Subaru Solterra Complaints

78 consumer complaints on file.

#11774078October 27, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2026 Subaru Solterra displays a 12V "Low Battery, Turn Power OFF" warning during DC fast charging, remote preconditioning/app-based remote start, and accessory mode. The underlying failed component or cause is UNKNOWN. I do not know whether this reflects an actual battery problem or an incorrect warning. The warnings did not occur during fast charging or preconditioning when I purchased the vehicle. They began immediately after a recall software update in July 2026. This is the sequence I observed, not an established cause. During dealer service October 15-20, 2026, the repair order recorded my app-start and accessory-mode complaints and software reprogramming. It states: "LOW BATTERY WARNING STILL PRESENT AFTER UPDATE ADVISED CUSTOMER VEHICLE OPERATING AS DESIGNED AT THIS TIME." It does not identify which condition produced the warning after the update. The dealer told me it could not test DC fast charging. It also told me Subaru Techline acknowledged the issue but could not find a 12V fault or provide a solution. Subaru's explanation to me addressed accessory-mode battery drain, not the warnings during fast charging or preconditioning. The safety implications are UNKNOWN to me. Loss of 12v power disables the car. The warning instructs me to turn power off during charging and preconditioning, but I have not received an explanation of whether it indicates an actual electrical problem or what action is appropriate in those conditions. I am requesting review of this recurring warning and its appearance after the recall update.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763709September 11, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Water collected inside the passenger compartment of my 2023 Subaru Solterra. The carpet was soaked and there was standing water on the floor in both the front and the rear of the vehicle. I first noticed a musty smell in approximately July, 2026. By Aug, 2026 there was standing water on the floor. The dealer told me the cause was a blocked air conditioning drain line. Nothing in my owner's manual or maintenance schedule tells owners to clean, inspect, or service that drain, and I had no way to know it existed or that it could fail. My concern is a safety concern. This is an electric vehicle, and a significant amount of water sat on the floor of the passenger compartment unnoticed due to the rubber mats for an extended period. I am not an engineer, and I do not know what wiring, sensors, or electrical parts are underneath the carpet, but I do know that cars have electrical components under and around the seats and floor, including parts connected to the seats and seat belts. I do not believe any vehicle is designed to have water standing inside it, and I am not able to tell whether anything has been damaged or corroded in a way that will cause a problem later. NHTSA recall 23V-177 involved a different manufacturer whose vehicles allowed air conditioning condensation into the front footwells. That recall was issued because of the risk of corrosion, short circuits, and fire, and wet carpet was the symptom owners were told to look for. My vehicle has the same symptom, in a larger area, in an electric vehicle. Subaru service bulletin 10-77-08 describes this same failure — water leaking from the air conditioning evaporator drain hose onto the passenger floor — on other Subaru models. Subaru identified the cause as debris and insects blocking the drain hose, changed the hose as part of the repair, and instructed dealers to perform the repair under warranty. My vehicle is not covered by that bulletin, but the failure is the same one Subaru has already document
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761277September 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Solterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V393000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available and informed the contact that many of the dealers were experiencing software system issues and were unable to complete the software update. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757177August 15, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
When driving at night over most roads, a slight bump will cause the headlights to jitter appearing to turn-off momentarily. This is a re-occurring incident
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756903August 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
A1. 12 v Battery fail. A2 . Unable to use the car at 9:30 pm when I discovered it my safety was in risk not car to use, Subaru assistance never shows up calling them for two days. Dealer have to town truck the car A3.Dealer found the battery dead recharge the battery but not solution from the drain yet. A4. Yes vehicle inspected for the dealer A5. No no indication of the drainage before happening
