Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
Subaru is known as a company that creates reliable vehicles, which was supposed to carry over with the 2020 Subaru Ascent. The automaker claims “love is now bigger than ever,” but it seems that the affection is dwindling with customers. This model struggles with the electrical system, visibility, fuel system and powertrain.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2021 2022
Contents
Don’t be stuck with a lemon. You have legal rights to cash, return or buyback.
The law makes Subaru pay legal fees.
We've fixed thousands of lemon problems. Message or call 877-795-3666 today.
NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Subaru Ascent
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Engine | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Visibility:windshield | |
| Structure:body | |
| Air Bags |
Problems with the Electrical System
With a malfunctioning electrical system, the ride simply can’t be enjoyable. This Subaru model struggles on many fronts.
Here are a few complaints from an Edmunds user. “Bought my 20 ascent in September of 2019. Got groceries out of the rear hatch one day, got distracted, forgot to close it, left open for about 4 hours, dead battery. Dealership told me there is a design flaw that keeps hatch motor powered and it draws 4 amps. No fix, Subarus fix was to tell me not to leave open. Twice I could not unlock car, not with keyless, not with key fob, not with button on hatch. Thank god I could unlock it with phone app. No fix at dealership. Air quit working, bad Freon tube. Seat heaters defective. Brakes squeal at ever stop. Radio head unit went out. Final straw, around 3500 miles started noticing at take off, Ascent would accelerate, slowdown, then accelerate again. Stopping at stop sign would feel like someone rear ended it. Around 4000 miles would occasionally rev way up, squeal like a pig and drop rpms again. Sometimes could barely make it up a hill. Took to dealership, faulty transmission. Would take a month and a half to fix. Back order and another ascent with crap transmission before me. Told dealership, I’m done . Only had 3 months, 4000 miles. Ascent transmissions are very unreliable and defective. Actually the whole car is.”
Thankfully, Subaru has addressed the liftgate issue with Service Bulletin #07-173-20. The troubles stem from the trunk opening on its own to not opening at all. It seems the Ascent can’t make up its mind whether it wants to let owners in, but doesn’t mind being left open for would-be thieves to get in.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Ascent Electrical and Battery Drain Problems:
WE PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE AND WITHIN 400 MILES THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. NO LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON OR NOR WAS THERE ANY EXTERNAL DRAIN ON THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED IN OUR GARAGE.
THE CAR HAS HAD A DEAD BATTERY TWICE THROUGH THREE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS A MONTH AND A HALF OLD AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED ONE MONTH LATER BUT BATTERY WAS RECHARGED INSTEAD OF REPLACED. THREE MONTHS LATER AT A REGULAR SERVICE THE DEALER ADVISED BATTERY CAPACITY WAS ONLY 75% INDICATING CONTINUED ABOVE NORMAL DRAINAGE.
Problems with the Fuel System
With a properly running fuel system, the drive is smooth. However, this Subaru model has a major complaint that can be alarming.
Here is what one NHTSA review states. “Raw fuel smell coming through vents when outside air being used. More often this occurs when engine is warm and has been restarted (i.e. short trip). Can experience the smell when the car is stationary or in motion. Smell is enough to cause headache. Dealer couldn’t replicate but this happened as soon as I picked up the car from the dealer.”
While Subaru hasn’t discussed any fuel system repairs, there is an engine-related concern that should be looked at. Service Bulletin #11-195-20 talks about the release of a new vacuum hose to fix an oil seepage concern from this vehicle. The new design provides better crankcase ventilation. Whether it is the smell of raw fuel or oil seepage, these are all issues that should be dealt with if the automaker wants to create more “love” among customers.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Ascent Fuel System Problems:
WE ARE ON OUR SECOND SUBARU ASCENT, FIRST ONE BOUGHT BACK FOR THE SAME ISSUE. UPON STARTING THE CAR, THE CABIN WILL FILL WITH A STRONG SMELL OF RAW FUEL (NOT EXHAUST). THE CAR WILL ALSO FILL WITH THE SMELL IF RUNNING WHILE PARKED, REMOTELY STARTED, ETC. THE SMELL IS ALSO NOTICEABLE WHEN TURNING OFF THE CAR AND ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT.
Problems with the Transmission
The powertrain is made up of many vital parts, including the transmission. This system appears to be just as big of a failure as other parts with the Ascent.
Another Edmunds review states, “First and last Subaru. Problems started at 100 miles on the odometer and kept getting worse. Transmission shuddering, lack of adapting to change of the throttle. Throttle response is trash, causing whiplash from a standstill with just minor tip in. Adaptive cruise control tried to kill me 2 times in traffic when it failed to pick up other vehicles changing lanes in front of me. Infotainment system was glitchy, with poor touch screen feedback that would also lock up and after disconnecting a phone call (if it ever picked up that the phone was actually connected) it would drive the stereo to 100% volume. Lane departure assist would randomly show ‘off’ even when functioning normally. Worst part, the selling and servicing dealer practically refused to deal with me or the vehicle after the deal was done. Avoid this heap at all costs and buy something that wont put your family at risk!”
According to Service Bulletin #16-103-16R the CVT assembly is also allowing for fluid seepage that shouldn’t occur. To repair the problem, Subaru must replace the chain cover and clean all of the sealing surfaces. Is there any fluid that remains where it is supposed to?
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Ascent Engine and Transmission Problems:
AT AROUND 20,000 MILES THE DASHBOARD LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES. AT THE END OF THE COMMUTE TO WORK, APPROX 55 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED RESPONDING TO THE ACCELERATOR AND NO GEAR WOULD ENGAGE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO COAST THE REMAINING 500 METERS TO WORK. CAR WAS TOWED TO SUBARU AND AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA THE TECHNICIANS AND SUBARU OF AMERICA DECIDED IT WAS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION FREE OF CHARGE UNDER WARRANTY. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED AT TIME OF REPORT. TIME MAY TELL IF THIS IS A MORE WIDESPREAD ISSUE OR SIMPLY A RANDOM OCCURRENCE.
Problems with the Visibility
Finally a look at the visibility shows further concerns about the way this car was built.
One NHTSA complaint states, “Vehicle was stationary on private driveway. Went to vehicle to retrieve personal item and then noticed a large crack originating on the lower right hand side of the front windshield. Unknown what caused the incident. Crack was not apparent earlier in the day.”
While Subaru hasn’t discussed the glass concerns, despite countless complaints, there are other structure-related problems. Service Bulletin #12-281-20 points out that the hood panel surface tends to vibrate during operation which can result because of a lack of adhesive. Whether the Subaru is falling apart at the seams or leaking noxious fumes, it’s a car that many should love to hate by now.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Subaru pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 17, 2023 |
| State | AR |
| Description | Driver front wheel was making a noise when turning or slowing down. In sep 2022, the dealership said they repaired it, but had we not brought it to them, where the front wheel meets the axel would have caused us problems. The noise did not go away, and when we took the vehicle to dealers again, they found front strut mount and bearing failure, and had to replace these (the car is just 3 years old). |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jan 23, 2023 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the left turning signal and driver's side daytime running light failed to illuminate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that he was given a ticket for the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turn signal and drive's side headlight needed to be replaced; however, the parts for the repair were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 04, 2023 |
| State | VA |
| Description | On tuesday, january 3, I had a third chip in my windshield. This just happened yesterday, so I have not had it evaluated yet. However, this will be the third chip that I will have to have repaired in the three short years I've owned this vehicle. The first chip happened within a month of owning the vehicle, and there is a current nhtsa complaint on file (11297348) for this chip. The second chip occurred in september 2022, and I have had that one repaired. Neither of the repairs "held" past 30 days. I have never owned a vehicle that had a windshield that chipped so easily. I'm very surprised that this has not been a recall issue yet (as the glass repair shop suggested it should be- they see this alot with subarus). |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 27, 2022 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Drive chain could compromised but there is lack of parts to fix issue which could prove costly to the transmission. Need to know what I can do to fix before it becomes a problem. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 17, 2022 |
| State | MS |
| Description | Transmission is lurching and surging when driving. Pressing gas pedal from a stop the belt continues to slip. Took it to paul moak subaru they claimed to do the inspection told me they don't do test drives for malfunction checks. They said they completed the inspection for transmission recall. The ascent continues lurch and slip with grinding noise and loss of speed. I told them about the issues for over a year and they continue to give run around I was having trouble while it was still under warranty. I've contacted subaru customer care they would only provide me recall information and told me the trans inspection is all they have to do. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 15, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact received an email regarding nhtsa campaign number: 22v907000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 15, 2022 |
| State | RI |
| Description | At around 18,000 miles when applying the brakes, the vehicle would shake and vibrate. By 20,000 miles the vibration was excessive affecting the ability to steer straight when braking. The dealer told me that they were aware of the issue with this year/model. Diagnosis, warped rotors. Dealer resurfaced rotors and replaced pads under warranty. Vehicle performed fine for a while. At around 36000 miles had the same issue, this time dealer indicated that there was a "fix to the issue", new rotors and pads were installed again covered by warranty. Vehicle performed fine for a while. At around 49,000 miles, the same braking issue, dealer replaced rotors and brakes, this time no warranty, 0 out of pocket to replace brakes for a know design defect. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Dec 13, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Front windshield has cracked for a second time. The initial windshield purchased with the vehicle cracked, and was replaced in 2020. The second windshield has now cracked, and is pending repair. |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Nov 29, 2022 |
| State | NE |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the parking lot, the windshield suddenly cracked without impact. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,200. The contact stated that they reached a settlement with the manufacturer where they paid for the majority of the windshield repair. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Nov 23, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Transmission still slipping when accelerating between 20-30mph. Brought car in for recall but it continues to have the same issue. Ac stopped working even when leak was fixed. Now smells like exhaust fumes when warming up the car. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 17, 2022 |
| State | AR |
| Description | Battery would drain to the point where it would need to be jumped to start. I carried a jump starter in the car during the cold months. Finally took car to be inspected and they told me that the problem was my battery and that I needed to replace it with a 5 battery. I've been dealing with this issue for 2 years and now I have found out that the car has a defect that drains the battery. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Nov 01, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | This car is having constant problems with the battery failing. It especially fails when we are going to any type of trip where packing the car is a process that takes time. The battery dies on us often and is unpredictable, leaving us stuck often. I bought this car because I want a reliable car. At any moment we could be stuck somewhere with my kids. No warning comes on to prevent this from happening. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 31, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | The car drains the battery prematurely overnight |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 25, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | We've had this car for a little over 2 years and have had 3 cracked windshields, seems like anything that hits it causes a crack. I've been driving for over 45 years and multiple cars and have had cracked windshields 2 or 3 times. This doesn't make any sense. Thank you. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 13, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My battery electric has been to hay wire from time to time and now my car is flickering all electric and car wont start. Locks wont work. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 13, 2022 |
| State | TN |
| Description | Battery gets drained if the trunk is open longer than an hour. Left the car trunk open during our camping trip while unloading and loading and in both the instance the battery drained and we we had to scramble for help to jump start the car. This happened last time exactly the same way when we were in the campsite as well. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 10, 2022 |
| State | KY |
| Description | While parked, I adjusted the rear view mirror to my driving position. I heard a cracking noise and saw a crack go about three inches down from the rear view mirror on the windshield. Over night it spread from the mirror all the way down to the base of the windshield. I inspected the windshield for impact damage and found none. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 02, 2022 |
| State | NE |
| Description | The manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for the vehicle in a timely manner. Subaru of america has failed to repair after (1) year. The consumer has/will incur costs to make vehicle available during the limited times for cvt recall issues. The consumer has/will incur negative depreciation in resale value of the vehicle due to cvt issues. Subaru of america has not actively made the recall a priority. The vehicle has had (3) oil changes/services at a subaru dealer since the recall was announced and zero times subaru has remedy the cvt. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 28, 2022 |
| State | MA |
| Description | The battery in my 2020 subaru ascent died without any warning. The light would go on, back talegate wouldn't open, nothing would work. I called aaa and they came out to test it. I was told it was completely dead, there were no cells left in it, as if the lights, radio and doors were left open for an extended period of time (I was in the grocery store for 15 minutes, nothing was left in). He was able to jump start it but after some time of charging the battery. The battery is not old. We purchased the car in dec of 2021 from a dealer. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 28, 2022 |
| State | OR |
| Description | Battery life issue |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Sep 17, 2022 |
| State | CT |
| Description | 2020 subaru ascent premium.. Rear lift gate at times will not open electronically, and sounds an “alarm†locking the mechanism which prevents it from being opened. The alarm and lockout does not stop until the battery is disconnected. The first time this occurred was at a subaru dealership, the second time was at a location where it was necessary for me to go home to my shop to get the battery disconnected. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Sep 16, 2022 |
| State | WV |
| Description | The car's braking system has a severe shudder at times, as well as a loud noise, and seems hesitant with stopping abilities. The dealership confirmed the issues, turned the rotors within the first year of ownership. Problem did not improve. The front brakes and rotors were replaced at 24000 miles. Within a couple months problem was occurring again. Dealership said they couldn't duplicate the issues. Had it back in again at 50000 miles (3 years old) and said they need replaced again on front, and now the rear as well. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 11, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Since purchasing our 2020 subaru ascent, the transmission slips, resulting in a lengthy wait time until it revs to the next gear, and then there is a palpable "jolt" as the transmission appears to move into the next gear. In addition, when I press the gas pedal to accelerate, there is a definite hesitation before the car actually accelerates. Previously, we had brought the car in to the subaru dealership for service regarding this issue, but subaru indicated that there has not been a problem and they did not open the transmission to look at it. We are also concerned about transmission-related problems given the recent recall of the 2020 subaru ascent. We know this has a cvt transmission but in this case we know that this problem is not normal. (we have family members and friends with cvt transmissions.) we are bringing the 2020 subaru ascent in again this week, pointedly indicating these concerns with the transmission. Please advise. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Sep 06, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Since last nov 2021, I have had this ascent into the shop several times due to a 'chirping' or 'speaking' sound that comes from the underside of the middle o/t vehicle. I have come to find out through the service department that the primary differential has a batch of defective parts, and the entire differential needs to be rebuilt (21 parts total are being replaced). It has taken about 3 months to get parts in. The squeak was an annoyance. However the situation got significantly worse when the wheels would not synchronize when turning - which should be unheard of because there are supposed to be sophisticated traction controls and such in place to prevent that very condition. |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Sep 06, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving 65 mph, the contact was seated in the passenger's side seat and noticed a crack on the driver's side windshield, starting from the rearview mirror. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 01, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | We had two wire harness that was burnt twice in a year apart for our 2020 subaru ascent touring. Here are the two parts # and description: slow blow fuse 170a under part #82211xc00a & wiring harness r lh usa under part #81502xc11b were burn. We use subaru to tow from time to time for our 2021 airstream bambi 16rb (dry weight of 2,900 lbs. And gvwr of 3,500 lbs.). On 06/21/21, we noticed the car has no battery and we called roadside assistance to jump the car, but the car battery died again. On 06/22/21, we called roadside assistance to jump the car, this time, we drove to subaru directly to have the dealer look at the issue. Dealer inspected and replaced a battery for us under warranty. On 06/26/21, the battery was completely dead again. So we have our car jumped and go to the dealer. We have 9,214 miles at this point. After 2 weeks of diagnose, dealer told us the main left wiring harness was burnt due to excessive power draw from the trailer, possibly by the electric tongue jack on the trailer, we were the 2nd exact case happened in the whole nation by that time, they will fix it as a one time courtesy and recommend us to remove the electric tongue jack. Vehicle picked up on 07/27/21, we switched electric tongue jack to manual jack. On 08/05/22, when we drove less than 5 miles out of our house, we noticed our dashboard started to flash all kind of warning message-transmission, tire pressure, vehicle dynamic control and airbag system, eyesight was disabled. We decided to exit the freeway. Burning smell noticed and the car can't be started. We towed the vehicle to dealer for inspection. Dealer took a week to discover the problem was caused by the same burnt harness. After back and forth for 3+ weeks, dealer refused to cover under warranty despite we did not use the electric tongue jack(the cause dealer identified last year for the burn) the whole year. We are waiting for subaru of america for update as of 08/31/22 under case #220824-232370 filed on 08/24/22. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 30, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v955000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 24, 2022 |
| State | OK |
| Description | The manufacturer has known about this at least since december 2021. Their solution is to reprogram the transmission control unit. Waiting nine months or more for a reprogram seems excessive to me. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Aug 23, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Excessive battery drain for no reason. The vehicle has a random battery drain for no apparent reason. This vehicle has less than 26k miles on it and has needed a charge or jump-start more than 10+ times. We have been able to replicate the problem numerous times, once charged, the battery and alternator pass tests. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Aug 19, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The contact's wife owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was stopped in traffic when a semi-trailer collided with another vehicle, causing that vehicle to crash into the front end of her vehicle. It resulted in a four-vehicle collision. On impact, the contact's wife hit her head on the steering wheel. The air bags were not deployed upon impact. The contact's wife received medical attention for her head injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 19, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Pretty much from day 1, ascent smells of gasoline in the cabin after parking the car either inside or outside, shade or shine, hot or cold, day or night, flat or not surface.. After having parked it. It doesn't matter if it's a quick trip or a long one, it can still happen after parking. Fumes come out of the vents up front. The concerning part is we have a toddler, which I suspect the nhtsa would have an issue breathing in hydrocarbons, let alone any passenger. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it lasts a solid five minutes or so. Mentioned to subaru at time of cvt recall, not even mentioned they checked it out on my paperwork. I even waited to say anything until our car was broken in and all possible lube/other off-gassing components to stabilize. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 19, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v955000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Jul 31, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | 245/50/r20 I was driving on interstate 35 going south by esko, mn. When the passenger rear tire exploded. The whole sidewall came loose and the tread was completely loose and flaping agains the undercarriage. |
| Category | Wheels |
| Date | Jul 27, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Left front wheel bearing found on inspection at local service station to be failing. Defect has been repaired by subaru dealer under warranty on 7/26/22. |
| Category | Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| Date | Jul 19, 2022 |
| State | DC |
| Description | 2020 subaru ascent. Consumer writes in regard to transmission failure. The consumer stated the manufacturer has exceeded a reasonable amount of time determining a fix for the transmission drive slip train. The vehicle has experienced the failure. The consumer stated that a neighbor said the mechanic informed him, "the transmission for subaru accent was defectively designed for this car and under sized causing it to not shift properly." |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jul 14, 2022 |
| State | RI |
| Description | Recall on my 2020 subaru ascent was more than 7 months ago. The remedy is not available at my local dealership because subaru of america, inc. Has not sent them the remedy. This is my only vehicle and I must use it but is it safe? |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 11, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The windshield is fragile- there have been 2 broken windshields in the last 3 months- one from a minor ding and one that is not confirmed as to why the crack started (dealer says a ding- we did not hear or see a ding prior to the crack popping into place as we were driving). In both cases the cracks extended to over 50% of the windshield rapidly and suddenly while driving. The sudden nature and force/sound of the cracking causes distracted driving and creates panic in the car. Both windshields have been replace so inspection is not available. The problem has been reported to the dealer and replaced by the dealer. There were no symptoms or warning of the cracks- I have never seen windshields be destroyed so easily. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jul 06, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v955000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. |
| Category | Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 02, 2022 |
| State | NY |
| Description | I was informed of the recall of my 2020 ascent and my subaru dealership gave me a 2021 ascent loaner car. But it is going on 2 months and no information when my car will be fixed. At this point time I don't want my car anymore if they can't fix it. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jun 23, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | on or around may 20, 2022, I was driving on a highway. I took an exit ramp to merge onto another highway. I accelerated and merged in front of a bus and was headed towards a toll plaza when I felt something and heard something. I took my foot off of the accelerator. My car stayed revving at 4500 rpms with my foot off of the accelerator. I slammed my foot into the accelerator two times and the accelerator released so I could slow down for the toll plaza. I am concerned that my accelerator is going to stick again causing my car to break and be involved in a serious accident. My safety, my family's safety and others are at risk. The subaru dealer has had the vehicle for multiple weeks and cannot recreate the issue. I was advised that the subaru field technician inspected the vehicle and reset the programming for the torque converter. There is an open recall on the vehicle for a transmission issue with no fix yet available. There have been no warning lamps or any other messages. My car is available for inspection upon request. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Jun 21, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle performed as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. |
| Category | Power Train, Service Brakes |
| Date | Jun 19, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Bought in december 2021 had dealership fix breaks before bought then again after 3000 miles then again after 5 000 miles. Brakes still shudder and emit loud noises. Have only had 6 months and breaks are bad again. Car shakes with acceleration and hesitates to accelerate . |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 14, 2022 |
| State | SC |
| Description | It has been six months and I have not received any communication from subaru since the recall was announced. Submitting a complaint that the known recall has not been addressed in a timely manner. |
| Category | Power Train, Service Brakes |
| Date | Jun 06, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle was shaking and the transmission was slipping. There was an abnormal squeaking noise detected from the brakes. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the brakes were replaced but, however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the other failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 03, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | When the fan is on there is a strong smell of gasoline in the vehicle. This happens whether the vehicle is in motion or is idling. The smell of gas fumes is very noticible if the fan for the heater/ac is pulling air from outside the vehicle. When the fan system is re-ciruclating the air from just the cabin, there is no smell. This is a very noticble smell and we have to drive with our windows open. My children are not able to be in this vehicle due to this smell. This is our family vehicle and daily driver. I have to drive this vehicle to work. This vehicle we have called about to multiple dealerships. They want to charge us over 0 dollars, but no one has ever heard of anything like this according to the dealers. The online forums say a completely different story. No warning lights or messages have happened. There has been no change to my gas mileage. We are current on all maintence. We have replaced the cabin and engine air filters, and we have replaced the gas cap to see if this would make a difference. It has not. There is no gas leak to the ground that is noticeable. But there is a faint gas smell in the engine area when the vehicle is running. |
| Category | Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat Or Vehicle) |
| Date | Jun 03, 2022 |
| State | NH |
| Description | The base for the infant car seat was installed by a car seat technician and the latch continued to come loose while driving. ( would move more than an inch) this car seat would look like it was never installed. When we contacted the manufacturer they stated they would need a receipt of purchase and a video of the car seat problem. And provided no advice on how to fix the problem. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 25, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | First, we received the recall letter after the allowed deadline. We were told that the recall would be fixed by may from subaru. The recall says it can cause an increase risk of a crash. We bought this car primarily due to their high safety rating as a way to transport our new born child. She is now two. We have minimized and avoided taking long trips on the car. But with summer coming up and no fix in place, I think this justifies "unable to repair in a reasonable amount of time". Currently I am fighting to get an alternate source of transportation. They initially agree to pay for a rental. But with rental prices that only covered half. They do not offer a loaner. I am getting bounced back and forth between ascent dealer and the subaru corporation. As of now, nothing has been done. We have a trip scheduled in a few weeks. We don't feel safe using this vehicle. What can be done to remediate this? |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 13, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | My car did not start and the anti-theft light came on the dashboard (the one with the car and lock symbol). I know battery issues have been a known problem with my subaru model and I bought the car in oct 2019 so it's been less than 3 years. The battery should not be dying this quickly. I had to get a jump start to get the car on. After a few hours, I tried starting it again and it did not work. I was told I'd need to get my battery replaced. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 12, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v955000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 10, 2022 |
| State | ID |
| Description | Battery died while in idle, unable to restart, constant clicking and beeping. Requires roadside assistance. This is the 3rd time the battery has been dead on this car.... First time, shortly after purchase, the dealer replaced the battery, saying it was a battery issue. Second time the car had been parked in the garage, a few months ago, no lights left on. Today, it was idling as I was picking up my kids, it just died. Battery is about a year old. Now all dash lights are just flashing. Will see if there is permanent damage. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 10, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | 2020 subaru ascent that I purchased in november of 2019 had original brand new battery replaced in july of 2020 the “ new battery “ is now defective and car needs to be jump started. Defective battery or defective electrical system? |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | May 09, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | We own a 2020 subaru ascent we purchased brand new. A few weeks ago we noticed a faint gasoline smell while at a red light. I thought it was a one time occurrence but it has been happening now every time the vehicle is at idle or stopped. I have read on subaru owner forums about 2019 to 2021 models having this issue all the way from 2100 miles to almost 90,000 miles. Many customers have had to make multiple trips to the dealership to get charged diagnostic fees and many times they say they can't smell the problem. I just recently contacted my dealership about this issue and found an old service recall about the low pressure fuel pump and was told to not believe everything I read online. This is the vehicle that my family uses and I'm not sure if this is safe for them to be in and is getting to sound eerily similar to when ford had the co problem in their explorer and people were crashing. For the amount I paid for this vehicle and all my service intervals at the dealership and many people having the same safety concern I hope this is investigated and I won't have to pay for repairs. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | May 03, 2022 |
