What 23 owners told NHTSA about the 2026 Subaru Uncharted

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.

NHTSA ODI 11750235

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.

NHTSA ODI 11750470

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.

NHTSA ODI 11749958

Headlights visibley shake when the car encounters a bump in the road, during braking, and anything else that can create an impulse on the car. The vehicle is available upon request for inspection. It creates a distint and distracting event that is distracting to the operator when and potentially on-coming traffic when driving at night. I have heard that others have also verified this with dealers, but I have not personally had the opportunity to bring it to mine. The problem in my personal vehicle has not been inspected by any authority, I have just purchased it. There are no warning lights or symptoms as this appears to be a mechanical mounting issue that is unmonitored by the computer.

NHTSA ODI 11748349

Headlight beams shake while driving causing strobe effect and causes me to feel ill and dizzy.

NHTSA ODI 11746972

When going over a bump or anything that makes the car bounce (however slight) causes the light beam to oscillate which is not only distracting but makes it hard to see things at night consistently.

NHTSA ODI 11746814

When driving over bumps in the road, the headlights visibly shake/vibrate, which is distracting to the driver - and potentially to drivers of other vehicles - while driving at night. I've seen others on forums that have discussed the same problem with their Uncharted cars.

NHTSA ODI 11745706

The light from the headlights on this brand new car flicker when driving over the slightest bump. On dirt roads or uneven pavement, the shake and flicker of the headlights is very prominent, even with the high beams turned on. This is a major safety hazard as the light from the headlights is not consistent and the flicker gives intermittent lighting outages of the road ahead - literally leaving the driver to drive blind. The flicker/bounce of the lighting is also highly distracting for a driver and creates an ongoing safety hazard due to this design flaw in the vehicle. Please force a recall for the Subaru Uncharted headlights. This is a widespread issue with this model.

NHTSA ODI 11744700

When I drive at night, the headlights wobble whenever I hit a bump or go over an uneven surface, which I find disruptive. From the drivers perspective, the lighting bounces up and down on the street. The issue was noticeable the first night I drove the vehicle and does not represent a damage or something that can be repaired by service.

NHTSA ODI 11744718

The head light assembly is loose and vibrates. At night it is distracting to the driver and drivers of other vehicles to see the head lights flash off other cars and signs. I have had multiple cars flash me because the lights look like they are flickering when approaching on the road. The dealership told me that they are aware of all the complaints for the Uncharted having vibrating headlights and to report it as a safety concern. There have been no inspections done on the headlights. The headlights have been this way since the first day I purchased it.

NHTSA ODI 11743988

The headlamp assembly on my Subaru Uncharted appears loose and can be manually pushed to reproduce the shaking and jittering headlights at night. This creates unstable illumination, distracts the driver, and may cause glare or confusion for oncoming traffic. The issue suggests a potential mounting defect affecting headlight stability and safe nighttime driving.

NHTSA ODI 11744008

Headlights vibrate causing loss of visibility at night as they bounce over uneven terrain or potholes.

NHTSA ODI 11743920

Headlights bounce up and down a lot over rough road. This causes a noticeable "flicker" off signs and cars in front of you and can be very distracting.

NHTSA ODI 11743110

While driving at night the headlight bounces on the road and not only distracting but limits what you see as while bouncing the beam of light is partly blocked by moving past the opening for it in the bumper. You can push down on the top of the daytime driving lights as they are one assembly with the headlights and the whole assembly moves. This assembly needs to be secured. I also filed a report on this with you previously for my 2026 Subaru Solterra vin#[XXX]. On the forums all owners of both cars are complaining of this safety hazard and they have said they also filed a safety complaint withthe NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11742311

Low beams are susceptible to moderate shaking/vibrations that are very distracting/dangerous. They create a vertical strobe-like effect for oncoming traffic as they bounce up/down, and for the driver as well as they reflect off signs and other objects. This could be caused by their lack of attachment to the chassis directly or from the high/low beam mechanism that moves the high beam cover out of the way internally.

NHTSA ODI 11741262

at night, when going over any sort of bump in the road the headlights visibly shake. It’s distracting and generally disconcerting.

NHTSA ODI 11739027

The headlights quiver in their housing and this creates a jittering effect on the road ahead and in the faces of oncoming drivers. The shakiness is a potential hazard to the ability to view surroundings by, and distracting to, driver of this vehicle and other drivers.

NHTSA ODI 11738646

I am reporting a headlight stability issue on my 2026 Subaru Uncharted. While driving at night, the LED headlights produce a severe oscillating/strobing effect over normal road imperfections and bumps. The beam pattern rapidly shifts up and down, creating alternating bright and dark visibility (“black/white flicker”) on the roadway and traffic signs. This issue is distracting during nighttime driving and negatively affects driver visibility confidence. The effect is significantly noticeable even at normal driving speeds and on regular road surfaces. I brought the vehicle to the Subaru dealer for inspection shortly after purchase. The technician acknowledged that the behavior did not appear normal, but the dealer stated they did not currently have a repair available and would need to contact Subaru for further guidance. The issue appears related to excessive movement or instability within the headlight/projector assembly. Multiple owners online appear to be reporting similar behavior on this vehicle platform. I am concerned this condition may impact nighttime driving safety and driver visibility. I also have a video but cannot upload [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11738268

While driving at night, the headlights seem like they bouncing with each slight bump on the road. They aren’t staying properly and give me headaches. I cannot drive at night now.

NHTSA ODI 11737208

Headlights bounce/shake when the car is driven on a non-smooth surface. This causes visual distractions when driving at night.

NHTSA ODI 11736821

The headlights are bouncing and shaking at night causing significant distraction and almost a strobe light effect. This is dangerous

NHTSA ODI 11736824

While driving at night, the LED headlight beams on my 2026 Subaru Uncharted GT exhibit excessive vertical oscillation/shaking after normal road impacts and bumps. The movement is significant enough to create a distracting flickering/bouncing effect within the driver’s field of view and reduces nighttime driving comfort and confidence. The condition is reproducible at all speeds and on normal road surfaces. The headlight beam pattern continues to visibly oscillate after suspension movement rather than stabilizing immediately with vehicle motion. The issue can also be reproduced while stationary by lightly tapping or applying abrupt pressure to the front bumper/headlight area, causing noticeable beam shake against a wall or garage door. The concern does not appear to be an isolated defect. Multiple other 2026 Subaru Uncharted and related Toyota C-HR vehicles reportedly exhibit similar behavior, suggesting a potential design or mounting rigidity issue involving the headlight assemblies, front fascia, suspension damping, or associated mounting components. Because modern LED projector headlights have a sharp beam cutoff, the oscillation is highly noticeable and distracting during nighttime driving. I believe this condition may negatively impact driver visibility, comfort, and overall nighttime driving safety.

NHTSA ODI 11736747

When the headlights are on at night, any bump or movement of the vehicle over rough surfaces causes the headlights to visibly shake. It is especially noticeable when the low beams are on. Even the reflection in vehicles or signs, you can see the lights shake. It caused quite a distraction when trying to drive. Dealer states this is normal and all other variants of this car do the same. I have never had a car that had headlights shake like this.

NHTSA ODI 11736805