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755825August 10, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NHTSA VEHICLE-DATA MISMATCH: The VIN entered in the vehicle-information field belongs to a Toyota-branded 2023 bZ4X AWD Limited, as shown by the vehicle, Toyota app, factory window sticker, and Toyota dealer records. NHTSA's form incorrectly displays a 2023 Subaru Solterra. NHTSA's VIN decoder identifies the manufacturer as TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION but assigns Subaru/Solterra as the make/model. Please correct the classification and associate this complaint with the 2023 Toyota bZ4X. On August 10, 2026, at about 18,309 miles, my wife was driving with our daughters as passengers when the vehicle displayed Brake System and Electronically Controlled Brake System malfunction warnings. Braking felt abnormal, and the vehicle felt harder to drive and brake. The Toyota app recorded the same active faults. Its Brake System alert stated that a malfunction had been detected, continuing to drive may be dangerous, and the driver should stop in a safe location and contact a Toyota dealer. Its Electronically Controlled Brake System alert stated that a malfunction in the Electric Control Braking System had been detected. The driver stopped, and we removed the vehicle from service. It will be transported rather than driven. No crash, fire, injury, or fatality occurred. The vehicle has not yet been inspected, and the components remain available for inspection. The lower front bumper has minor scuffing and slight mis-seating visible on close inspection. Its origin is unknown; there was no known collision, and possible curb contact is speculation. I am disclosing it without asserting any causal relationship. Please record and evaluate this in-motion brake-system and electronically-controlled-brake failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755674August 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
New vehicle, only 900 miles on it had to get it jumped twice so far. The 12v battery has parasitic draining.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755128August 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Brand new Subaru Solterra died after only a month on the road Root cause is parasitic power drain from 12V battery which completely ran dry Car has been in shop for a week without any possible root cause and repair Problem is prevalent on this particular model as reported by owners of 2023 till 2026 and also from towing companies I'm afraid if not fixed at the root, car will die again after a short while Here are a few links related to the problem : [XXX] From Subaru itself : [XXX] They blame of 3rd party apps, but most users don't use them, me included This is certainly a lemon issue since car cannot be driven without a healthy 12V battery INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753828July 30, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
November 1, 2024 (46,750 Miles): Vehicle suffered an initial internal high-voltage electric A/C compressor meltdown (Diagnostic Trouble Code B14721C). The authorized dealership replaced the compressor under warranty but left the original, contaminated micro-channel condenser assembly in the vehicle, attempting to clear it via a basic fluid flush. January 15, 2026 (121,269 miles): Vehicle was brought to an authorized Subaru dealer for the mandatory Federal Safety Recall WRD-25 (NHTSA Campaign 25V577). The software patch was applied, and the dealership explicitly stated that the A/C compressor was in good working condition at that time. No physical flush or deep system contamination audit was conducted. July 2026 (132,911 Miles): Only six months after the recall certification, the high-voltage electric compressor suffered a subsequent, total mechanical failure. The servicing dealership confirmed that the closed thermal loop is actively contaminated with metal debris. Because parallel-flow EV condensers cannot be flushed clear of metal shards, the leftover debris from the 2024 warranty failure acted as a physical abrasive, causing the rapid destruction of the replacement compressor despite the dealer's recent confirmation that it was functional. Safety Impact: The vehicle's windshield defroster and defogger systems are completely inoperative due to this compressor failure, recreating the exact visibility hazard targeted by Safety Recall WRD-25. This failure also impacts the high-voltage EV battery pack's thermal management system. Widespread Component Pattern: There is documented community-wide evidence on automotive safety forums indicating that numerous 2023–2025 Solterra and bZ4X owners are suffering identical post-recall compressor failures. The factory WRD-25 software patch simply adjusted the ECU failsafe programming to keep the defroster running; it did not fix the physical fragility or preexisting mechanical degradation of the compressor.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752968July 27, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On June 23rd, 2026, while driving my 2026 Subaru Solterra at approximately 35 mph on a clear, sunny day with no road obstructions or vehicles ahead, the vehicle suddenly and severely applied the brakes on its own. This unprompted, autonomous braking event brought the vehicle to an abrupt, unsafe slowdown, creating an immediate risk of a rear-end collision. No dashboard warning lights or error codes appeared prior to or during the event. The vehicle had recently been brought in for a safety recall related to the vehicle electronics/ECU. The vehicle was driven to the dealership, where it is currently undergoing diagnostic evaluation for automated pre-collision braking and sensor malfunctions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751460July 20, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Subaru Solterra Car's automated breaking system did not work. We also suspect the changing from reverse to drive did not work as well. My wife while taking reverse and then tried to drive forward, but the drive forward did not work and when the car was accelerated it reversed and hit a tree. Rear automated breaking did not work causing damage to the car. Car was not drivable. Luckily no one was injured. There were no warning signs.