| State | MT |
| Description | The 2020 subaru ascent has had a recall notice for nearly six months now (manufacturer recall numberwrk21 nhtsa recall number21v955000). I experience a low frequency sound accompanied by rapid vibration lasting only a second when reapplying acceleration after a brief pause in acceleration. This occurs very inconsistently and not yet something replicable at the dealership. Subaru states they are working on a solution... The local service manager states they will do nothing unless a service light appears on the dash and that the remedy is likely replacement of transmission and they are not going to do that. We occasionally travel in mountain passes. This recall seems serious. Does nhtsa have any control over subaru to force them to take the recall seriously? Do owners have to be injured or die for appropriate remedy? |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train |
| Date | Apr 26, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Something in car drains battery frequently not while the vehicle is running but after it's been off for a few hours when no lights have been left on, subaru dealership refuses to admit there's a problem. This leaves me exposed to being stuck in unsafe situations with a dead battery. No warnings ever come on to alert me the battery is draining. Transmission frequently slips and stutters when accelerating to higher speeds like when trying to transition onto the interstate. Subaru also denies this problem. They fixed the transmission clutch but that did not help. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 16, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Battery goes dead after a series of short trips. Happened once before. Dealer had the car for 3 days and could not reproduce the problem. Intermittent problem, stranding driver in potentially unsafe areas. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 06, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Constant dead battery no start |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Mar 24, 2022 |
| State | ID |
| Description | My subaru 2020 with 16,000 miles stalled in the middle of driving down the road in town, I was driving 35 mph when out of nowhere the car stalled. I was able to coast/turn on to a side street. I'm lucky the car had enough momentum to keep going or we would have been hit by traffic as the street we were on is a busy road. The car flashed all the lights when it stalled and refused to crank over, it was low on gas so I called aaa and they brought 5 gallons of gasoline and filled it. The technician then tried to get the vehicle to start but it wouldn't. Luckily he offered to tow it to my house for free. I have tried multiple times to get the vehicle to start and it wont. It cranks but doesn't actually move. I don't know what's wrong and now I have to have it towed to the the local dealership. This is the second major issue that has happened. The first one was that the transmission failed and with my car having a branded title for being stolen/recovery. Subaru would not replace the transmission at 7,600 miles and I had to find a used one to replace it with. I now just got the recall letter and have messaged subaru about it. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 14, 2022 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | My windshield cracked for no reason. There is no point of impact. The vehicle is just over 2 years old and has been driven approx 7000 miles. I don't drive a lot, and live in a pretty rural area where there is little traffic. When I picked up my son from daycare the day before there was no crack. The next morning when I got in the car to go drop him off, there was a substantial crack. This seems to be a common problem with this vehicle, according to searches online. The vehicle was parked in my driveway, and nowhere near any trees. It did not storm that night. I cannot see any reason the windshield would have cracked. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Mar 09, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The contact owned a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph on a highway when the contact's husband lost consciousness causing him to crash into a truck. As a result, the event leads to a 4 vehicle collision. The driver was transported via ambulance to the hospital where it was confirmed that there were no injuries. The other occupants in the other vehicles did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000. Case # [xxx] goodman. Good morning this is a picture of my car and as it can be seen the airbags on either side did not deploy. Police report # is [xxx] date of accident and report was 3/5/2022. Thank you for your attention in this matter [xxx} and [xxx] goodman (xxx) xxx-xxxx. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 08, 2022 |
| State | TN |
| Description | During a camping trip the battery died when the tailgate was left open. Second battery incident: went to go start my car after not driving for 6 days, battery was dead. No lights, doors, or hatch was on or open. After using a trickle charger I recharged the battery and was able to start the car after 4 hours of charging. After the car sat for one day the engine did turn over, but it sounded like it took a bit of extra effort for the starter to get the engine going. Third battery incident: I went to start my car again after it was parked for 5 days and the battery was dead again. I used the trickle charger again and was able to charge the battery to over 80%. The next day I took the car in for a service to investigate why the battery was draining to dead after not driving for days. The service department was unable to determine a cause of the issue. The battery was in good condition and was in the green on the grading scale. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 08, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 12v battery for the car needed to be jump started every morning. Car will not start until we jump start the battery. Security beeping and all car buttons not working. The problem started since feb 28, and its been happening almost every morning. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 08, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The windshield spontaneously cracked, for no apparent reason. It was not hit by anything. The car was sitting still and the windshield just cracked. I have babied this car. It only has 15,000 miles on it, kept in a garage, no ice or snow build up, rarely driven in bad weather. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 22, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Recall id 21v-955 affecting the drive chain. Vehicle is showing signs of this (vibrations while driving). My families safety, two toddlers ages 2 and 4 are at risk. I am not comfortable driving this vehicle and it is my only car. Dealership cannot do anything as there are no parts to fix it. I need an immediate fix which is not happening. |
| Category | Engine, Service Brakes, Structure:body |
| Date | Feb 17, 2022 |
| State | CO |
| Description | I'm very disappointed in the terms of the subaru recall. Instead of just replacing the faulty transmission, they will only fix cvts w/ evidence of problems. I reported transmission issues at my last service and was told to wait for the recall as they would charge me 5 if they couldn't replicate the problem. So now I have to drive until at least may (probably longer with all the other recalled cars seeking appts) w/a faulty transmission that could cause an accident, while they figure out a remedy? Plus my 2020 ascent will be out of warranty soon (6000 miles). So I'm stuck with paying to replace the trans, if these problems show up later? I've had so many problems w/ this car incl squealing brakes (my car was in the shop for a total of more than 4 weeks before they figured out how to fix this) and a hood that came close to detaching at highway speed — I had to bring the nthsa bulletins to the dealer to get them to admit these both were known problems that could be fixed. Please insist that subaru do the right thing by just replacing the transmission now rather than waiting till may to figure out a remedy and exposing the owners of this problem-plagued car to further needless risk. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Feb 15, 2022 |
| State | AL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that upon parking on an incline, the gear shifter failed to move out of the park and excessive effort was needed to move the gear shifter. The contact also stated that an abnormal grinding sound was coming from the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 21v955000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 5,074. Vin tool confirms parts are not available. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 09, 2022 |
| State | RI |
| Description | The windshield cracked on its own at the top of the windshield in the middle of the sights. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 07, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Front windshield cracked for no reason |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 06, 2022 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Rear hatch open for more than 10 minutes, the battery is dead. Also, if the radio is left on after the car is turned off the battery is dead. |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 23, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Recently, we experienced another problem with our 2022 subaru ascent limited. I am asking that this issue be diagnosed and corrected. On january 21, 2022, within about 15 seconds of starting the car, the engine shut off while still parked for no apparent reason. The car was able to be restarted, however the multi-function display went blank, and the starlink multimedia touchscreen displayed only the starlink logo. I attempted a reset by depressing the “home†button, but nothing happened. Neither the radio nor any other features would function. The car was then driven several miles and shut off. Then, after restarting it, the normal touchscreen and multi-function display operated correctly, including the radio. I remain concerned however that unless this issue is diagnosed and corrected, such a shutdown could occur again in the future, possibly when driving the car, which could result in a serious accident. We have had recent problems with this car involving its electrical system. The excessive battery drain caused by the power rear gate resulted in a dead battery, producing only 8 volts. (the car had to be jump-started on two separate occasions). Subaru pacific replaced the prg module (per tsb 07-155-19r), and installed a new soa821b600 enhanced flooded battery (per soa's october 1, 2021 memorandum). We do not know how or if the recent unexpected engine shutdown was related to these events, but we expect that subaru should be able to determine the cause of this failure and find a remedy. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 06, 2022 |
| State | TN |
| Description | Battery randomly failed on 1/5/22. Had it jumped, kept it on for an hour. When I went to start the car on 1/6/22 the battery is dead again. 7,000 miles on the car, no signs of any issue prior to the failure. My safety was at risk because it was freezing outside. I attempted to contact subaru's roadside assistance per their 3 year 36k mile warranty but when calling the automated message said there are significant delays in call times and to submit the issue online. I tried submitting online but the online submittal process was not working. I ended up having it jumped through my insurer, though now I have to figure out how to get a new battery. I saw where subaru 2020 ascent oem batteries are part of a class action, so probably going to avoid taking it to the dealer for a replacement. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 05, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | When packing the car for a trip, if any of the doors are left open for a period of 15 minutes to 20 minutes the battery will drain. I am unable to start the car. This has happened three times. I have mentioned this to the dealer who remarked that I am not driving the car enough to keep the battery charged. On one occasion it happened after driving for over three hours (148) miles. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 02, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My vehicle windshield made a popping noise and a crack appeared on the front window, which was about 4 inches long, but the crack continues to grow as the vehicle is driven. The crack appeared on dec 30 2021 |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Dec 29, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The hood seems to malfunction in the following manner: when driving at or over 65mph or in high, gusty winds, the hood seems to "wobble" around excessively. It has not come loose, and I've had the dealer look at it and they say it is ok. As an experienced mechanical engineer, I am not confident that failure will not happen as I've never observed this kind of hood wobble on any other large vehicle I've driven. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 24, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The rear liftgate on our 2020 subaru ascent opened on its own during the night of 12/18/21, resulting in a drained battery. The tech dispatched by subaru roadside assistance stated that there is a software problem resulting in these doors falsly detecting an obstruction and opening the liftgate, which results in a drained battery. The subaru dealer stated that they could not replicate the problem and did nothing about it. Several days later on 12/23/21, the battery failed again. The tech dispatched by subaru jumpstarted the car, but noted that the battery was producing only 8 volts of power. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 22, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Started having electrical and audio glitches ultimately causing the battery to completely drain |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 21, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | This is the second time I've had a dead battery problem with my 2020 subaru ascent. The first time was 4/2021 and they replaced the battery. The second time is today - dead battery, could not charge or jump start. Tow truck coming to take it to a subaru dealer. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 18, 2021 |
| State | NV |
| Description | The care continues to drain power resulting in dead battery. We have had continuous issues since purchasing the vehicle. The dealer even installed a higher quality battery and due to subaru admitting tot the problem. However this has not resolved the issue. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times at a factory dealer. We can't be in and out of the care while parked for 45 minutes. Subaru markets the vehicles for camping and recreation vehicles, but the vehicle is useless in these scenarios. Furthermore, there is great potential now in the winter session that we could become stranded in the vehicle. Also note that with a dead battery the rear hatch is in operable. The manual release is not easy to get to. |
| Category | Air Bags, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 09, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Sudden unwanted rapid acceleration toward a building from parking lot causing head on collision: - manual brakes failed - automatic brakes did not engage - airbags did not deploy after hitting an immovable object head on at least twice - driver seatbelt did not lock - starlink was not activated / notified - no collision warning was sounded (moot) both driver and front passenger were severely injured and taken by ambulance to er. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Dec 06, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | My front windshield spontaneously cracked while driving. The closest car was a very small car almost a mile in front of me and couldn't have caused a rock to get me. There were no warnings before it happened and it hasn't been inspected by anyone yet |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Dec 03, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Windshield cracked twice for no apparent reason. Had the windshield replaced by subaru, and will now have to replace it a second time. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 14, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | I purchased this car new, and it has less or about 20. 000mile. I am using it daily. Yesterday suddenly the sound system stop playing. Neither the radio, the cd player, or the car play. Just the sound. Today, the battery died, but all the buttons will flickering and would not stop. My husband had to remove the battery cables so to stop. I also have notice in the past that the frond windows will close in a slower pace than normal. I saw here that there is a class action about this issue. Very disappointed, if this issue will not resolved I am driving my kids daily and I cannot have this happening in the middle of a road or while it is feeezing outside. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 09, 2021 |
