VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Subaru Solterra20232026

Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.

TOP PICK
2026
Buyer Score 76/100
4
Years Analyzed
8
Total Recalls
39
Total Complaints
1
Reported Injuries

Best Years to Buy a Subaru Solterra

Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.

#1 PICK0yr old
2026
Strong Buy · 76/100
Reliability100/100
Value window30/100
Recalls0
Complaints0
#2 PICK1yr old
2025
Good Buy · 73/100
Reliability89/100
Value window42/100
Recalls2
Complaints1
Top issue: SUSPENSION
#3 PICK2yr old
2024
Good Buy · 70/100
Reliability77/100
Value window58/100
Recalls2
Complaints13
Top issue: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

Subaru Solterra Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2023

4 recalls · 25 complaints

Top issue: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

#2 WORST
2024

2 recalls · 13 complaints

1 reported injury

Top issue: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

#3 WORST
2025

2 recalls · 1 complaint

Top issue: SUSPENSION

Subaru Solterra — Year-by-Year Comparison

Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202600
100
30
76
Excellent
202521
89
42
73
Good
20242131
77
58
70
Caution
2023425
55
72
61
Avoid

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Subaru Solterra Problems

Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE
1

Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.

Shopping by Era

How each generation of the Solterra compares — best year within each era shown.

2018–Present

Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2026 (Buyer Score 76).

Best: 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year Solterra to buy?+

The 2026 Subaru Solterra scores highest on our Buyer Score (76/100) — combining a reliability score of 100/100 with a value score of 30/100. It has 0 recalls and 0 NHTSA complaints on record.

Which Solterra years have the most problems?+

The 2023, 2024, 2025 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2023 Solterra leads with 4 recalls and 25 owner complaints.

What is the Buyer Score?+

The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.

What are the most common Solterra problems?+

The most frequently reported Subaru Solterra issues involve: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.

Deep-Dive Research

Found the right year? Verify the specific car.

A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.

Run a VIN Check →