Subaru Uncharted Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Subaru Uncharted options? We analyzed 1 model years (2026–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Subaru Uncharted has 40 owner complaints and 0 safety recalls across model years 2026–2026. The most reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
- Make
- Subaru
- Model
- Uncharted
- Model years analyzed
- 2026–2026 (1 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 40
- Safety recall campaigns
- 0
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2026 (40 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Reliability signal
- Average
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
AverageThe SUBARU UNCHARTED has 40 NHTSA complaints and 0 recalls on record. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 40 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 0 federal recall campaigns
- No crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
0 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
No NHTSA recalls were found in our database for this model. Always verify open recalls using your specific VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2026–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 40 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
40 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Headlights visibly shake when going over bumps on the road. It is an extreme hazard and impairs visibility when driving. Issue can be replicated when car is parked. Headlight housing seems to not be fully supported and will shake when car is manually shaken.
The headlights appear loose to the point when you drive over small bumps the lights bounce. This is causing a distraction for me as well as anyone in front of me. This car is 1 day old. I test drove the car twice before buying but unfortunately, I wasn't able to drive it at night or else I wouldn't have purchased it.
Insufficient dampening on front headlight mounting, causing excessive shake/ jitter of headlights at night. This design issue allows the headlight cut-off level to hit the eyeline of oncoming traffic. Aside from the safety issue of occasionally blinding other drivers, the shaking/flickering also causes headaches on long drives at night.
The headlights jitter and shake while driving on normal road conditions, due to poor mounting inside the bumper. You can push on the headlight housing and notice it move. This causes very districting conditions while driving at night, oncoming traffic flashes high beams often thinking that I'm flashing them or something. I took it to the dealership to get it looked at after seeing numerous owner reports online about it, and got a similar result, with the dealership admitting that there is no recall, nor any fix for it, and I'm supposed to just deal with it. It can create unsafe conditions for other motorists due to the potential for flashing them with bright, jittery light. This is unacceptable on a car that is around $40,000+. Here is a video link from the master technician saying there is no fix available: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle is brand new and when driving at night it is incredibly distracting the way the light from the headlights bounce and shake/jitter all over the place. Other drivers think I'm flashing lights at them because the roads aren't even that bad. These headlights need fixed.
The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Uncharted. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the 12-Volt battery was completely drained, even though the main high-voltage traction battery used to power the electric motor was charged. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and a new 12-Volt battery was installed; however, two days later, the vehicle failed to start again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 650.
Read 14 more owner reports
The 12V battery of my brand new 2026 Subaru Uncharted (under 300m) was fully drained after being parked for 2.5 days while traveling. I was unable to use my car to leave the location and needed to have a jump pack brought to the car. The car has been back at the dealer to be inspected for 19 days and counting. The battery has failed a number of times while at the dealer, with no diagnosis from Subaru and no offer to replace.
The headlights in the car shake while driving. Especially noticeable at night, and if the ground is not perfectly smooth, the light beams vibrate/shake in a distracting way that is unlike any other car I've driven.
The headlight jiggle at night producing an inconsistent and distracting beam.
Headlights vibrate/jiggle (as if they are loose within the housing) when going over normal road surfaces at night. This is distracting for the driver and probably for oncoming traffic as well. This is a known issue with this model.
Purchased and took possession of car, a brand new 2026 Subaru Uncharted electric, on May 22, 2026. On July 2, 2026 the car was completely inoperable as the 12 volt battery had died for no reason - the car had not been driven for 3 days. Took to the dealership they ran tests and said the battery was "fine". Reported to Subaru of America. On July 16, 2026 the car was inoperable as the 12 volt battery had died for no reason - the car had not been driven for 2 days. Had it jump started by another vehicle. Reported to Subaru of America. On July 29, 2026, the car was completely inoperable as the 12 volt battery had died for no reason - the car had not been driven for 2.5 days. Towed to dealership who are not finding any issues. I am terrified to now drive this car as I am concerned that this car is going to leave me stranded somewhere unsafe or even worse the battery is going to die while I'm driving it and cause a serious accident.
Headlights seem to shake while driving down the road.
