VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Subaru Solterra20232026

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

4
Years Analyzed
4
Total Recalls
38
Total Complaints
0
Reported Injuries
0
Reported Deaths

Subaru Solterra Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2023

2 recalls · 33 complaints

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

#2 WORST
2024

1 recall · 5 complaints

Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

#3 WORST
2025

1 recall · 0 complaints

Top issue: No complaints on record

Subaru Solterra — Year-by-Year Comparison

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

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202600
100
40
79
Excellent
202510
95
55
81
Excellent
202415
90
68
82
Good
2023233
60
78
66
Avoid

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Subaru Solterra Problems

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

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
8
POWER TRAIN
4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2
SERVICE BRAKES
2

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: 2024 (Buyer Score 82).

Best: 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year Solterra to buy?+

See the Buyer Score table above for a full ranking of every Solterra model year.

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 2 recalls and 33 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: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER. 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 →