2023 Subaru Solterra: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2023 Subaru Solterra
On the 2023 Subaru Solterra, the failure owners report most often is cruise control failure, with 8 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 45,000 miles. Overall it scores 71 out of 100, high risk for a 2023.
High risk for a 2023 — 149th riskiest of the 227 2023 vehicles we can rate. 85 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What owners report breaking
Owners have reported 27 named failure modes on the 2023 Subaru Solterra, and the three most-reported carry 25% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Cruise control failure leads with 8 reports and about 0.8 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other electrical problem follows with 7 reports.
Other body or interior problem follows with 6 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into adas (16), electrical (13) and infotainment (8).
At what mileage it happens
Too few of the reports on this year carry an odometer reading to describe the timing: 4 of them do. The mileages quoted elsewhere on this page come from the modes that have enough of them.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 27. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 12 mention a crash. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.87, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: cruise control failure at $200–$1,400, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000 and backup camera failure at $250–$1,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
15% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise control failure | adas | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.8 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.7 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 4 | 2 | — | 83k | — | 0.4 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 3 | 1 | — | 73k | — | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 2 | 1 | — | 16k | — | 0.2 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2023 Subaru Solterra draws about 8.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 89th percentile of complaint rates among 2023 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 10,480 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2023 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2023 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2023 Subaru Solterra, affecting an estimated 22,134 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover back over prevention:display function, visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system and wheels:hub. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
1,024,407 vehicles 2025-10-30- 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."
- Consequence
- A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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
94,320 vehicles 2025-09-04- 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.
- Consequence
- An inoperative defroster and defogger system can decrease the driver's visibility under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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
1,182 vehicles 2023-02-09- 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.
- Consequence
- Wheel detachment while driving can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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
661 vehicles 2022-06-23- 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.
- Consequence
- A wheel detaching from a moving vehicle can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2023 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2023 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2023 — 149th riskiest of the 227 2023 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 3 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2026 comes out best at 63 and 2023 worst at 71, with 2023 itself at 71.
If the model year is negotiable, 2026 scores lower than 2023 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2023–2026 generation specifically, 2026 is the strongest year at 63 and 2023 the weakest at 71.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2023-2026 generation, 2026 Subaru Solterra scores best at 63 and 2023 Subaru Solterra worst at 71.
The limits of complaint data
85 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 85 reports, 4 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 5% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Subaru Solterra?
The most-reported failures are cruise control failure (8 reports), other electrical problem (7 reports) and other body or interior problem (6 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2023 Subaru Solterra reliable?
It scores 71 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 149th riskiest of the 227 2023 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2023 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Subaru Solterra is best?
Within the 2023–2026 generation, 2026 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2023 worst at 71. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed