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Subaru Solterra Reliability

Owners filed 43 complaints about the Solterra: 2.39 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars.

NHTSA owner complaints · 43 complaints · 2023–2025 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age, so 0% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Forward Collision Avoidance, with 14 complaints, typically at 0.9 years.

Subaru Solterra years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Subaru Solterra — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
20242147too new
20232.78259too new
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Subaru Solterra — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
0 years1639%covered
1 year1882.9%covered
2 years7100%covered
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 100% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 0% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for few of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Subaru Solterra, the early trouble is Forward Collision Avoidance and Electrical System — reported at around 0.9 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.

FIG.03·Subaru Solterra — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Forward Collision Avoidance140.9 yrs3—
Electrical System140.9 yrs2—
Unknown Or Other110.5 yrs——
Vehicle Speed Control90.9 yrs4—
Visibility/wiper40.7 yrs——
Back Over Prevention41.7 yrs1—
Service Brakes41 yrs1—
Structure40.3 yrs——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Solterra's vehicle class.

FIG.05·Subaru Solterra — rivals in the same class
Same class as the SolterraComplaints on recordRecall campaignsYears built
Toyota RAV49,3321681996–2026
Jeep Wrangler16,4342851986–2026
Honda CR-V15,9482071997–2026
Tesla Model Y3881002020–2026
Mazda CX-52,211332013–2026
Nissan Rogue7,253942008–2026
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Subaru Solterra
Recalls9 campaignsFuel economy120 mpg bestCommon problems43 complaintsCheck a VINAgainst this exact buildDimensionsSize, weight, generationsWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout this car2023–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Subaru Solterra reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.39 against 3.73 for the average car.

When do Solterra problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age. The most reported system is Forward Collision Avoidance, typically at 0.9 years, followed by Electrical System.

Will the warranty cover Solterra problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 100% of reported failures fall inside it.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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