2026 Subaru Uncharted: Recalls, Complaints & California Lemon Law

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 #11744008

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 #11742311

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

NHTSA #11743920

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 #11741262

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

NHTSA #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 #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 #11738268

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 #11736805

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

NHTSA #11736821

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 #11737208

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 #11736747

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 #11743988