2026 Subaru Trailseeker, purchased new May 19, 2026. The 12V auxiliary battery failed completely after 3 days parked on June 17, 2026. Traction battery was at 65% charge at time of failure. All vehicle systems were unresponsive. Couldn't open doors, do anything. When the 12V drains fully on this platform, the wheels lock and the vehicle cannot be moved by a standard tow truck, creating a stranding risk in any location where jump-starting is not possible. Since the incident, I have installed a Bluetooth battery monitor. Data collected June 22, 2026 shows consistent parasitic drain throughout the day, with voltage declining from ~12.2V at rest and recovering only briefly when the DC-DC converter cycles (~14V spikes). The battery does not hold charge between cycles. No warning lamps appeared before or during the failure. This issue is documented across the shared Toyota/Subaru EV platform. The 2023-2025 Solterra and bZ4X are currently subject to class action litigation (Wade v. Toyota Motor North America, E.D. Cal., filed June 2025) alleging defective 12V charging systems. Warranty battery replacements do not resolve the problem because the parasitic drain continues. In October 2025, Subaru issued a service bulletin on parasitic drain testing, confirming the issue is systemic. Multiple 2026 Trailseeker owners report the same failure within weeks of purchase on trailseekerforum.com. Dealer inspection has not yet occurred. Battery and monitoring data are available for inspection. Requesting investigation into whether a safety defect exists in the 2026 Trailseeker 12V battery management system
NHTSA ODI 11745797