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751170July 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On XXX at approximately 1:20 PM, my 2026 Subaru Solterra (approx. 4,761 miles) experienced a sudden loss of motive power while I was driving on a 4 lane trunk highway at approximately 40mph. The vehicle's drive system shut down without warning and the instrument cluster displayed "EV system malfunction – Visit Your Dealer." The vehicle would not deliver any propulsion. I was able to coast to a safe location and park. After shutting the vehicle off and restarting it, it drove normally. The warning message remained on the dashboard and cleared on its own after 4–5 additional ignition cycles. No collision occurred, but the sudden power loss in traffic created a significant crash risk. After the incident, I read the diagnostic trouble codes with an OBD-II scanner. The vehicle had stored: U0111-87 (Lost Communication With Battery Energy Control Module "A"), P0A1F-94 (Battery Energy Control Module "A"), and two instances of U117B-87 (manufacturer defined). These codes indicate the battery ECU dropped off the vehicle's communication network at the time of the shutdown. This failure appears consistent with NHTSA Recall 26V393, which covers 2026 Toyota bZ, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra vehicles for a battery ECU software fault that can shut down the electric drive system and cause loss of motive power while driving. I am reporting this as a real-world occurrence of the failure described in that recall. I have scheduled service with my Subaru dealer, White Bear Subaru ([XXX]), regarding the recall remedy. Photos of the dashboard warning and stored trouble codes are available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749038July 8, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
There is a major design flaw with the car. The headlights are mounted on the bumper which is plastic. Because there is not enough rigidity in the plastic bumper and the sharp cutoff of the LEDs, the headlights appear to flicker and strobe when going over small bumps or imperfections in the roads. Drivers on the imposing lane will sometimes flash their high beams as they think I'm flashing them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745167June 18, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Bluetooth drops calls. Route planning doesn’t work in navigation system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738743May 19, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The low beams headlights, when you go over a bump they visibly shake, it is distracting. I checked forums and other owners are complaining of same problem with this model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738151May 15, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield has distortion and can make the driver and front seat passenger feel carsick when looking through the windshield. Not feeling 100% can affect a driver's ability to safely operate the vehicle and that can affect other drivers nearby. I showed a customer Rep at Fremont Subaru and he confirmed the distortion and all of the other Subaru Solteras he looked at had the same problem. The customer rep has not responded to my numerous followup correspondence. I wrote several times to Subaru of America with no responses. This defect is from day one with no action from Subaru.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736820May 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There’s an issue with car play disconnecting phone my phone. The microphone cuts out and I cannot safely make phone calls or use phone commands. I’m basically forced to pull over so I can use my phone. Subaru has been aware of this issue for months now and should have disclosed it to me prior to sale. I already took car in once but there was nothing they could do.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736431May 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Phone calls constantly get dropped using hands free Android Auto, requiring me to use my phone manually on the call. This is a major safety issue requiring attention to be pulled away from the road. I see online in numerous forums and in other NHTSA complaints that this is an issue with Solterra models and the use of CarPlay and Android Auto. It is not my phone as the situation does not occur in our other vehicles, and I have tried every fix suggested.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736125May 6, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Phone will not stay connected, radio, Bluetooth is not working.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735160May 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I had been hearing a humming noise for around a year and when reported to the dealer I was told that the rear electric motor had to be replaced. I had been researching online about this issue and apparently, is something a lot of Solterra owner have gone through. After a week of the car at the dealer, Subaru still doesn't approve the repairs that should be under Power Train guarantee. Should this be something to be part of a recall already considering so many public reports of this issue?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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