023 models
Cilluffo v. Subaru of America (D.N.J. 1:23-cv-01897) alleged Starlink infotainment defects in 2019–2023 Outback, Legacy, Forester, Crosstrek, and WRX models, including phone-connection failures.
Court lets most claims proceed
The court denied most of Subaru's motion to dismiss in Cilluffo.
Class action ends without a class settlement
The Cilluffo named plaintiffs' individual claims were dismissed after a private settlement. No class was certified, and there is no claim process for other owners.
Owners keep reporting failures: 35 more complaints
35 complaints in this directory were filed after the warranty extension was announced, 7 of them involving CarPlay, Android Auto, or USB.
The bulletins
Technical service bulletins are instructions Subaru issues to its dealers. These are the public copies filed with NHTSA.
TSB 15-322-25R: head unit warranty extension (Jan 2025)
Extends coverage on Gen 3.1 and CP1 head units to 8 years / 150,000 miles for failures causing a black or blank screen, loss of audio, repeated rebooting, or inability to use CarPlay/Android Auto, navigation, Bluetooth, or the touchscreen. Repair path: software update first, then head unit replacement if the fault remains. Listed vehicles:
TSB 15-314-23: redesigned USB terminal (Oct 2023)
Addresses intermittent communication loss with CarPlay and Android Auto through the USB port on Gen 3.1 Harman head units, with a new USB terminal and adapter cord. Officially listed for 2019 models.
TSB 15-236-18R: Gen 3.1 head unit software (rev. May 2023)
The software reprogramming procedure for Harman Gen 3.1 head units, including 2019–2023 Forester. Under the warranty extension, this is the first repair step before a replacement.
Why this site exists
It was started by a 2023 Forester owner whose wired CarPlay disconnects on its own while driving. The dealer couldn't reproduce it during service visits, even after seeing video of it. Many owners in this directory describe the same thing: an intermittent failure, "could not duplicate," and advice to try another cable or a software update. Each report is easy to dismiss on its own. Together they are a pattern, and this site keeps that record public.
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