Subaru Solterra Complaints (2026)

18 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
#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
#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
#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
#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
#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
#11728844April 2, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Phone calls constantly get dropped using hands free CarPlay, requiring me to switch to using my phone manually on the call. Big safety issue. I see online in numerous forums that this is an issue with Subaru use of CarPlay. It is not the phone, and I have tried every fix suggested.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725750March 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Bluetooth consistently drops my calls, it is not my phone, because the call doesn't drop completely, am able yo pick up my phone and continue to talk. This takes away my hands free driving, which can be dangerous. Been an on going issue since I purchased the car almost 2 months ago.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725703March 19, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am reporting a defect involving the Bluetooth and infotainment system in my 2026 Subaru Solterra. While driving, the vehicle’s Bluetooth connection consistently disconnects after approximately 5–10 minutes. The phone call itself does not drop; however, the connection to the vehicle’s hands-free system fails. In addition, infotainment functions such as audio streaming and app connectivity also disconnect or become unstable. This issue occurs repeatedly during normal operation and has been reproduced multiple times. This creates a safety concern because it interrupts hands-free communication and may require the driver to handle the phone or attempt to reconnect while driving, increasing the risk of distraction. The issue was inspected and confirmed by a dealership technician. The technician paired both my phone and his own device, and the same Bluetooth and infotainment disconnection occurred. This confirms the defect is not related to a specific phone or user error. The vehicle has been taken in for service, but no repair or resolution has been provided. I have been informed the issue may be software-related, with no available fix or timeline. This defect affects core vehicle functionality and safe operation of hands-free systems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720865February 27, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Malfunction of the lane keeping assistance - I have had two incidents, where the second has resulted in damage to the vehicle. First incident, lane assist (passive) system jerked me off of an exit lane into the rumble strips before I could correct. (no damage done) This was approx. Mid-late January, and unknown conditions. I didn't think to report it until I was prompted by the Subaru Maintenance facility after incident #2. Second incident - active lane keeping assist was on (with adaptive cruise control) for my own testing on this new car. I was at low speeds, at ~6 am. The vehicle suddenly jerked hard to the right and collided with/drove over a curb at speed. It quickly displayed a warning on the driver cluster and short audible warning beeps but I did not see what it was because it was so fast. The car immediately corrected back into the lane before I could even react to the collision. Important context: This was on a concrete material road that was newly repaved (summer 2025) with road lines that were painted at the same time. It was also under winter conditions, not actively snowing, but there was lingering salt residue/coloration on the road surface as well as large snow banks along the grass strips due to plowing. The snow bank in the area was approx. 3 ft high at the location the car collided with the curb. There was also lingering salt and dried snow-sludge on the car that could have had an impact on the sensors. I did not, however, have any sensor obstruction warning. The vehicle was taken to the Subaru dealer for service, was determined to be out of alignment and fixed as a warranty request. The vehicle is available for inspection, however this was clearly a software failure and not a component failure, and the damage has been repaired. To my knowledge, the dealer service center did not attempt to reproduce the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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