31 of the
137 complaints filed about the Subaru Solterra
are about the driver-assist systems —
23% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2023.
31
Complaints
23%
Share of all complaints
6
Crashes
0
Fires
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
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.
NHTSA complaint #11752968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11751460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11751460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11720865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In light snow, the car automatically braked at speed causing the car to veer off the road after skidding, multiple times. The "safety" features of this car make it dangerous to operate.
NHTSA complaint #11718387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Solterra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V577000 (VISIBILITY) and 25V744000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repairs. However, the contact was informed that the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11710362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
minor accident in July 2024. it took more that 6 months to get sensor parts. still to this day Subaru cannot reactivate the parking assist braking function after working with the body shop and the locat dealer. they have give up. Subaru knows there is a problem with the software. it’s basically a toyota ev. very frustrating.
NHTSA complaint #11698128 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This car has been having issues with the facial recognition. It consistently cannot see my face when I am looking forward, and always manages to give me an alert when looking in my mirrors or doing a lane change. I am concerned that due to the a out of highway driving I do, that the car will Stop on the Interstate, causing a major accident
NHTSA complaint #11685945 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
2 Items: 1st is the facial recognition camera, which causes the vehicle to stop if it can't see the driver. The recognition camera has often indicated an inability to see my face or my wife's face when she has been driving. On June 30th when returning home from work I had the driver's window open with bright sunlight, which fell fully on the camera, which totally failed to see my face, stopping the vehicle in traffic suddenly. (Fortunately, it was near a traffic light which had just turned red, so traffic had already slowed down.) I then noticed, in the bright light on the camera surface a streak of multiple fine scratches across the whole face of the camera screen. I shut the window, which reduced the light hitting the camera, and it recognized me again, allowing me to drive again. Other than in bright light, the scratches are hardly apparent. Now that I know they are there, I can see a very subtle shade difference where they are. 2nd Item: The forward collision warning occasionally brakes, showing a vehicle ahead when there is no vehicle ahead, and conversely, when set to speed control assist, it sometimes does not see a vehicle ahead or show one on the screen when there is one, sometimes speeding up to within a dangerous closeness of the vehicle ahead. It seems to be happening at a frequency of about 2 to 3 times every 100 miles, slightly more often with the braking and showing a car image on the screen when there is no vehicle ahead.
NHTSA complaint #11671498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2 Items: 1st is the facial recognition camera, which causes the vehicle to stop if it can't see the driver. The recognition camera has often indicated an inability to see my face or my wife's face when she has been driving. On June 30th when returning home from work I had the driver's window open with bright sunlight, which fell fully on the camera, which totally failed to see my face, stopping the vehicle in traffic suddenly. (Fortunately, it was near a traffic light which had just turned red, so traffic had already slowed down.) I then noticed, in the bright light on the camera surface a streak of multiple fine scratches across the whole face of the camera screen. I shut the window, which reduced the light hitting the camera, and it recognized me again, allowing me to drive again. Other than in bright light, the scratches are hardly apparent. Now that I know they are there, I can see a very subtle shade difference where they are. 2nd Item: The forward collision warning occasionally brakes, showing a vehicle ahead when there is no vehicle ahead, and conversely, when set to speed control assist, it sometimes does not see a vehicle ahead or show one on the screen when there is one, sometimes speeding up to within a dangerous closeness of the vehicle ahead. It seems to be happening at a frequency of about 2 to 3 times every 100 miles, slightly more often with the braking and showing a car image on the screen when there is no vehicle ahead.
