2019 Subaru Ascent problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Electrical System (120) · Power Train (79) · Visibility/Wiper (66)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Ascent model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
240 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (9)
Equipment:other:labels 2026-07-07 · campaign 26V436000 · 541,237 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
Electrical System:wiring:interior/Under Dash 2022-12-08 · campaign 22V907000 · 271,694 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ascent vehicles. The ground bolt that secures the ground terminal of the Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater may have been improperly fastened, which could result in melting of the ground terminal and surrounding components.
Risk: A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicle away from structures and to avoid leaving the vehicle unattended while the engine is running. An owner who notices or smells smoke coming from the dash or driver's footwell area should immediately stop operating the vehicle and turn the ignition switch to the "Off" position. Dealers will replace the PTC heater ground bolts and if necessary, replace the ground wire and the connector holder, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be m
Power Train:driveline:chain/Belt 2021-12-09 · campaign 21V955000 · 198,255 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
Risk: An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 19, 2022. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 19V-855. Vehicles previously recalled under 19V-855 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall once available. Owners may contact Su
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2021-07-29 · campaign 21V587000 · 175,968 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2020-04-16 · campaign 20V218000 · 188,207 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.
Risk: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 2019-12-02 · campaign 19V855000 · 76,842 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Ascent vehicles. The transmission hydraulic sensor may inaccurately measure the hydraulic fluid pressure.
Risk: If the fluid pressure is measured higher than its actual value, the hydraulic pressure will be reduced. If this occurs, the transmission drive chain may not have the proper tension, resulting in a loss of drive power and an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control unit. The hydraulic sensor harness will be replaced on vehicles with certain stored diagnostic trouble codes. In addition, any vehicle confirmed to have experienced low drive chain tension will have the transmission assembly will be replaced. All repairs will be free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUV-
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:crankcase (Pcv) 2019-12-02 · campaign 19V856000 · 51,613 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the short block engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUW-08.
Power Train:driveline:driveshaft 2019-07-10 · campaign 19V519000 · 166 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Ascent vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, possibly resulting in the front portion of the driveshaft disconnecting.
Risk: If the front end of the driveshaft separates, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft assembly, including the center support brace, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUI-94.
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2018-08-02 · campaign 18V508000 · 293 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Subaru Ascent vehicles. These vehicles may be missing spot welds on, or around, the B-Pillar, compromising vehicle strength.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the missing spot welds may compromise the vehicle's strength, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle to check for missing spot welds. If the welds are missing, the vehicle will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTU-80.
Service bulletins (638)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Engine 2026-09-29 · 09-141-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides a diagnostic procedure for customer concerns about hesitation, reduced acceleration, or lack of power when driving uphill or under heavy engine load.
Electrical System 2026-09-29 · 07-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides a repair procedure for increased dark current and unintended battery discharge that occurs in a small number of unique cases.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Showing the 6 most recent of 638 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-19 · Power Train · 108,000 mi“the contact owns a 2019 subaru ascent. the contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle hesitated. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where diagnostic trouble codes were identified, and a vehicle reprogramming was performed. while driving, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that …”
2026-10-07 · Power Train“cvt is slipping and failing internally, cvt assembly requires replacement.…”
2026-09-06 · Unknown Or Other“subaru of america has a bulletin out that changes the front suspension arms for both front ends. the dealership made this correction and now the front end rattles like there are loose parts. dealership says they don’t hear it. won’t investigate more unless i pay them a diagnostic fee. if subaru of america knows this vehicle has a faulty part that …”
2026-09-04 · Structure:body:hood · 60,000 mi“the contact owns a 2019 subaru accent. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the hood was shaking and vibrating abnormally. the dealer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the contact was informed that an unknown adjustment was needed. additionally, the shocks were replaced, but the failure reoccurred. the veh…”
2026-08-19 · Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate“immediately after pushing the lift gate release button on the dash, a loud and constant alarm tone began. the gate would then not open using the button on the dash, remote, or handle on the exterior of the lift gate door. to access the items in the rear (and to stop the alarm), we needed to get the door open. we followed the owner's manual exactly…”
2026-08-14 · Power Train“the vehicle has 178k miles on it currently. i had to have a transmission and transfer case replaced at 68k miles. done by subaru. at 168k miles i had to have a new front pump in the transmission case replaced. repair done by subaru. now at 178k miles the second replacement transmission has completely failed and needs replaced. …”
2026-08-06 · Power Train“all the safety systems become disabled and check engine light goes on because transmission fluid is being pumped out of a faulty secondary pressure sensor part 31878aa020,( defective and replaced with 31878aa021), into the engines wiring at the car computer, transmission computer, and bulkhead connector in fuse box causing all sorts of engine codes…”
2026-08-03 · Power Train“my 2019 subaru ascent limited had a safety recall that was related to a cvt transmission issue. that safety recall was addressed by sewell subaru (dallas, tx) in january of 2025. this past wednesday, july 29, i was driving on a state highway on my way to work from my residence. not even two miles away from my residence, i felt a jerk and a loud "th…”
2026-08-01 · Unknown Or Other“nhtsa vehicle safety complaint vehicle: 2019 subaru ascent vin: [xxx] mileage: 72,093 miles i am submitting this complaint because my 2019 subaru ascent experienced a serious transmission-related electrical failure that may represent a broader safety defect. sewell subaru of dallas diagnosed an internal failure of a transmission pressure sensor.…”
2026-07-27 · Power Train“transmission was recalled and supposedly fixed. the fix has now failed and dealer and subaru are not willing to fix again. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.