2023 Subaru Solterra problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Vehicle Speed Control (5) · Service Brakes (5) · Visibility/Wiper (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Solterra model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (4)
Back Over Prevention:display Function 2025-10-30 · campaign 25V744000 · 1,024,407 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System 2025-09-04 · campaign 25V577000 · 94,320 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2025 bZ4X, Lexus RZ, and Subaru Solterra vehicles. During certain HVAC system faults, such as electrical compressor failure, the defroster and defogger system may become inoperative.
Risk: An inoperative defroster and defogger system can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the HVAC control ECU software, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect the electrical compressor, and replace it, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB07 and 25TA07. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB04 and 25LA04. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-25.
Wheels:hub 2023-02-09 · campaign 23V064000 · 1,182 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Solterra vehicles. Improperly tightened hub bolts may loosen and cause the wheels to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: Wheel detachment while driving can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the repair has been completed. Dealers will inspect and tighten the hub bolts, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to mailed March 1, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-23.
Wheels:hub 2022-06-23 · campaign 22V444000 · 661 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Subaru Solterra and Toyota BZ4X vehicles. The hub bolts on the wheels may loosen, causing a wheel to detach from the vehicle after low-mileage use.
Risk: A wheel detaching from a moving vehicle can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they are repaired. Dealers will replace the hub bolts and wheels, free of charge. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed June 27, 2022. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Service bulletins (181)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Exterior Lighting 2026-09-18 · 07-243-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin was developed to help prevent water intrusion at the rear tail light connector.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-09-14 · 15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of infotainment concerns. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 181 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-11 · 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 co…”
2026-08-10 · Service Brakes“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…”
2026-07-30 · Visibility/Wiper“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. …”
2026-05-01 · 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 …”
2026-03-23 · Power Train · 15,000 mi“ the contact owns a 2023 subaru solterra. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to start to the vehicle, the horn sounded unexpectedly. several warnings lights illuminated, and the gear shifter failed to shift to drive(d). a dealer was contacted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnos…”
2026-03-20 · Unknown Or Other“when the sun is at certain angles in the middle of the day, direct sunlight bounces off of the high-gloss plastic trim around the shifting knob directly into the driver's eyes. this is distracting and makes it hard to see the road.…”
2026-03-19 · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:compressor · 48,000 mi“the contact owns a 2023 subaru solterra. the contact received notification of subaru campaign number: wrd-25, and the vehicle was taken to dealer, where the repair was completed; however, four days later, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound while the hvac system was engaged. additionally, the hvac system became inoperable, and the defroster a…”
2026-02-25 · Visibility/Wiper“i was driving and my solterra windshield just suddenly cracked. there are many videos online of how the newer subaru models crack because of thinner glass…”
2026-02-17 · Service Brakes“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.…”
2025-12-30 · Unknown Or Other“was told by subaru today that the rear drive unit of the rear motor needs replaced already at 50k miles and was not covered under warranty. upon searching online it appears that subaru solterras and the toyota bz4x are having multiple users report this issue. the issue causes a hum and loud concerning noise to the breaking system but no alerts prov…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.