NHTSA complaint #11671498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Solterra 2023 bought Dec 23, 2022 Report: 1. Unintended Acceleration while parking. 2. No braking power till few feet away from fence. Incident:1. Prior parking, owner had accidentally touched the Regenerative Braking Paddle which is right next to turn signal lever. 2. Approaching a row of trees within 2 feet, the Solterra lurched forward, mowed down 2 trees and accelerated while owner's foot was on brake; owner yelled at passenger" NO BRAKES!!" Car accelerated onto backyard, passed a children's swing set, kept going onto the grass. Finally,car stopped by itself within several feet of the fence which faces busy Jericho Turnpike road. 3. Date & Time: 4/14/2025 about 1:30 PM. Owner's Doubt: If the brake system is hydraulic, then pressing brake pedal would stop vehicle; Malfunction: Regenerative Brake System generated acceleration instead of braking ! Recall Service Appt. with Dealer on April 27, 2025: Subaru WRG 231, WRG 241 and repairing front. Done: NHTSA Recall ID 23V-064, February 2023 = Subaru WRE-23. Experience once before: A few seconds of no braking during crawling traffic jam, about a year ago. Vehicle is available for inspection at owner's driveway.
NHTSA complaint #11655104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Solterra 2023 bought Dec 23, 2022 Report: 1. Unintended Acceleration while parking. 2. No braking power till few feet away from fence. Incident:1. Prior parking, owner had accidentally touched the Regenerative Braking Paddle which is right next to turn signal lever. 2. Approaching a row of trees within 2 feet, the Solterra lurched forward, mowed down 2 trees and accelerated while owner's foot was on brake; owner yelled at passenger" NO BRAKES!!" Car accelerated onto backyard, passed a children's swing set, kept going onto the grass. Finally,car stopped by itself within several feet of the fence which faces busy Jericho Turnpike road. 3. Date & Time: 4/14/2025 about 1:30 PM. Owner's Doubt: If the brake system is hydraulic, then pressing brake pedal would stop vehicle; Malfunction: Regenerative Brake System generated acceleration instead of braking ! Recall Service Appt. with Dealer on April 27, 2025: Subaru WRG 231, WRG 241 and repairing front. Done: NHTSA Recall ID 23V-064, February 2023 = Subaru WRE-23. Experience once before: A few seconds of no braking during crawling traffic jam, about a year ago. Vehicle is available for inspection at owner's driveway.
NHTSA complaint #11655104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Subaru Solterra EV was parked in the driveway of an Airbnb in Virginia. We were about to depart to return home. Vehicle was turned on and driver commenced to back out of the driveway, however rear safety warning activated as car neared a bush. Driver stopped vehicle, then placed in Drive in order to pull forward a few feet to negotiate putting the car in reverse to leave the driveway. The car then lurched forward with great force and collided with the corner of the house we had been staying in, causing significant damage. Two concerns arise: 1. Why did the car lurch forward with great force to begin with? 2. Why didn’t the automatic emergency braking system not activate? I shiver when I think what might have happened if a person had been standing in front of the car. The car is now being repaired by a shop selected by my insurance company. Once completed it needs to be thoroughly tested to determine if this could be an ongoing problem. I theorize a software glitch my be responsible.
NHTSA complaint #11646679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle stopped dramatically at low speed in snow while sensors were freaking out and flashing reverse breaking sensor problem. Car has been in shop for 6 weeks. My concern is the breaks auto/over corrected and caused my car to slide in snow.
NHTSA complaint #11632912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Traveling approx 35mph I carefully went left to avoid a pedestrian walking on the rh line. Vehicle immediately and without warning pulled very hard to the right directly towards pedestrian. Many other instances of vehicle attempting to drive off the side of the road due to line drifting off and vehicle attempting to follow rh lane marking.
NHTSA complaint #11625780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased the 2024 Subaru Solterra in May of 2024, had no issues with the vehicle. In late June my cell phone was hacked, and malicious malware was installed, confirmed by my phone provided. Soon after that the vehicle started displaying signs of possibly being infected as well. Safety setting were changed, the vehicle was doing things I had not experienced and was difficult to control. I contacted Subaru after an incident that occurred on [XXX], Albany NY, where the vehicle facial recognition was activated without my knowledge and began displaying warning signs, beeps and demanding I sit up. The vehicle was fighting with me to stay in my lane and was slowing down on its own. When I brought the vehicle to Subaru in Albany NY, I was met with a group of people to include an engineer, Brendan spent over an hour trying to figure out two suspicious accounts connected to the vehicle, he called them 'the hackers". I was also told by one of the women that even know it was a scary situation for me, bringing this to the attention of Subaru, could prevent "future hacking of these vehicles". The technician was unable to figure out the accounts that were link to the vehicle nor could he remove them after multiple attempts, he would remove them and reconnect my account, and then they would pop back up and disconnect my account. I was told I needed to have my phone replaced as it was the source of the malware. I had phone replace with no improvement, just continuing safety issues with no help from Subaru. Over the last few months there has been multiple malfunctions and glitches within the vehicle, vehicle has shut itself off four times while it was running, lights have turned off while driving, warning message to hit brake while on highway, monitor screens go black and not able to see how the vehicle is operating, nor can I see my speed or warning signs. I have video of at least five safety incidents. Subaru has denied any responsibility or solution. DEATHTRAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO
NHTSA complaint #11624732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased the 2024 Subaru Solterra in May of 2024, had no issues with the vehicle. In late June my cell phone was hacked, and malicious malware was installed, confirmed by my phone provided. Soon after that the vehicle started displaying signs of possibly being infected as well. Safety setting were changed, the vehicle was doing things I had not experienced and was difficult to control. I contacted Subaru after an incident that occurred on [XXX], Albany NY, where the vehicle facial recognition was activated without my knowledge and began displaying warning signs, beeps and demanding I sit up. The vehicle was fighting with me to stay in my lane and was slowing down on its own. When I brought the vehicle to Subaru in Albany NY, I was met with a group of people to include an engineer, Brendan spent over an hour trying to figure out two suspicious accounts connected to the vehicle, he called them 'the hackers". I was also told by one of the women that even know it was a scary situation for me, bringing this to the attention of Subaru, could prevent "future hacking of these vehicles". The technician was unable to figure out the accounts that were link to the vehicle nor could he remove them after multiple attempts, he would remove them and reconnect my account, and then they would pop back up and disconnect my account. I was told I needed to have my phone replaced as it was the source of the malware. I had phone replace with no improvement, just continuing safety issues with no help from Subaru. Over the last few months there has been multiple malfunctions and glitches within the vehicle, vehicle has shut itself off four times while it was running, lights have turned off while driving, warning message to hit brake while on highway, monitor screens go black and not able to see how the vehicle is operating, nor can I see my speed or warning signs. I have video of at least five safety incidents. Subaru has denied any responsibility or solution. DEATHTRAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO
NHTSA complaint #11624732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased the 2024 Subaru Solterra in May of 2024, had no issues with the vehicle. In late June my cell phone was hacked, and malicious malware was installed, confirmed by my phone provided. Soon after that the vehicle started displaying signs of possibly being infected as well. Safety setting were changed, the vehicle was doing things I had not experienced and was difficult to control. I contacted Subaru after an incident that occurred on [XXX], Albany NY, where the vehicle facial recognition was activated without my knowledge and began displaying warning signs, beeps and demanding I sit up. The vehicle was fighting with me to stay in my lane and was slowing down on its own. When I brought the vehicle to Subaru in Albany NY, I was met with a group of people to include an engineer, Brendan spent over an hour trying to figure out two suspicious accounts connected to the vehicle, he called them 'the hackers". I was also told by one of the women that even know it was a scary situation for me, bringing this to the attention of Subaru, could prevent "future hacking of these vehicles". The technician was unable to figure out the accounts that were link to the vehicle nor could he remove them after multiple attempts, he would remove them and reconnect my account, and then they would pop back up and disconnect my account. I was told I needed to have my phone replaced as it was the source of the malware. I had phone replace with no improvement, just continuing safety issues with no help from Subaru. Over the last few months there has been multiple malfunctions and glitches within the vehicle, vehicle has shut itself off four times while it was running, lights have turned off while driving, warning message to hit brake while on highway, monitor screens go black and not able to see how the vehicle is operating, nor can I see my speed or warning signs. I have video of at least five safety incidents. Subaru has denied any responsibility or solution. DEATHTRAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO
NHTSA complaint #11624732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.