Problems with cracked windshields are the main complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Subaru continues to promote the 2023 Ascent in the most loving manner, stating that “love is now bigger than ever.” They also say that one of the “reasons to love Ascent” is because it’s “built to last.” But owners whose windshields randomly crack for no obvious reason don’t agree.
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The 2023 Subaru Ascent was in short supply at the end of 2022, and complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have been a little lower than in previous years for the first quarter. However, one major area of concern since 2019 continues to be cracked windshield issues. There’s certainly no reason to love the Ascent because of its windshield glass!
Another area of concern expressed by 2023 owners is the tires. For instance, an owner from California tells how the rear right tire failed on a new vehicle with only 2,500 miles. This is the story:
“We were driving on the 14 freeway when suddenly the car began shaking and warning lights started going off. My husband kept the wheel steady and I saw our tire come off in a solid piece onto the freeway! We’d not hit anything. We made it four lanes over to the right shoulder safely to see that we had no tire left! We waited for assistance and got the spare put on, thank God as we had our child in (the) car with us.”
A mechanic from Subaru arrived after about an hour with a replacement tire. Several hours later, they drove past the spot where the tire had disengaged itself from the Ascent. The complaint states that it was still “completely intact on the shoulder of (the) freeway. No obvious cuts in it except it was off the wheel/rim.”
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Tires | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Seats | |
| Wheels | |
| Air Bags | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine |
Cracked windshield issues seem to go on and on in Subaru Ascents with no explanations or solutions from the manufacturer.
The only mentions of the 2023 Ascent windshield in press releases refer to the “windshield wiper de-icer.” While cold weather conditions and heating are mentioned in two of the complaints shown below, there is no indication of whether these conditions are related to the cracking problem. None of the 14 manufacturer communications forwarded to the NHTSA relate in any way to windshields.
An owner from Indiana who had owned an Ascent for only 3 weeks, states that the car had a low mileage of 240 when the windshield cracked. The complaint states that the “windshield cracked more than 2 inches above the front windshield A/C vent.” It happened while the vehicle was warming up when the outside temperature was about 30 degrees F.
The side passenger window of a 2023 Ascent “spontaneously developed a crack about 10 inches long while sitting parked.” According to the complaint, the crack is located in the direct line of sight of the side-view mirror.
Another complaint talks about cracks on a windshield of an Ascent that was 19 days old and had less than 600 miles on the clock. “While driving with my heater on, I noticed there was a crack on the windshield’s lower center portion, about 5″ in length. There was no object that hit the windshield that I saw or heard.”
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Whether you are convinced you have bought a lemon or just suspect it to be the case, if the problems keep recurring or they impact your 2022 Ascent negatively, it’s a good idea to take action.
Lemberg Law has a lot of experience with lemon law vehicle cases and we have negotiated settlements with manufacturers for many clients. If you’d like us to do a free assessment of your case, please call us or fill in the contact form. Ultimately, the law will make Subaru pay if it’s a lemon law case.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 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.
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