Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, automatic emergency braking, and lane keeping. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Subaru Solterra: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2024 checks
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Subaru Solterra, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The driver-monitoring camera fails to see the driver's face while they look straight ahead. It then sounds alerts when they check mirrors or change lanes, and drivers fear the car could stop on the highway. Lane departure assist reacts too quickly and swerves the car when no correction is needed. Some reports describe "EV System Malfunction" and "Drive Start Control Malfunction" warnings appearing together along with a dead AC. Others describe the battery going dead without warning and stranding the driver, even after a dealer replacement. Estimated charging times also run hours short of the real time.
When the driver-monitoring camera cannot see the driver's face, it brings the car to a sudden stop in traffic. Bright sunlight falling on the camera can trigger this, and the camera regularly fails to recognize different drivers. Fine scratches across the camera's surface come up as a possible factor. Another failure pattern ties adaptive cruise control dropping out to a failed air conditioning compressor. An unexpected stop in moving traffic carries a real rear-end collision risk.
Lane keeping steers hard toward the road edge without warning. It follows the right lane marking even when the driver moves left on purpose to avoid a pedestrian. Owners describe repeated attempts to drive off the side of the road where the lane line drifts. Other symptoms include the system fighting the driver's steering, the car slowing on its own, and driver-monitoring alerts demanding the driver sit up. These are loss-of-control events, and one involved steering toward a person on foot.
Excerpts from complaints Solterra owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
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
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
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.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 ranks second for owner complaints among 3 Solterra years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Subaru dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
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.
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.
Cars shoppers compare with the Subaru Solterra, with their own 2024 checklists.
2024 owner complaints, side by side
