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Electrical system

Subaru Solterra Electrical problems by year

24 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Subaru Solterra's electrical system. Dead batteries, warning lights, wiring, alternators, infotainment and electronic module failures.

Electrical complaints by model year

YearElectrical complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
202610000
20251000
20245000
20238200

Latest Solterra electrical complaints

2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical 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...

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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.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11774078
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical 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.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11761277
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical systemEngine & cooling

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

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11756903
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical system

New vehicle, only 900 miles on it had to get it jumped twice so far. The 12v battery has parasitic draining.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11755674
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical 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 : [[redacted]] From Subaru itself : [[redacted]] They blame of...

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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)

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11755128
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical systemFuel system

On [redacted] 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...

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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 ([[redacted]]), 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)

Filed Incident Electrical system · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11751170
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical 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.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11736431
2025 Subaru SolterraTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system

Summary of Incident On February 21, 2026, a Level 2 charging event resulted in a catastrophic electrical failure involving my vehicle and the associated EV charging equipment. The incident caused: Severe damage to the EV charging connector (pigtail and receptacle) Destruction of my home inverter system Sustained electrical arcing between L1 and L2 conductors Loss of primary electrical service to my home The vehicle was actively charging at the time of the incident. Safety Concern The failure presents a...

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significant safety risk, including: Potential for fire due to sustained electrical arcing Possible high-voltage backfeed from the vehicle's onboard charger (OBC) onto the AC input lines Failure of protective devices (surge suppression components destroyed) Risk of similar incidents occurring in other vehicles The damage pattern suggests a high-energy electrical fault localized between L1 and L2 without ground involvement. Current Status Vehicle has been out of service since February 21, 2026 Subaru has had possession of the vehicle since February 24, 2026 No determination or repair has been provided after several weeks Requested Action I request that NHTSA: Investigate potential onboard charger (OBC) failure modes Evaluate risk of electrical backfeed or uncontrolled fault conditions during charging Determine whether this represents a broader safety defect affecting other vehicles

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical systemNHTSA 11732522
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical system

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.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or otherNHTSA 11728844
2026 Subaru SolterraElectrical 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...

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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.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11725703
2024 Subaru SolterraTransmission & drivetrainElectrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

On December 15, 2025, driving on a highway in low temperatures, my 2024 Subaru Solterra (VIN: [[redacted]] ) experienced a progressive loss of power. At 9:20 a.m., I departed NYC for Amenia, NY (91 miles). The range showed ~130 miles (no AC). For the first ~70 miles, the range indicator consistently remained higher than miles-to-destination, confirming sufficient charge to arrive safely. Around mile 70, the range buffer diminished rapidly. By 10:52 a.m. (approx. 85 miles in), the vehicle stopped responding...

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normally to the accelerator. Speed became limited to 36-40 mph. The panel displayed: "Traction battery empty, Output power reduced." However, immediately next to this warning, the dashboard displayed "7 mi" range and 4% battery. Relying on this data - which indicated sufficient range to reach a safe location - I continued. This contradictory information prevented an informed safety decision. Vehicle behavior became unstable. At 11:01 a.m., I pulled to the shoulder and called roadside assistance. After this stop, the vehicle appeared to recover traction, so I attempted to reach destination (6 miles away). However, unreliable power delivery persisted and the vehicle eventually failed completely at 11:25 a.m., leaving me stranded. Towing arrived at 2:00 p.m. This incident involves a critical range estimation failure. The vehicle promised 130 miles but failed after ~85 miles of conservative driving - a ~35% discrepancy. Furthermore, erratic behavior and conflicting data (showing available range while warning "Empty",) misled me into believing the vehicle was safe to operate, leaving me stranded in winter conditions on an active roadway. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11705320
2024 Subaru SolterraElectrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlDriver assistance

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 Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11685945
2024 Subaru SolterraElectrical system

I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my 2024 Subaru Solterra. On 09 Aug 2025, while driving, my vehicle displayed "EV System Malfunction" and "Drive Start Control Malfunction" alerts simultaneously. Although the vehicle was still drivable, this combination of warnings is alarming, as it suggests a possible high-voltage system fault or drive control failure. The AC is not working too. I am deeply concerned for the following reasons: 1. Safety Risk: These faults could lead to sudden loss of...

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power or prevent the vehicle from restarting after a stop, potentially leaving me stranded in unsafe conditions. 2. Loss of Confidence: This is an unacceptable failure in a nearly new vehicle. I have lost trust in its reliability and safety. 3. Potential Widespread Issue: Other Solterra owners have reported similar warnings online, suggesting this may be a systemic defect requiring urgent investigation. I expect a formal case number for this complaint and a written response outlining Subaru's plan to resolve this matter.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or otherNHTSA 11680000

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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