12 v battery has drained 3 times now
When driving in the dark the headlight housing bounces a lot causing the headlight beams to bounce and dance like crazy over any and all little bumps on the road and is very distracting to me the driver and more than likely cars driving towards me and I feel that this could be a safety concern and a manufacturing defect The headlight housing is not rigid on the vehicle you can manually move the housing very easily and I feel they did not secure it to the vehicle properly
On three separate incidents, my 12V battery drained leaving me stranded. The car was purchased [XXX]. I called road service for a jump, then jumped car myself for next two battery drain issues. Took to dealer(subaru chandler superstore) in chandler AZ. The dealer could not reproduce problem, stated battery was good. Also did parasitic draw test which was ok. I have since had to disconnect DCM services which stopped battery drain. There were no warnings to indicate battery was dead/dying. Problem first happened early in July, around [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Just bought brand new 2026 Subaru Uncharted GT, noticed the headlights flicker or shake a lot while driving especially when going over slightly bumpy roads. It’s very distracting to me as a driver and I would think to other drivers in front of me or opposing drivers. No specific lights or warnings come on when this happens. I have read online that many drivers have the same issue with their Subaru.
Since 2023 starting with the Subaru Solterra and Toyota Bz4 and now in 2026 both companies have 3 models each. Toyota builds all of them for themselves and Subaru. If you do not drive these cars daily the 12 volt batteries go dead. Subaru and Toyota has continuously denied a problem and advises owners to jump it themselves or connect a battery maintainer hoping to sweep this dangerous problem under a rug. It is dangerous that can leave you stranded or if you need to go somewhere right away you can't. If you do a google search or Reddit search about 12 volt dead batteries on Subaru Solterra, Uncharted and Trailseeker you will see hundreds of complaints and with Toyota the Bz4, Bz, CH-R. Both companies deny there is a problem. My own 2 month old Subaru Uncharted was parked and not driven for 3 days and the 12 volt battery was dead and I called Subaru Roadside Assistance and he jumped it and stated it was at 3 volts, he said he has jumped a lot of Toyota EV's I thenI drove the 35 miles to the dealer and it charged while driving and it passed the test, if it was towed it would have failed but I had no way to get to the dealer. On the invoice the tech wrote "Tested 12v battery. Battery passed. Use of trickle charger if vehicle won't be driven for days is recommended". That is not an answer, it needs to be fixed with ALL Subaru and Toyota EV's. If you park outside then how to connect a trickle charger, you go on a vacation and park in a public lot and come back to a dead battery after a week. Please investigate this. There are classaction lawsuits for the 2023-2025 now and am sure the 2026's will be added. Owners are documenting everything and doing lemon law buybacks. Subaru and Toyota needs to be held accountable. In my opinion the problem is with the Battery Management System,ALL other EV's monitor the 12 volt battery voltage and when it falls to a set level the high voltage battery charges it but not Subaru or Toyota it does not monitor the voltage.
It is an EV, the 12 volt battery went dead after sitting 3 days. Problem is all other EV's charge the 12 volt when the voltage goes below a certain level, while the Subaru only charges the 12 volt while driving and if parked then it is on a timer and only every 20 days. I have attached a copy of the service manual someone posted. This is unsafe. Only have the car purchased new May 24, 2026. Complaints all over the internet especially on its Toyota twin the BZ as more of those sold.
Headlights (high & low beams) bounce as if loose when hitting any sort of uneven road surface. Edges of light almost appear to flicker when this is occurring which is anytime headlights are on and car is moving. Extremely distracting and creates uncertainty when driving in rural areas.
The uncharted and its related models (subaru solterra and trailseeker, Toyota bZ, bZ Woodland, and C-HR, and Lexus RZ) have an issue that bricks the car. It drains the 12V battery. Our car needed a jump because the Toyota app/subaru connect app and connected services kept waking the car up, draining the 12V battery and preventing it from turning on. This car appears to have a DCM issue and exceptionally bad software that causes parasitic drain on the 12V battery. It shares the same connected services, infotainment, and other software with every Toyota and Lexus model except the GR86, and the other two Subaru EVs, the Trailseeker and Solterra. We’ve taken the car to the dealer (Timmons Subaru) who told us to bring it back if it ever happens again. Their check resulted in a good health for the 12V battery, we think that was due to the car being jumped and driven.
Showing 20 of 40 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
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These pages show model-year patterns across 1 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Subaru Uncharted, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Subaru Uncharted has 40 complaints on record across 1 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Subaru Uncharted has 0 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 0 of the Subaru Uncharted's 40 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Subaru Uncharted vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Subaru Uncharted vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Subaru Uncharted has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Subaru Uncharted reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Subaru Uncharted reliable?
Average. The Subaru Uncharted has 40 NHTSA owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Subaru Uncharted years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2026 (40 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Subaru Uncharted problems?
Top reported issues: EXTERIOR LIGHTING (31 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (7 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (4 complaints).
Does the Subaru Uncharted have recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are currently on record for the Subaru Uncharted. Always verify with a VIN check as recalls can be added at any time.