| State | NV |
| Description | Several times my 2020 subaru ascent has failed to start and required a jump. I have taken my vehicle into the subaru dealers 3 times for this problem. Every time they tell me something was left on that drained the battery when the vehicle was turned off. One time they replaced the battery but same issue occurred after the battery was replaced. Another time they replaced the radio but same problem occurred after replacing with a new radio. The last time they told me the wifi was turned on. We don't even have a wifi account for this vehicle which is needed to use the wifi. Each time the dealers reset electrical components and computer chips they said needed to be reset. This vehicle is a daily driver so does not sit long between starts. I brought the vehicle in october of 2020 when it had 5k miles on it and to date only has 16k now. Now I have to purchase and carry a portable vehicle jump starter as this vehicle's battery is not reliable. I have read that other owner's have the same problem. Why can this not be fixed/resolved without costly repairs to the owner. I am worried that when the dealer warranty runs out, I am going to face unnecessary costly repairs. Please assist and advise. Thanks. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Nov 05, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was taking my kids to school. On the way, we stopped at an intersection. The car all the sudden stopped while it was in the drive gear. The electric part of the car turned on but the engine didn't. A police officer and a towing company came to the rescue to make sure our car didn't get hit. However this was a quite scary process for our kids and myself. If could have happened in the middle of the intersection or on a highway and we could have been hit. The towing company couldn't put the gear in the neutral and suggested an issue with tcm. They had to get a different towing track and took it to the dealer. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 02, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | I drove the vehicle tuesday october 26th 2021 and the radio was on, but no sound coming from speakers. I found this odd as no changes were made to settings and dismissed this as something I would take a look at when home and not driving. The car was parked and turned off in the garage from tuesday october 26th until friday october 29th 2021. My husband went to run errands friday october 29th and the car was dead- couldn't get the battery to charge with jumper cables or even put the car in neutral to have it towed. We called a tow truck saturday morning october 30 2021 and the tow driver jumped the car to start- it started up fairly quick and was able to attach to the truck to be towed to byers subaru in columbus ohio. The technician told me the battery died as a result of leaving the keys in the car when it was not being used. I asked why the stereo speakers appeared not to work and I was told that was likely an update issue and unrelated to the battery being dead. I asked that they take a second look at the car and keep another day till tuesday november 2nd 2021 so they did and then texted me there are no issues with the car and refused to replace the battery or address the stereo issue. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 31, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Battery dead something is happening with the trunk. I think it drained the battery. This is the second time this happened |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Oct 22, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | I was almost in two accidents. Back on july 26,2021 I reported to the dealer that the car almost stalled twice, when I am coming to a yield or slowing down and then you accelerate the car has no power. You have to try to pull over before you get hit from behind. Then you step on the gas and it goes again (it does not completely stall) I did not know of any recall on the car but in the october issue of consumers reports it said they have a problem with the fuel pump it sounded like my same problem. I went back to the dealer on 10/14/2021 they went with me for a road test of course it did not happen. They said they cant do anything because my vin no. Is not on recall. They can not find anything wrong with the car. Also, I feel the car hesitates when you step on the gas. They say no its normal. Recall no 21v58700 7/28/2021 -- subaru recall no wrg-21 |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 12, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Battery died, currently a class action lawsuit indicating an issue with the manufacturer |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 11, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | When I arrived at work I noticed a 4 inch crack at the bottom left corner of my windshield. I had not noticed any rock hitting my windshield. By the time I got out of work, the crack had expanded to about 8 or 10 inches and continued to expand to over 1 foot. This has never happend to me in the 35 years I've been driving and not to any of the many cars I've owned. I filed a claim with my insurance and plan to have the windshield replaced this week. However, I happened to do a google search about subaru ascent cracked windshields and noticed the recall of other subaru models. Additionally, on the subaru forums, there have been many others writing of the similar experience of an unexplained crack in the windshield of their subaru ascent. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 06, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Bought vehicle new in october 2019, now has 20,000 miles. Started having issues a couple months ago with not starting and needing to jump start. I can tell it is getting harder to start on its own as time goes by. Its going to the dealer this week for a new battery. One or two times the hatch may have been open for a short period as described in some of these posts. For those reading this, there is a class action law suit pending right now out of new jersey for this issue against subaru. |
| Category | Engine, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Sep 13, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I recently bought my subaru and I noticed the transmission would stall when going in to gear or changing gears and the rpm would be high, also last night I de fogged my windows and drove to my destination and noticed a crack in my windshield from the top where my eyesight is, I did not hear or see anything hit my car windshield, my car didn't give off any warning signs for either of the problems I stated, I have contacted subur 1800subur3 they say there is no recall so now talk to customer service so now I am waiting to speak to them |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Sep 04, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | We purchased our 2020 subaru accent on 8/9/2020. On 6/9/2021, our family took a day trip to petaluma and stopped at a park to let our toddlers play. When we returned to our vehicle in the parking lot, the ignition would not turn on the vehicle. Aaa roadside assistance was called to the scene and the technician found no issues with the battery. He was able to get our car to start, but only by randomly placing the shift to neutral, then turning on the ignition. We were advised to bring our vehicle in for repair, brining the car to the dealership of original purchase at elk grove subaru. Following diagnostics, they stated there was an issue with the shifter, identifying "fluid leakage" and it was cleaned out. Although we have a new car warranty, they charged us for the labor out of the warranty, citing “customer at fault†claiming fluid leakage caused the issue from a spilled beverage. We do not recall any beverage being spilled in our vehicle near that area. On 7/21/21, the same issue for a second time with the ignition not turning on happened once again. My husband and I were stranded in summer heat with my 2 year old son, my 1 year old daughter, and I was 30 weeks pregnant at that time. A third occurrence, same issues, on 8/14/21. Our car is barely a year old. Subaru replaced the entire shifter this time, and so far no recurring issues. I thought of safety concerns if this was to happen to someone else, perhaps stranded on a busy road susceptible to oncoming traffic, or a secluded area that would pose risk of serious safety issues, or perhaps worse. One occurrence is an isolated incident, however three or more points to a significant pattern and worth investigating for a recall of this part. We took to the internet to see if anyone has experienced the same issue with this make and model and we found one video of a couple with an identical experience with the ignition randomly stopping working to start the vehicle. Https://youtu. Be/g--vicp26hg |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 27, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | My mother pulled off of interstate 85 in north carolina and while preparing to turn of the exit ramp the car lurched forward and then back. The transmission chain had snapped, and it seems similar to what was going on with the 2019 subaru ascent. This one is 2020, and had 16000 miles approximately. The vehicle had to be towed. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 20, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | I was crossing a four lane road going 20mph when there was a loud noise, which sounded like my transmission, then I could not accelerate my car. Thankfully I was able to coast across the road without being hit by another car to a safe parking spot. My check engine light, check transmission, and check eyesight lights all went on. (later mysubaru only sent me an email saying my engine and eye sight lights were on). I was unable to put my car in reverse but could put it into park. My lights, radio and ac stayed on until I turned my car off. A tow truck came and towed my car to the nearest subaru dealership (which was not my dealership since I was away on vacation). There are less than 20,000 miles on my car, my transmission failing is unacceptable and thankfully did not happen on a highway which I drive on a lot. The dealership confirmed it is indeed a transmission issue and subaru agreed to tow it to my dealership near my house. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 17, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | I stopped at a stoplight, when it turned green I stepped on the gas, the car lurched forward but would not move, engine was running. I was sitting on a 4-lane highway and my car would not move. Warning lights then appeared on my dashboard. Car was towed to a subaru dealer who replaced the transmission after 5 days. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 17, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | 16000 miles. Front brakes vibrate hard when you press the brake. The whole front of the car vibrates it feels the same when the abs system vibrates. Really scary sound and vibration. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Aug 10, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Nhtsa recall number 21v587. Cracked fuel pump potential due to improper manufacture, resulting in stalling, vehicle not starting or other fuel pump failure-related issues. Stalling while driving could result in an accident. Subaru's recall notification should begin in september. Our family will be driving from nc to maine on august 27 and returning on september 15. We need to know if 1) our specific subaru ascent will be recalled and 2) if so, if we can get the fuel pump replaced on our 2020 subaru ascent before 28 august 28. Jack bacheler |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 23, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My battery drains with only the slightest mistake in leaving the hatch open for an hour. It has happened so many times we had to replace the battery after 1 year. I was stranded somewhere because of it. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 16, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Leaving my lift gate open for even a short amount of time drains the battery. Even after charging the battery manually my battery went completely dead after one year and three months. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Service Brakes |
| Date | Jul 14, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | When applying brakes to 2020 subaru ascent limited (10,325 miles) the car shudders. Being an aircraft mechanic for over 45 years I knew the brake rotors were warped. I took car to subaru of kennesaw ga. 7-13-2021. They opened work order sucs159697. They resurfaced the rotors on front brakes and installed new pads. My safety concern is if brake rotor originally installed are warping and now you are removing the width of the rotor making it thinner and more likely to heat and warp sooner. When I questioned the maintenance technican about this concern he stated this was subaru policy to resurface. Extreme heat to brakes could cause brake failure. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jul 10, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Windshield cracked with no apparent reason. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 09, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The battery has died 2 times on me and the tech was unable to find a reason why the battery would die; I did not leave lights on or have any thing draining the battery. There is a well known issue with the electrical system in this car and it needs to be replaced. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 05, 2021 |
| State | OR |
| Description | While parked, for no reason, the battery discharged to the point the car would not start and I could not open the tail gate. The car had been driven for 2 hours the day before. The car was parked at a campground with the tail gate open for a few hours but the other doors were not open. In the evening I closed the tail gate. The next morning about 10:00 am I tried to drive off and the battery was dead and other electronic devises would not work (door locks, electric tailgate etc.) this could have been very serious as I had a hard time locating help to jump start the car. If I had needed to drive for an emergency as if my wife had a medical issue the car's malfunction would have been very serious! This problem has been reported on the internet for subaru ascents and I feel it is a safety defect and subaru should be required to fix it. I do not trust this car. It is a 2020 ascent with about 10,000 miles. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jul 05, 2021 |
| State | IA |
| Description | As we were driving, a vehicle passed us going the other way and suddenly something hit our windshield and damaged it. I am reporting this because the cracks from this unusual incident are rather large in comparison to other windshield chips I have seen on previous cars. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 09, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Battery on 2020 subaru ascent with 4000 miles has drained in a short time ( a week) twice. Left my wife and I stranded in utah mountains in winter. Found someone who jumped it for us. Thought it was a one time issue. Just occurred again after 9 days of not driving it. Had to call the subaru assistance line to get help. Functioning again after the jump. We are in our 70"s and this issue could leave us or anyone else in a bad situation if help is not close by. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 07, 2021 |
| State | WI |
| Description | My driver's side window cracked while sitting in driveway after 7ish pm saturday night, june 5th, 2021. My car was sitting outside from roughly 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm with windows down and then I put up the windows as I was going to move into the garage. I got out of the car and was side tracked with neighbors for approximately a half hour. I went to move the car into the garage about 7:45 pm and my window was cracked about a foot. It has since spread the length of the window. (see picture attached) I called subaru as a window should not do this. A resolution specialist is suppose to call me back, but who knows when that will happen. I need to get it fixed as it is not safe and I don't want it to shatter into my lap. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Service Brakes |
| Date | May 25, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | I bought this car brand new from subaru dealer in sterling va. Starting form first week we start having issues with certain parts. (steering, line assist, unexpected breaking, shaky/wobbly brakes, raw fuel smell in the cabin and around the car.) I took the car may times to dealer to get it serviced however every time I was sent back as they couldn't replicate the issue. In one instance, they found some errors on the front brakes and changed it. After that car still having issues with breaking noise and also shakiness when breaking during high speeds. One of my biggest concern is the raw fuel smell coming into the cabin during idle or low speeds. I have to use the internal air circulation to avoid to bring raw smell from engine to cabin. I also noticed raw smell is also noticeable if you park. Front of the car, front passenger and driver sides also have that raw fuel smell. Dealer couldn't replicate the smell however I have some of my friends and family members noticed it without having expert knowledge on the issue. I am thinking, subaru ascents turbo system might be causing the fuel smell. Either its dangerous for fumes in the cabin and/or it is fire hazard eventually. I also think break problems are due to wrong sizing of the break parts for the size of the car. You can easily feel breaks are having difficulty stopping car when going down hill over 50 miles hr... It starts wobbling. Per master tech in my subaru dealer, this is normal subaru ascent behavior and there is nothing wrong. I don't believe that. Attaching all the documentation I have. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | May 18, 2021 |
| State | NV |
| Description | Several months ago a very small chip appeared in our windshield. We do not remember getting hit by anything. Within a couple of days the chip cracked almost half the length of the windshield. We paid over 00. 00 to have windshield replaced. Less than two months later we again saw a small chip in the windshield. My husband tried to fix it before it cracked and while fixing it the chip cracked almost half the length of the windshield. We will now have to pay to fix another windshield due to spontaneous chips that we were not aware of. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | May 17, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The windshield cracked out of no where. I haven't even had the car for a year and barely drive it. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 16, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | My car continues to not start after periods of non use. 2020 subaru ascent cannot jump car battery on our own.... Rather we have to rely on roadside assistance and their battery jumping tools. Car has been at dealer 2 times for repair for the issue. And will be needing to be serviced again this week. For the 1st repair... Car was unstartable and disabled to the point of having to be towed on a flat bed. Dealer replaced the main fuse blown. I was unable to lock car while waiting for service putting inside of car and contents at risk. Was without car for a week. For the 2nd repair.... Car was able to be jumped by roadside and we drove the car for service at the dealer. Dealer replaced the battery same day. A week ago... I got stranded in a parking lot at closing time at dusk. Now... Now I'm stuck at home unable to start vehicle.... With a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning. Roadside has jumped my car 6 to 7 times since I started my lease. Car has @2,100 miles on it. Looks like this is an issue for other owners when googled and no permanent fix is being offered. This makes the car unreliable and creates potential for unsafe environment for me the driver and my passengers which includes youth under the age of 18. Plus... This is 10+ interactions for exposure to covid in public. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 15, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The car experienced battery drain within one year of ownership, requiring replacement. The first sign of a problem was the absence of sound from the stereo while the car was operating. The very next morning the car did not power on, with replacement of the battery resolving all issues. The car is kept locked and powered off in a garage at all times. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | May 06, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Within a seven month period and while my car had under 10,000 miles on it, I've had to replace the windshield twice. Both times a pea size chip had progressed into a 12-18 inch crack within a hour while the car was parked. Both times I was driving on the same city highway at speeds at/under 60 mph and was hit with common highway gravel. My previous subaru, a 2018 outback, also had to have the windshield replaced when the rearview mirror popped off the windshield on its own while I was driving in a neighborhood and left a hole through the windshield. There is something defective with these newer subaru windshields and its a safety issue. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 05, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | 2020 subaru ascent with approximately 6,700 mileage. Windshield cracked for no apparent reason while parked in outdoor parking lot. Immediately heard noise after we got in car and saw the crack. Started midway at top of passenger side of windshield and proceeded down and across 23 1/2 inches. Near top of crack there appeared to be a chip smaller than a small pea or pearl. Crack happened for no apparent reason. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | May 03, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Windshield cracked with no cause I can see |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 29, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My windshield cracked out of no where while driving on the freeway |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Apr 28, 2021 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated she noticied tiny dots on the windshield, which obstructed her view while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer camelback vw (1499 e camelback rd, phoenix, az 85014, (602) 648-9181) and the mechanic was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 26, 2021 |
| State | AL |
| Description | The vehicle started beeping while it was off and sitting in the carport. Upon further inspection, the beeping was coming from the rear lift gate. We tried to unlock the car with the fob, but it would not unlock leading us to assume the battery was dead. We used the key hidden inside the fob and opened the car door and attempted to start the car, but it did not work. We were able to jump the car off and the beeping stopped. We took the car to the subaru dealership where they inspected the battery and replaced it with a new one because the current one was "bad". Of note, the battery had just been replaced 2 months prior during a routine inspection that revealed another "bad" battery. I have owned the car since oct 2019 and this is the third battery that I have had in the car. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 22, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | After being parked in the garage for several days the car failed to start. Upon inspection found the battery completely dead. Nothing had been left on that would have drained the battery, and have had no previous issues. Made several attempts to charge the battery, and the battery continues to fail to hold charge. Contacted dealer service department and subaru of america. We are in the process of replacing the battery so we will be able to get the car to the dealership for diagnosis of the issues. Travel time to the dealerships are between 1 1/2-2 hours. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 19, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | 15000 miles and battery completely dead and left me stranded. Vehicle was parked overnight and would not turn on. Had to get towed to dealership |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 18, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I am doing short haul driving and my battery drains and eventually goes dead. I do a longer drive when I experience slow engine turnover which indicates a drained battery. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 18, 2021 |
| State | ME |
| Description | The battery in our 2020 subaru ascent discharged completely on 4/15/21 requiring a jump charge. Subaru told us that with modern vehicle electronics, there is continous electrical draw even the vehicle is off, thus frequnt driving is necessary to keep the battery charged. We drive our vehicle regularly and are careful that no accessories are left on. We are fortunate that the battery discharged in our garage. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 18, 2021 |
| State | PA |
| Description | I was driving on the highway on 4/16 and something hit the windshield and created this chip. I'm afraid it's going to turn into a large crack |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 16, 2021 |
| State | WI |
| Description | Battery goes dead after sitting a few days. It has died twice in 2 weeks. Have to carry a emergency jump system dealer replaced battery |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 16, 2021 |
| State | LA |
| Description | I started having issues when trying to turn the car on - it would appear the battery was dead despite no reason for it to be. This happened multiple times for a week. I brought my car in to see what the issue was and the auto repair shop said the battery was bad and needs to be replaced. The vehicle is barely a year old with only 11,000 miles on it. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 16, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The battery on my 2020 ascent dies unexpectantly and frequently. It's happened six times since I bought it. Three times on each of the batteries it's had. Periodically the car just won't start. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Apr 07, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The audio died two days prior to the entire car dying completely. We charged the battery, and most of the car began working except for a few random electrical areas. Seems to be a short somewhere. I have under 10,000 miles and a dead battery... Highly problematic. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 07, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | 18 inch crack in windshield on passenger side, happened spontaneously, nothing struck the windshield at any time.. Just noticed it today 4/7/21 at 0930 |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 31, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Front rotors and front brake pads heat up causing rotors to warp causing a pulsing and load noise when brakes are applied ,vehicle hard to stop. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 29, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Battery is completely discharging. I make sure I'm driving it regularly because I'm aware that a car left sitting can discharge a battery. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 28, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | A horizontal crack appeared in the top 3/4 of the drivers side windshield. Crack begins on left most edge of windshield and has spread approximately 6' horizontal and then 8' downward. Crack continues to get worse and needs replacement asap. No impacts to the windshield and crack was found after sitting overnight. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 23, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | On march 19, 2021, while parked, a horizontal crack was noticed on the bottom edge of the windshield, driver's side. I estimate the crack was 4-8 inches long. On march 21, 2021, a vertical crack was noticed, which extended from the horizontal crack (please see photos). |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 19, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The vehicle has 19,000 miles and about 1 week ago the brakes started making an abnormal noise almost like grinding. The car also would vibrate and you could feel it on the steering wheel. We took the car to the dealer and turns out the brake rotors are warped. Their solution is to resurface the rotors and also resurface the brake pads. The car has not been repaired as this repair does not seem to be proper due they have not found the root cause for brake rotor warping. There is also a subaru service bulletin on brake issues. Https://static. Nhtsa. Gov/odi/tsbs/2020/mc-10179409-0001. Pdf. My main concern is the safety of my family. Subaru prefers to just resurface the brake rotors and brake pads as this is the lowest cost repair for them, though the car is still under full bumper to bumper warranty. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 17, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Defective electrical system causing the battery to drain prematurely |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 17, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Brake pads not replaced while at dealership for non-uniform brake rotors. I believe not replacing the brake pads at the time of resurfacing the brake rotors will result in the brake rotors becoming non-uniform again. There is a service bulletin from subaru stating an brake pad design update, but was not offered it because the dealer does not believe the non-uniform rotor is caused by the obsolete brake pad design. Vehicle has around 8,000 miles and vibration in steering wheel when braking from highway speeds prompted service call. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 17, 2021 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Parked vehicle for the evening inside of garage. Next day, had a large vertical, "s" shaped crack starting from the area near the eye sight extending down near the bottom 3/4 of the windshield. No apparent chip or damage at the starting point of the crack. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 16, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Tried starting my car on march 5 and would not start. Tried to jump start but it did not work. Had it towed to the dealer and was told battery is dead. Dealer could not explain why battery died. Dealer replaced old battery with the same oem battery. This is a temporary fix and I told them I'm not confident this will not happen again. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 01, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | When I parked my car 3 days ago, my windshield was perfectly fine. Since parking it the car has not been driven. Tonight when I got in the car to drive to the store I noticed a crack in the lower passenger side of the window that was absolutely not there when I parked the car 3 days ago. The crack is large and very obvious, and it's something I certainly would have noticed. This windshield has cracked for absolutely no reason. The car has been garaged this entire time and the weather mild. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 25, 2021 |
| State | CT |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that twice upon leaving the liftgate open for approximately 20 minutes, the vehicle failed to start-up after multiple attempts. The interior lights also failed to operate as needed. The first time the contact jump started the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to jump start after the second failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to suburban subaru (14 hartford turnpike, vernon, ct 06066) where the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. A second appointment scheduled with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 24, 2021 |
| State | UT |
| Description | We've owned our car for less than 8 mos and recently experienced a cracked windshield that did not emerge from a rock chip. We are very frustrated with this as the replacement has to be oem (I. E. Expensive) because of the safety features on the car. |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 23, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Battery dead 7 times (beginning fall of 2020) or drained too low to properly use vehicle causing all doors to lock (issue when stranded in non-populated area with child in car) or hatch unable to close. All items in vehicle are off. Appears to be electrical in nature and possibly related to in going subaru power-gate hatch issues. Have also had hatch open on own stationary & low speed. Often left stranded. Hard pulsating and grind on brakes at low to moderate speed causing car to pull and feel like not going to stop in motion on curved road, highway, city street. Started within year (aug 2020) of owning after 1st service at dealer for routine oil change. Dealer says nothing wrong at all. Subaru refuses to acknowledge issues even though other owners are experiencing same. Told by subaru lame excuses like not driving enough, shut everything off, do not use electronics so much, etc. Car jumped 7 times so far. Took to dealer 3 times (9/29 brakes, 12/9/20 & 1/2/21 for battery and brakes) so far and dealer even had to charge battery (1/21)! Unknown drain from somewhere. Every time happens have to have tail gate reprogrammed or not able to open. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 15, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The battery is dying prematurely this is the second time. I took it in the first time and they told me it was a bad battery now it happened to me again the morning of my trip I had to remove the battery of my other car and install it to go in my trip once I got to my destination I parked it and removed the ground cable because I didn't want to stay stranded I will call subaru today and see what they tell me. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 13, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Vehicle has been starting normally with no problems since purchase. Parked vehicle in garage on 2/12/2021 at 6:30pm. While starting the vehicle the next morning (2/13/2021) at 8:30am, it started slowly. Drove for 20 minutes and turned vehicle off. Attempted to restart vehicle 15 minutes later and it would not start (just buzzed). Called aaa for a jump start. Was informed the battery was at 10. 2v and there was no problem with the alternator. Jump start was successful. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Feb 12, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | While driving 50mph the hood is vibrating and flexing. When being passed by other vehicles the flexing and vibrating becomes disturbing violent. At this point I am in fear of the hood becoming unsecured and lifting up while crashing into the windshield causing an accident. It appears that the hood's subframe has become detached. I am fear for my safety when driving this vehicle. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 08, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | My battery has failed multiple times. The first time after driving for a short distance and parking and using accessory mode x 10 min. The second after sitting in my driveway for two days. At that point, I was told that there was a "faulty cell" in my original batter and the battery was replaced. The third time after having the rear gate and doors open for approximately 30 min to vacuum the car. The forth after driving a short distance to the grocery store and waiting with the car in accessory mode for approximately 10 minutes for my groceries to be brought out. This last time it was below freezing outdoors. I was fortunate enough to be near a store and not have my two young children in the car. I had chosen to do grocery pick-up to reduce my pandemic risk, however, I had to wait inside the store for someone to come and jump my battery. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Bought this vehicle july 2020. So it's been 8 months and already there's a crack in our front windshield |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 27, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | The vehicle's battery constantly dies despite getting a new battery installed, even after the vehicle has been recently driven and everything was turned off when parked in the garage. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 27, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Right front rotor warped dealer changed at 6,000 miles and rotor is warped again keeps happening (liberty subaru emerson nj) dealer will not replace the rotors, front of vehicle shakes when applying brakes , |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 24, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | My 2020 subaru ascent touring has 8500 miles on it. I purchased it in november 2019. The battery has "died" about 5-6 times since I purchased the vehicle. I drive my subaru usually on short trips and one long trip per year. I have reported the dead battery issue several times to my local subaru dealer and they always say nothing is wrong with my battery. I could drive my car on a short trip one day and then the next day when I try to start my car, the battery is dead. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 19, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was parked curbside waiting for a food order with my two kids in the back. After about 5 minutes of the car being turned off while we were in the car, and once we got our food. I went to start up the car and it would no longer start. It's worth noting that the infotainment system stayed on since we were still in the car. And even with the push button, even when I tried to completely power down the car, the car would not turn off. Then when I tried to start the car again with the push button start, it would no longer start. But the car had plenty of voltage. I also couldn't get the dome lights to turn off and the infotainment system was still on. I couldn't power everything down so I could do a clean start from zero. When the parking lot security brought a booster pack, since the terminals and cables had no indication of positive and negative we didn't try to jump the car. We pressed the push button to try to start the car on it's own again and the lights would flash and there was a rapid ticking sound. We left it alone for another five minutes and it started right up. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 18, 2021 |
| State | OR |
| Description | Spontaneous crack in the windshield after a coldest night in my region vehicle was driven home with no visible crack and when I went to the car the next morning to drive away, there was a crack in the windshield. |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 15, 2021 |
| State | MA |
| Description | V1. The battery died within 6 months 4 times :first time aug. 21. 2020 , than dec. 03. 2021 , dec 24. 2021 and jan. 04. 2021 2. The stereo system is not working properly sound cutting off frequently. 3. Break problem. Before 6 months the brakes had to be replaced and are still making grinding unusual noise. Even after multiple dealer service no improvement. Actual break action not consistent and not reliable save. 4. The ac system is not functioning properly - kicks in even when in heating mode. In using the remote start the ac kicks in immediately and changing the settings will not help. 5. The eyesight system is inconsistent with the warning lights coming on when there is no problem? Instead of being a safety feature it is a dangerous problem feature. Because it is not reliable makes safe driving very difficult ? And we had considered this system as a plus when deciding on subaru ascent. 6. Problems with trunk opening ? Sometimes will not work with key or from the inside ? Has to be opened manually. 7. Oil level sensor had to be replaced. 8. The vin number was listed to have a recall ? But when checking it out it showed 0 recalls. We consider this very strange. 9. After each visit to the dealer, we are told that everything is fine ? But one or two days later the same problems show up again. 10. Bluetooth system keeps deleting phones. 11. Rpm gauge not functioning. 12. Mpg indication never changes shows always same value ? Even under completely different driving conditions. I am filing this claim for may daughter [xxx] because I bought the car at the time. Also the problems are ongoing since the date listed below information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). *tr |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 09, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Windshield broke without any reason. Car only a few months old. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 08, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Vehicle has 6700 miles. Vehicle has been in to dealer 2x already for brake issues. Front brakes started making vibration, grinding and vibration issues. Issue exacerbated while going downhill or lightly being on the brakes. They've replaced brake rotors, pads and calipers the first time. Second time they replaced pads and rotors. 250 miles later going down hill the brakes are vibrating and making a growling noise |
| Category | Lane Departure: Assist, Structure:body, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 04, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My vehicle is fairly new 7 months to be exact. When it was 4 months old I've started to notice rust and corrosion on the window panels that are metal. When I went in for oil change service they deny that there is rust and just offered to polish it. At 7 months the windshield has chips and cracks which is odd without a reason. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 04, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Loss of power (intermittent) while driving at a constant lower speed and occasionally during acceleration. Additionally, when going up a hill the automatic transmission drops in gears which significantly increases rpms then once on flat road the vehicle takes some time to change gears. If I hit the gas pedal once at the top of the hill, the rpms go past 3. 5. So I wait until the car switches gears before pressing the gas pedal. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 04, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The windshield cracked for no apparent reason. It is approximately 1/2 inch wide going horizontally across the windshield on the driver side. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 03, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Within a few months of driving the car off the lot the windshield cracked for no apparent reason under normal driving conditions. When the crack first appeared it was stationary. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 01, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | The vehicle only has 9000 miles. The battery just died and it is not holding a charge |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Dec 29, 2020 |
| State | AL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated while the vehicle was at a stand still, he noticed the windshield cracked without impact in the center. The vehicle was taken to landers mclarty subaru (5790 university dr nw, huntsville, al 35816: (256) 382-2425) and the contact was referred to windshield repair center. The contact had the vehicle taken to repair shop and had the windshield repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 28, 2020 |
| State | OR |
| Description | I have about 1600mi and have had to jumpstart the ascent 5 times. The dealer says everything checks out, but I continue to have issues with starting the car. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 23, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that during a countrywide road trip at 70 mph the vehicle shook and shimmied when he applied the brake going downhill on a steep grade. The vehicle was taken to the dealer groove subaru (5300 s. Broadway, englewood, co 80113, (720) 279-9409). The tires were rotated and the contact was advised to seek a comprehensive diagnostic test by an authorized dealer when he returned to his residence. The contact stated that the authorized dealer near his residence test drove the vehicle but was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,500. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 22, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | My subaru ascent 2020 is just 4 mos old and is currenlty at 6kmiles odometer reading. Speaker system stopeed working twice already. Amplifier getting hot even when the car is not used. Last night the car wont start and and all the light inside and out just flickered for a few minutes then died. Had to call roadside assistance to have it jump started. So yeah a 4 month ikd car with battery and electrical issues already. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 16, 2020 |
| State | MA |
| Description | The front windshield cracked near the rear view mirror about 30 days after purchasing the car. It was a horizontal crack and continued to spread in both the left and right directions each day. I did not fix it immediately due to covid-19 fears. In december 2020 I scheduled an appointment to get it fixed because it had grown to 1. 5 feet long. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 13, 2020 |
| State | AK |
| Description | 2800 miles on vehicle. Today lost power twice going up steep hill (electrical functions still intact, was accelerating uphill and was similar to shifting into neutral then re-accelerated after 10-15 seconds, driving approx 30mph). Narrowly avoided collision due to slippery road, did briefly roll backwards before braking. Not sure I will ever be willing to put my kids back in this nearly-new vehicle. |
| Category | Air Bags, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Dec 11, 2020 |
| State | OR |
| Description | I was in an accident 11/29 at 9:45pm where I hit a cow. I was driving 55 on a straight highway that I'm very familiar with. The cow was standing in the entire lane of travel and I was able to veer into the other lane slightly and took the impact on the right side where I did not have any passengers. The subaru was totaled and I'm now having severe whiplash symptoms. I am reporting this as the airbags did not deploy and everyone who has seen the vehicle says they think they should have. Additionally, I do not remember my collision alerts beeping nor the subaru braking for me which have worked in the past. I only remember hitting the cow and then being completely stopped where we had the impact. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Dec 06, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Cvt began slipping intermittently around 28000 miles. This usually occurs in the 55-65 mph range at 2000-3000 rpm. Slipping is indicated by approximately 300 rpm change and a noticable hesitation in vehicle motion. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Nov 30, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Windshield on car cracked after only owning the car for a couple of days. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure: Warning, Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Nov 27, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | A chip in the windshield cracked and spidered down the whole windshield. It happened 2 weeks after owning my new car. I'm still unsure on why it cracked 🤦♀️ there isn't a chip mark or any start point. It's worried how it just started cracking. And since it's over a 1,000 to fix it. It is still cracked. And anything that requires the eye no longer works. I love my car but hate how nothing needing the eye works. |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Nov 27, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, without warning the windshield cracked in the driver's view. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was inspected and the windshield was replaced. Tindol subaru (1901 e franklin blvd, gastonia, nc 28054 (704) 867-8341) was contacted however, informed the contact that the vin was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 19, 2020 |
| State | MN |
| Description | The transmission occasionally slips, resulting in a momentary rise in engine revs and a slight lurch. I assume that this is related to the known transmission issue for earlier ascents, but mine is not included in the affected vin number group. Other people traveling in the vehicle with me have noticed the issue and remarked on it, so I am not imagining it! Subaru have not yet diagnosed it but will do so at the next oil change. This behavior has been a feature of the vehicle from new and it has now done about 12,000 miles. The event occurs maybe once a week or so. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 14, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Battery drain. Parked car will not start even though the battery is less than one year old. It appears the oem battery is undersized or there are electrical battery drains when parked. Second time in two weeks that car will not start. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Nov 05, 2020 |
| State | IN |
| Description | Purchased car in november 2019, front windshield cracked 2/21/2020 for no apparent reason on the upper side near the rear view mirror. It was replaced and now it has cracked again for no reason, on the lower corner of the passenger side. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 03, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Had only 5800 miles and cost cell phone worksheet come through speaker then couldn't open tailgate. Next day battery was dead after getting on car and dash lights flashed like a xmas tree. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 03, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Battery died after three months. Charged then died completely. Towed to dealer for new battery. Had nothing to do with rail gate |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 02, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | 1600 miles and car will not start, battery keeps draining/dieing and radio stopped working. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 29, 2020 |
| State | MT |
| Description | I purchased my 2020 subaru ascent limited in october of 2019 and have experienced several discharges of my battery from the liftgate being open throughout the night, possibly from pocket-activation of my key fob. Luckily for me, this problem has occurred only in my garage, thus far. I have seen in several forums related to subaru outbacks and ascents that this appears to be a common problem and nobody, including me, seems to have gotten any satisfactory answers from any of the subaru representatives. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 23, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Car would not start, was dead, it was in the garage, and there was no way to put it into neutral to roll it out. Had to call roadside assistance. They jumped the car after getting it out of the garage and was able to take it to the dealership |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 23, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | This is a brand new car. The battery drains overnight when the car is parked. The key fob is min 30feet away from the car. The battery has drained three times in the past 7 months and renders the car useless when you need it. I have made sure that the lights are off and nothing is left switched on and still the battery drains. There are several similar complaints from 2020 subaru ascent owners and it would be great if you can investigate this issue futher. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 20, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | 2 episodes of disabled 2020 subaru ascent touring in 4 months after purchasing it new. Currently only has 3600 miles on it. 1. Car would not start from stationary position because both my electronic key fobs were in the car at the same time. Towed to dealer. They found my 'missing' key fob. 2. Battery died while stationary, waiting at vet 25 min., listening to radio while car was otherwise 'off'. Only it did not die a clean death but continued a zombie existence: a/c came on and off at full speed, arbitrarily; actually could not shut down the car kept acting electrically crazy with various lights on dash coming on and off; 3. Could work the power windows while the battery was 'dead' , windows would go down but only came partway back up; for some 40 minutes we heard a beep in a morse code sort of irregular manner from interior rear aspect of car; dash would click from time arbitrarily, sounded like the click heard during cruise control when approaching a vehicle ahead, the 'adaptable' feature, or perhaps the click heard when switching from high beam to low beam lights. I don't feel I can rely on this car not dying. Very upset, and very disappointing. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 20, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | We were driving on i5 north when I noticed a crack in the windshield. Within 30 minutes it spread to a crack larger than a dollar bill. I now have to replace the entire windshield. This is a brand new 2020 car that I purchased in november 2019. Prior to this vehicle, I owned a subaru which also got a random crack in the windshield while driving on the freeway no large trucks kicking up gravel/rocks around. . |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 09, 2020 |
| State | WY |
| Description | Turned car off and electric cooling fan continued to run. Didnt think much off it, maybe cool down phase. Next time went to start car, battery dead. When charging on rapid charger, when volts got high enough fan ran again. Then was able to start. Charged battery. Sat for few days and dead again. Technician at subaru says battery is charged and fine after my wife drove 2 hours to nearest dealership to inspect, after jumping it to go get warranty covered battery. Intent search shows others having issues with batteries. About had it with subaru and the issues. 35k for a "reliable " car. I could understand if this was one off but it's not. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 04, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | While driving down the road on a trip, my 2020 ascent suddenly lost all audio from the infotainment and gps system. Then after the vehicle was parked overnight, the battery was completely dead. No systems were left on at the time the vehicle was parked, so the cause of the dead battery and the loss of audio is a mystery. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 02, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Engine shut off while driving 50-55 mph. Message "keyless ingnition system disabled" . Could not restart. Power steering and brakes worked, no loss of lights or radio. Could not turn off completely. Restarted after 1/2 hour. Drove 300 yards and engine shut off again, same message. After an hour car was towed, but restarted. Dealer could find no problems. Mileage, 4,500. Car 6 months old. No recurrence after 3 weeks and another 500 miles. Incident occurred opposite a cell tower. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 28, 2020 |
| State | ND |
| Description | The tailgate was left open for approx 45 and the battery drained to the point we could no longer start the vehicle. This happened three times over the last two months. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 26, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | The audio for all functions and radio stopped working. It was working, parked it for 1. 5 hours in garage, started vehicle and no audio. Stopped and restarted the car still no audio. Followed manufacturer's instructions to reset the audio/navigation system and still no audio. Let it sit overnight and it still doesn't have any audio. Trying to get an appointment at the dealership. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 22, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The battery died when my ascent kept beeping 3 times after I closed the trunk with the remote. It beeps 3 times every 20 seconds in an hour. The battery died |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 22, 2020 |
| State | IN |
| Description | After driving car, parked to go into a store. When I returned battery was completely dead. No previous problems with battery. Car has about 3,400 miles on it. Nothing has been left on for extended periods with engine off. Beeping coming from rear area by lift gate. Called roadside assistance. They charged battery and I dropped car off at car dealership for repairs. I have seen other ascent owners having same issues. Thete are class action suits for this issue. Vehicle was parked with engine off when this happened. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Sep 21, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Two times the windshield has cracked to the point of needing to be replaced. The first time the moment of impact was not observed, just the large crack across half the windshield. The second time a small rock hit the windshield and within one hour the crack had spread far enough that the windshield will need to be replaced. We have owned this car (bought brand new) for 5 months and this will be the third windshield on this car. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Sep 10, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | On the passenger side of my car, there is a large crack that has appeared from no where. Nothing hit the window or did we see any damage other than a crack appearing one day. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 06, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | Battery has unexpectedly repeatedly drained leaving unable to start. Dealership replaced the battery, and problem still occurs. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 04, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Battery keeps going dead. I have ensured nothing is left on and it keeps happening. I only have 1866 miles on the car. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 03, 2020 |
| State | TN |
| Description | Battery has died twice within the first 12,000 miles without warning. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 01, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Twice my 2020 subaru ascent's battery has been dead. It has been driven every day for at least 20-30 minutes. Nothing was left on, or open. There is obviously an elecrical issue draining the battery. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Aug 31, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My 2020 subaru ascent has had a dead battery on more than 3 times, just in the last 2 months. When I went to the dealer on 2 different occasions, they told me that my battery was fine and that if you leave the dome lights, or radio on while the car is stopped, the battery will go dead, even though my car is less than a year old and has just 12000 miles. The first time they said if the lights are left on auto, that will drain the battery. They also told me today when I took it to the dealer,that this happens all the time with the ascent. |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Aug 28, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, there was an abnormal cracking noise detected and the front windshield cracked without warning or impact on the driver's side. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 3,100. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 17, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Lemon law in action. I took my car to capital subaru of greensboro august 2nd with a complaint of clicking coming from the dash. It happens when the ac is on and you accelerate. They were able to duplicate the noise but didnt know how to fix it. They kept my car for 2 weeks and still do not know what the problem is. The response they gave me was to pick my car up and bring it back when the noise gets worse. Complaints were filed with subaru of america and they said the same thing. This car was purchased in december 2019 and the noise and answer is unacceptable. I will not be driving my 4 week old son in a car making a noise that not no one knows why. This could potentially cause an accident. This is not the first issue with this dealership. Since I went public with my story, people have been coming from the woodworks with their horrible experiences with this place. Their mechanics are sub par by far. Most of the time the car was sitting in the parking lot and only went on a couple of 4 minute test drives. I was tracking it with geolocation and speed alerts. Complaints have been filed with ncdoj and ftc as well. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Aug 01, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | The vehicle was in a parking lot and the windshield cracked on its own. Getting back into my car I noticed a crack that started on the driver's side edge that went toward the center of the windshield. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 31, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The front windshield cracked while driving without a noticible hit to the windshield. The crack is approximately half of the windshield on the passenger side |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 28, 2020 |
| State | MA |
| Description | I have owned this vehicle since late may 2020, and I have approximately 2,000 miles on the odometer. On 7/25/20, I started the vehicle and there was no sound at all from the audio system - radio, navigation, voice commands, etc. Were all mute. I rebooted the radio by holding down the power button until it restarted, but this did not fix the issue, despite multiple reboots. I continued to drive my vehicle each day on 7/26 and 7/27, and the audio did not come back. On 7/29/20, I planned to call the dealer to report the issue. When I went to start my vehicle, which is kept in my garage, I discovered that the battery was completely dead. As soon as I tried to start the car, the tailgate began beeping, and then the headlamps flickered randomly for approximately one minute. There is no power at all in the vehicle, and I am unable to lock/unlock the car or open the tailgate, even manually. There were no doors left open, no lights left on - the battery simply died. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jul 23, 2020 |
| State | WI |
| Description | My 2020 subaru ascent windshield cracked on 7/20/2020. It started in the lower passenger side. I heard a tick like a rock hit it but there was not a truck in front of me. I was driving on the highway approx. 70 mph, i94 wb before the moorland blvd exit. (uphill) there is a very small origin area - it is under the front hood. Hardly where a rock could impact while moving. We just bought it late march 2020 - we have about 1250 miles on it. I am trying to work with subaru, I stopped by the dealer and they took pictures to file a warranty claim. The service dept mgr did not think it would be accepted so I want to file this claim as well. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 22, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The car has had a dead battery twice through three months of ownership. The first incident occurred when the car was a month and a half old and the battery was replaced by the dealer. The second incident occurred one month later but battery was recharged instead of replaced. Three months later at a regular service the dealer advised battery capacity was only 75% indicating continued above normal drainage. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jul 22, 2020 |
| State | OR |
| Description | Dangerous automatic back up brakes apply when not needed when backing up a trailer on incline (driveway for instance). This can only be disabled by finding the disable button on the video infotainment system, and re-engages as soon as the car is shifted to drive as is often necessary in the back and forth of parking a trailer. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other, Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Jul 16, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Windshield cracks easy |
| Category | Electrical System, Structure:body |
| Date | Jul 06, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Found around 1 inch of water setting under driver's seat of our 2020 subaru ascent touring, with only 2500 miles on it, after the car had been sitting for days with rain storms. Wife notices a sloshing sound while she drove it 1 mile and back home. Took it to the dealer and they kept it, but couldn't initially find the leak. The vehicle had a complaint of a water leak prior, with no dealer action. After two weeks of looking, the dealer said it was a missing or poorly installed grommet on the fire wall around the main wiring harness, which allowed water to flow into the passenger compartment. They are attempting to replace the entire carpet and putting in a new wiring harness, which would indicate a potential for mold and electrical issues due to poor grommet installation on the firewall. If this vehicle had not been sitting outside, the issue wouldn't of been found for a long time, causing mold and potential electrical fires in the passenger compartment. Hopefully, this will save lives and keep people healthy, if they check their firewall grommets for poor installation. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 04, 2020 |
| State | MT |
| Description | We purchased a new vehicle and within 400 miles the battery was completely dead. No lights were left on or nor was there any external drain on the battery. The vehicle was stationary and parked in our garage. |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Jun 23, 2020 |
| State | OK |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that the windshield was cracked. The contact stated that crack grew from a pin head sized crack to approximately 24 inches within 72 hours; from the lower side of the driver's side of the windshield to the passenger's side of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to bob moore auto group located at 13000 broadway ext, oklahoma city, ok 73114, (888) 667-8741 and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,400. |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | Jun 22, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated that the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was taken to ocean subaru of fullerton (1100 s euclid st, fullerton, ca 92832), and the contact was informed by the technician that the windshield was cracked by a rock and was to contact the insurance company for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,340. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jun 15, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Battery has gone dead twice and had to be jumped. *tr |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jun 10, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Fyi: report is being submitted by co-owner in nc. Reported incident occurred in florida. At around 20,000 miles the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree and the vehicle began having acceleration issues. At the end of the commute to work, approx 55 miles, the transmission stopped responding to the accelerator and no gear would engage. Driver was able to coast the remaining 500 meters to work. Car was towed to subaru and after troubleshooting the computer system with subaru of america the technicians and subaru of america decided it was a transmission issue. Transmission was replaced with a new transmission free of charge under warranty. Vehicle is currently being repaired at time of report. Time may tell if this is a more widespread issue or simply a random occurrence. *tr |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jun 08, 2020 |
| State | OR |
| Description | Vehicle was stationary on private driveway. Went to vehicle to retrieve personal item and then noticed a large crack originating on the lower right hand side of the front windshield. Unknown what caused the incident. Crack was not apparent earlier in the day. *tr |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | May 29, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | This is a new car in colorado. At 146 miles, my windshield spontaneously cracked. I heard a loud sound and within minutes, my windshield had a long crack. At the time this happened, I was driving 65 mph on highway nine in co, a few miles from home. There were no cars ahead or behind of me at all! *tr |
