Comparison

SUBARU SOLTERRA vs TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID

Side-by-side comparison of the SUBARU SOLTERRA and TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID drawn from the NHTSA consumer-complaint database, defect investigations, recall history, and NCAP crash-test ratings.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 2,000,000 consumer complaints have been filed against U.S. vehicles (2,054,142 as of August 2026). This is a head-to-head safety comparison between the SUBARU SOLTERRA (2023–2025) and the TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID (2010–2026), drawn from that federal complaint and recall record; see our methodology for how the figures are compiled.

The SUBARU SOLTERRA (2023–2025, 3 model years) carries 100 NHTSA consumer complaints and 4 safety recalls, while the TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID (2010–2026, 9 model years) carries 100 complaints and 3 recalls. Severity indicators for the pair split as follows: 13 vs 20 crashes, 0 vs 1 fires, and 0 vs 0 reported fatalities.

Raw complaint counts favor whichever nameplate has fewer vehicles on the road, so the cleaner lens is components: which specific part families concentrate each model's filings? For the SUBARU SOLTERRA, the leading complaint category is electrical system (17 filings), followed by unknown or other and vehicle speed control. For the TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID, it is service brakes (28), ahead of unknown or other and electrical system. When the two vehicles cluster around the same component, the problem is likely a shared supplier or a shared federal standard under stress; when they diverge, each nameplate has its own defect signature independent of the other.

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the SUBARU SOLTERRA an average 5/5 crash-test rating versus 4/5 for the TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID, aggregated across all model years with published scores. Use the side-by-side table below as your scorecard, but do not treat it as a verdict. Recall counts tell you how many defects the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy; complaint counts tell you what owners are still flagging today; and safety ratings tell you how the vehicle performs in standardized barrier tests, three different lenses on the same underlying question. The "also compare" links at the bottom of this page let you triangulate against neighboring nameplates in each model's competitive set.

SUBARU SOLTERRA vs TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID - NHTSA complaint, recall, and safety rating comparison
SUBARU SOLTERRA Metric TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID
5/5 Avg Safety Rating 4/5
100 Total Complaints 100
4 Total Recalls 3
13 Crashes Reported 20
0 Fires Reported 1
1 Injuries Reported 6
0 Deaths Reported 0
3 years Years on Market 9 years

Top Complaint Categories

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
17
10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
13
12
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
9
5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
7
0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
6
0
SERVICE BRAKES
0
28
ENGINE
0
6
SUBARU SOLTERRA TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID

Compare Another Pair

Search for any two vehicle models to compare their safety records side by side.

Go to Compare Tool →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is safer, SUBARU SOLTERRA or TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID?
SUBARU SOLTERRA has 100 total NHTSA complaints with 13 crashes, while TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID has 100 complaints with 20 crashes. Average safety ratings are 5/5 vs 4/5 respectively.
How many recalls does SUBARU SOLTERRA have compared to TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID?
SUBARU SOLTERRA has 4 recalls across 3 model years, while TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID has 3 recalls across 9 model years.
What are the most common problems with SUBARU SOLTERRA?
The most commonly reported issues for SUBARU SOLTERRA are: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (17 complaints), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (13 complaints), VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (9 complaints), FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (7 complaints), FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (6 complaints).
What are the most common problems with TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID?
The most commonly reported issues for TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID are: SERVICE BRAKES (28 complaints), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (12 complaints), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (10 complaints), ENGINE (6 complaints), VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (5 complaints).

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls data