Problems with tires, cracked windshields, and brakes are the main causes of complaints
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, or whose brakes malfunction or fail, 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 because of this. 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!
This is not the only problem. There are also a substantial number of complaints about the vehicle’s brakes, the Eyesight System that affects forward collision avoidance, and the tires and wheels.
Other components and systems that have been mentioned as problematic in NHTSA complaints include the airbags, electrical system, engine, lane departure, powertrain, seats, suspension, and vehicle speed control.
Additionally, three recalls that affect the 2023 Ascent:
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| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Air Bags | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Tires | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Seats |
Although listed as a tire recall, NHTSA Campaign Number 23V258000 is directly related to the wheels due to damage occurring when they were mounted on the 2023 Subaru Ascent. So, it’s not surprising that complaints about tire pressure issues are lodged as tire or wheel problems.
The recall is because of “Internal damage to the tire bead (that) may lead to structural failure of the tire and rapid tire deflation, increasing the risk of a crash.” However, the safety recall notification issued on April 5, 2023, addresses the Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS). This system incorporates tires that have sensors that monitor the air pressure and alert the driver if it’s too low. TPMS can help improve driving safety and comfort, reduce fuel consumption, and extend tire life.
The notification states that TPMS re-registration isn’t required after tire replacement is carried out because of the recall. “The only exception to this is if a TPMS sensor requires replacement. In that case, follow the TPMS registration procedure supplied in the applicable Service Manual.” The implication is that TPMS may also be affected and therefore faulty.
An owner from Maryland was driving his Ascent “when the tire PSI warning alerted me to low tire pressure on my rear driver-side tire (Falken 245/50/R20 – tires were on the vehicle when purchased in April 2023). I immediately turned on my hazard lights, lessened my speed, and carefully made my way to the shoulder hoping to exit the highway for assistance. The tire pressure dropped from 34 to 0 in a matter of seconds. A technician from the towing company changed the tire and “noted that the tire may be defective.” There was sidewall damage, but nothing else that would obviously cause a flat. Furthermore, the Ascent had less than 4k miles.
An internet search showed that there was “a recall for my exact vehicle and tires, (and) my exact experience with sudden loss of tire pressure. Yet my VIN was not included in the recall.” At the time of the complaint, the owner was struggling to get Subaru to include the VIN in the recall. “I am fearful to drive my new car. I worry the other three tires will rupture spontaneously. This is not the safety I expected when purchasing a new Subaru.”
An owner from Oregon describes how the TPMS light came on after about a month of ownership. His wife checked the tire pressure of all the tires and they were “fine.” But the light continued to come on regularly, triggered 99% of the time when they drove more than about 25 miles. The dealership identified faults in the memory but couldn’t explain why they were being set. They cleared them and reset the modules, but the fault recurred.
“The dealer wanted me to agree to pay for diagnostics if the ‘warranty company’ (Subaru of America) turned down the claim. The warranty company being. I declined to pay for a safety issue being diagnosed on a brand-new car. I have notified Subaru of America of my concern and have not received a response at this time. Looking at the Subaru forums online it appears that this TPMS issue is quite widespread. It is also apparent that Subaru is not willing to fix its safety issues without my agreeing to pay as well.”
An owner from California tells how the rear right tire failed on a new vehicle with only 2,500 miles. “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.”
Another owner from California experienced a blowout while traveling at 70 mph on the interstate. There was no warning and no debris on the roadway. Assisted by a police officer, they were able to change the spare and re-enter the highway. It was “extremely frightening,” as the owner had to put the spare tire on while cars were “flying by just next to the rear passenger tire that blew.” The vehicle was only three months old and had less than 10k miles on the clock.
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 140 manufacturer communications forwarded to the NHTSA by mid-December 2024 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.
Another complaint talks about cracks on the windshield of an Ascent that was 22 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.”
An owner from Texas complained to the NHTSA in September 2024 that the windshield had cracked easily three times within 20 months. It had already been replaced with Subaru’s OEM glass twice within three months. “Now a new crack needs repair or potential replacement. (It is a) defective windshield that cannot withhold minor impact (and) is clearly (a) serious safety concern, increased stress on owner and burden on insurance, and impact to vehicle structural integrity for repeated replacements, and depreciation of vehicle value.”
NHTSA complaints about the 2023 Ascent brakes are varied but all are highly problematic. They range from brakes requiring repeated replacement and servicing to auto brakes triggering unnecessarily or sometimes not at all. Some unhappy drivers report that brake problems have resulted in their vehicle crashing.
An owner from New Jersey reports squeaking brakes that were repaired by changing the brake pads. Then 1,000 miles later, a caliper bolt came off in the middle of the road, “and the car started making a stuttering noise. Luckily the brakes were still functioning, so I could drive back to the dealer.” After telling the owner they would “fix the car once and for all,” 2,000 miles later, “the brakes failed again when I dropped the kids. I almost hit the tree in front of me, but luckily no one got hurt. I called the roadside assistance as the car was undrivable. The dealer told us that a bolt of brakes came off on the driver’s side.” While the dealer was “working on fixing the brakes,” the owner was working on getting her money back!
An owner from Utah filed a complaint with the NHTSA in January 2024 after a brake problem recurred three times. He states that the brakes had been replaced once and then serviced another time. “The vehicle now needs the brakes serviced again. This will be the third time taking the vehicle in for this problem. I am unsure if the vehicle is safe to drive. The only trip I am now planning is back to the dealership to have the brakes done. Again.”
A complaint listed as being a suspension, powertrain, and forward collision avoidance issue also highlights brake problems. An owner from California states, “The auto brakes are not accurate because it triggers them in unsafe situations.”
An owner from Florida reports in a complaint that sudden, unintended acceleration occurred without driver input while parking and braking at about 1-2 mph. “The vehicle was not in our control.” Instead of the Ascent stopping, it “crashed into the apartment building causing significant damage to both the apartment and our vehicle. There were no warnings, no automatic braking to avoid the collision, (and) the airbags did not deploy. The total damages are still being determined by the dealer and insurance company.”
In a shorter but almost identical complaint, an owner from New York states that the vehicle “plowed through the garage” rather than braking. This was also due to “sudden and unintended acceleration without driver input.”
The Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology is an advanced safety system that uses dual cameras mounted near the rearview mirror to monitor traffic movement, optimize cruise control, and provide pre-collision braking. It is designed to enhance awareness by alerting drivers to potential hazards and can even apply brakes automatically to prevent or mitigate collisions. However, there are several complaints from owners of the 2023 Subaru Ascent that record EyeSight failures.
An owner from Texas states that the EyeSight system is “intermittently inoperable.” Additionally, there was a message indicating that the EyeSight function was disabled and the icon turned from green to white with a line across. The dealer could not replicate the failure. However, some time later the dealer told the owner they had notified their regional field engineer who said “there was no remedy to correct the failure.”
Similarly, an owner from Tennessee experienced the system randomly turning off while driving or parked. Sometimes this happened at a fuel station. Furthermore, there are no warnings of the impending failure. “Our safety is put at risk. Once EyeSight is off it will not reset/restart, so you are driving without the number one Subaru safety feature. We can reproduce the error. The dealer just looked at the codes and said it was normal operation.”
This same owner also experienced an EyeSight shutdown with a 2020 Subaru. However, they expected it due to heavy rain, snow, and fog. “It would restart once we were in the clear. But now we are told that sunlight and windshield condensation affect EyeSight’s functionality.
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 2023 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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