| Category | Structure, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 26, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | A large crack suddenly appeared on the windshield of my 2020 ascent, and expanded rapidly over the course of a few hours. I purchased the vehicle new in january 2020. Subaru will not cover the windshield under warranty. The cost to replace the windshield and re-calibrate the eyesight sensors is over |
| Category | Visibility:windshield |
| Date | May 18, 2020 |
| State | NM |
| Description | I got in my car and took the sun shade out of my windshield and found a large crack across it. The last time it was driven (2 days ago) there was no crack. The car was parked in my driveway. *tr |
| Category | Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 16, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | My wife and I purchased a new 2020 subaru ascent in january this year. From day one, the vehicle has been generating an excessive and potent fuel smell in the engine bay that is then pulled into the passenger cabin via the hvac system while running. This smell is prevalent when walking around the outside of the vehicle while it is running; it is also noticeable after parking (and turning off) the vehicle in our garage as the garage fills with a raw fuel smell that takes several hours to dissipate. We are able to replicate this issue every time we drive the vehicle for more than 10 minutes in all types of driving conditions and trip durations. Outside temperature does not seem to be a factor. The vehicle has been taken into the dealership three times since purchase. On the second visit, the dealership tech verbally confirmed the fuel smell upon check-in and opted to run full diagnostics on the car, even testing the fuel pump/system, but could not identify the source of the smell. This was eventually elevated into a service request incident/ticket with subaru of america. Two subaru field engineers visited the vehicle, the first stated they could not replicate the problem, but the second could replicate the problem but claimed it was a running engine/burning plastic smell and was considered normal operation. The engineer's proposed remedy was to use the "recirculate air" button to prevent outside smells from being drawn into the car. > I am confident this is a fuel smell, not a typical heated engine smell as subaru claims. > when drawn into the vehicle, the fuel smell causes lightheadedness and headaches. > using the recirculate air button is not a solution, it is a mitigation tactic, especially when that smell is continually generated by the running vehicle. *tr |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 13, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Battery has died three times since owning. Died in garage over night 3 on separate time and no I did not leave the doors open or lights on. I had to jump the car the first time. The second time it was a week later and did the same. I had to purchase a lithium battery jump starter because I didn't have access to another car and to give me peace of mind. The third time was a few days later when I was unloading the car , took groceries into the house and came back to pull car into garage and it was dead. I went to the dealership and they gave me a run around stating I had left the either a door open or lights on. Which really ticked me off. Purchased new 3/30/2020. *tr |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | May 12, 2020 |
| State | AL |
| Description | We received our new vehicle on 04/28/2020 - the vehicle sat for several days (5-7) without being used. On 05/09/2020 the battery was dead and the vehicle had to be jumped to start it. Brought the car to the service department, no defects were found in the battery or charging system. *tr |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 11, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | In feb my car battery was dead in morning after sitting in garage turned off and no doors or lights on. I had it jumped and took it to the dealer and they tested battery and it was fine. The second time it happened a week later same scenario I took it in and they tested battery and said it was bad battery. So the dealer replaced it and it and it was fine. The third time now today it has happened again except this time my car was beeping at me like if the unlock key fob button had been hit but doing it every few seconds. So I went and found both key fobs and they weren't being depressed so I tried to unlock door myself with key fob and nothing happened and red light on fob blinked every time I touched it but I wouldn't hear anything happening with car so I tried to click tailgate button and nothing happened. So I then went to turn the car on and realized the battery was dead again. So we jumped it and let it run for twenty minutes and dealer wants us to take it back but they are saying they haven't heard if this issue when I search online it seems like this is a known issue. *tr |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | May 03, 2020 |
| State | NE |
| Description | Raw fuel smell coming through vents when outside air is being used. More often this occurs when engine is warm and has been restarted (I. E. Short trip). Can experience the smell when the car is stationary or in motion. Smell is enough to cause headache. Dealer couldn't replicate but this happened as soon as I picked up the car from the dealer. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 27, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Driver's side mirror vibrates on freeway, causing blurred visibility of vehicles and traffic. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 26, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My car failed to start after it had been sitting in my garage for 3 days. Hooked battery up to a portable jumper which read battery amps at 6. 7. Battery jumped without issue. Took car to dealer who kept the car for 4+days and the dealer could not recreate the problem. Dealer advised me to lock my car doors as that could help turn computers off and not drain battery. Another 2 months went by and my battery needed to be jumped at least 4 more times if it sat and wasn't driven for more then 3 days or if I forgot to lock it. Finally on the morning of 4/20/20 I went out to start the car and the battery was dead yet again. The car had been locked but not driven for 3 days. When hooked up to the portable charger, the amps read 3. 6. The check engine light came on and the eye sight system was turned off per instrument panel. Jumped car and took it to dealership. Dealership kept car for 4+ days and informed me that the battery was replaced as it bad. Current mileage on car is 6633. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 26, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Purchased a 2020 subaru ascent today. On the way home on the freeway my wife noticed the windshield had a crack in it that was not present at dealership. Upon further inspection when arriving home, there is a pitted area inside of the windshield on the drivers side. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 17, 2020 |
| State | MO |
| Description | Windshield developed large crack seemingly out of nowhere. No notable instance of a rock or other object striking the window while in motion. *tr |
| Category | Suspension |
| Date | Apr 06, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | New 2020 subaru ascent limited. Heard clunking or weird sound from front suspension/struts on bumpy road or potholes. *tr |
| Category | Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 31, 2020 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Driving down the road the entire car started vibrating and felt wobbly when I got above 20mph. Pulled over to check tires and under the car, no obvious issues found. Turned off then back on the car, same issue above 20mph. The car was struggling to get up the tow ramp and smelled an acrid odor that both I and the tow truck driver noticed. Made terrible sound when shifting from p through r to d. This all happened on paved roads going back home. The car now has 150 miles on it, bought it 3 days prior new. |
| Category | Power Train, Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 16, 2020 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Jerky acceleration between 35-50 mph. Cvt "switching gears" up and down. Noticed at 600 miles. This happens sporadically , when it does happen the jolt snaps my head back. Brakes continue to squeal after 600 miles. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 16, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Windshield spontaneously cracked for no apparent reason |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 14, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Crack on windshield while driving on non pavement road |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 14, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Purchased 2-8-2020. Windshield cracker for no reason 2-22-2020. Crack just appeared out of no where. Dealer denied service because they said they found itty bitty (smaller than a pin head) mark at very edge of window molding. Bs - I would have known if something had hit. Insurance paid for replacement on 2-27-2020. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 14, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | My windshield cracked thr entire length of windshield. Upon I spection neither my husband nor I could find a chip which would have been the root cause of the crack. I am unsure when I noticed the crack, I believe it was when I got in my car to go to work one morning. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 13, 2020 |
| State | UT |
| Description | Front windshield spontaneously cracked within weeks of new purchase. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Mar 13, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | My windshield cracked just 2 weeks after purchasing the car. It has since cracked two more times. I was traveling on the highway all three times. The date below is an approximate date. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 24, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | A large crack in the windshield has formed without any reason. There were no major rocks or accidents. Instead, it cracked on its own. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 23, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Front driver side window randomly cracked. Vehicle was driving on the highway at approximately 70mph on the interstate. No other cars around. Then all of a sudden the window cracks. |
| Category | Electrical System, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 18, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Vehicle eyesight safety system (adapative cruise control), lane departure and anti collision systems deactivated while driving. Vehicle backup camera failed while in reverse. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 10, 2020 |
| State | MT |
| Description | Purchased new 30 dec 2019. Owned 5+ weeks no issues - drove 07 feb 2020 no drive-ability issues or warning lights, parked as usual in heated garage at home. Went to start 08 feb 2020, when start button pushed, no starting but all the vehicle lights (interior and exterior) flashed brightly and rapidly (3-4 times a second) for about 30 seconds then all electrical inoperative (no lights anywhere, no horn, no starlink activation... Subaru road assistance called & they summoned anderson towing (a local towing company); when jumper cable attached to battery immediately all lights came on brightly and a loud electrical arcing noise occurred and it started. If this total electrical failure had happened during vehicle operation it could have result in catastrophic injury and damage. Took vehicle to local subaru dealership 10 feb 2020 who checked battery and computer trouble codes and found nothing unusual. How is that possible? It was a total electrical failure - jumping the vehicle reminded me of paramedics successfully applying aed paddles to defibrillate a stopped heart. This situation is similar to other complaints noted for this vehicle. This is a potentially very dangerous issue and needs an immediate remedy. |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | Feb 07, 2020 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated the passenger side front seat was unable to be extend far enough backwards for the seat belt to be used. The contact stated that due to his height and weight a standard seat belt was not adequate to securely fastened. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and no further assistance was provided. Failure mileage unknown. The vin was not available. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 02, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | There are so my small pits and chips in my windshield. I have less than 6000 miles on the car, and owned if for less than 6 months. I noticed the first chip in the first week of ownership but thought it was bad luck. Since then I am facing well over a dozen, and they are incredibly distracting. There is no way this is normal wear and tear. I've never had a rock hit the car. Its just the fine granules that come with driving. This is horrible! |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jan 22, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Unintended acceleration - car went through automatic car was with engine running and in neutral. After wash was completed car was placed in drive and I very lightly touched accelerator pedal. Car lurched forward as though the accelerator was floored. Removed foot from accelerator, engine was continuing to race as car continued to pick up speed and headed out onto busy highway. The exit from the car wash was perpendicular to the highway quickly I stepped as forcefully as possible on the brake pedal and subsequently brought car to a stop. A very close call. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jan 09, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated after dropping her daughter off at daycare, the contact entered the vehicle, pushed the push to start button, shifted the vehicle into reverse however, the vehicle failed to respond. While the engine was still running, the battery terminals were disconnected and the vehicle turned off. After approximately one minute, the positive and negative battery terminals were reconnected and the vehicle started up independently. Roadside service was contacted and the vehicle was scheduled to be towed hyman bros subaru, 11960 midlothian turnpike, midlothian, va 23113, (804) 893-8900, to be diagnosed which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 06, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | I purchased my ascent on november 29, 2019. By december 8, I had two cracks in the windshield. I live in a small town, and was driving less than 45mph when both of these chips occurred. One was (according to safelite) too small to repair. The other one was repaired on 12/10. By january 2, the crack that was repaired has reappeared. Safelite does not guarantee their work, and now I will have to spend a fortune and use my deductible to replace the windshield on a brand new vehicle. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 06, 2019 |
| State | MI |
| Description | I have had my 2020 subaru ascent for a month and already have had two windshield cracks due to very small pebbles. These windshields crack too easily! |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 20, 2019 |
| State | NY |
| Description | In am tailgate found opened (by itself), battery dead , 3 jump starts over 24hrs battery still not recharging after 6 hrs contin. Operation, now carplay and blutooth microphone not working, many complaints online re this, no manual tailgate opening, and no working battery shut off of tailgate or its light in software |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 09, 2019 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Odometer: 1,289 miles vehicle was in motion on a city street, drove 3 miles away from home. Battery light came on, vehicle started to overheat and check coolant indicator came on. Opened hood to smoke and serpentine belt had shredded. Coolant was sprayed all over under the hood. Vehicle was towed to dealership who replaced serpentine belt and appears battery light and overheating was caused from belt failure. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 25, 2019 |
| State | MI |
| Description | We are on our second subaru ascent, first one bought back for the same issue. Upon starting the car, the cabin will fill with a strong smell of raw fuel (not exhaust). The car will also fill with the smell if running while parked, remotely started, etc. The smell is also noticeable when turning off the car and on the outside of it. |
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
Share your story
Does this ring a bell? Have you had a bad experience too? Sound off and share your experience with other visitors in the comment box below.
About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
See more posts from Brian Jones BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT