2020 Subaru Ascent problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Electrical System (82) · Visibility/Wiper (49) · Power Train (48)
🧭 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
140 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
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
Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly 2021-12-09 · campaign 21V954000 · 1,305 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Ascent vehicles. Due to an incorrect tapered hole in the housing, the front tie rod ends may not fit properly. The improper fit can result in the tie rods and housings being deformed during assembly and service replacement if excessive torque is applied.
Risk: The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the left and right front tie rod ends and housings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-21.
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.
Service bulletins (530)
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 530 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-20 · Power Train“the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. the contact stated that on multiple occasions, while driving at various undisclosed speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly failed to accelerate and lost power. the contact also stated that the vehicle felt sluggish while driving. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with chain slippage in the cl…”
2026-10-19 · Unknown Or Other“i have experienced problems with the rear lift gate on multiple occasions. it is working intermittently and locking me out. the beeping while the car is in motion is continuous and it drained the battery; i had to purchase a new battery. another time we had to disconnect the battery (as suggested by the dealership) and reconnect it to fix the pr…”
2026-09-11 · Wheels“after replacing tires i started hearing noises from rear wheel. i searched online and it appears there is an issue with wheel bearings on several subaru models (see youtube video by fixbook dated july 12, 2026). the issue was confirmed by my subaru dealer on 9/10/2026. subary wheel bearings prior to 2026 were subject to poor design resulting in pr…”
2026-09-04 · Exterior Lighting“subaru has a known problem/design with their led daytime running lamps on the ascent model. dealerships are seeing a high failure rate of these led lights, and it is always with the left side headlamp assembly. the led strip quits working. in my case my car has about 42,000 miles on it with estimated 1,500 hours of operation. led lights are des…”
2026-08-27 · Power Train · 145,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was skipping. the failure was recurrent. the contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 21v955000 (power train); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair was completed on july 15, 2025. the contact…”
2026-08-20 · Power Train“1. the vehicle is experiencing a transmission malfunction/failure. the dealership was able to replicate the issue and confirm the malfunction, which caused the check engine light to illuminate. the vehicle is currently being evaluated by the dealership, and any failed components should be available for inspection upon request while the vehicle rema…”
2026-07-29 · Power Train“the transmission is slipping on my 2020 ascent. i had the recall wrk-21 performed in july of 2025. over the last 6 months the car has been hesitant to go at low speeds and shakes at high speeds. over the last month the transmission started to slip while accelerating , especially up hill. there would be a grinding noise and rpms would jump. i too…”
2026-07-20 · Suspension“my strut bearings have been replaced several times in the drivers sides, my shock and strut has been replaced twice on the drivers side and now the passenger side is doing the same thing. the dealership tells me that there is nothing wrong but research shows this car has known suspension issues. my passenger side front has a loud metallic grinding …”
2026-05-29 · Service Brakes · 💥 crash“i am reporting a repeat safety concern involving a 2020 subaru ascent. the vehicle was involved in two separate collisions after failing to decelerate as expected following normal brake pedal application. the first incident occurred on january 26, 2026. while approaching a traffic signal, i applied the brakes under normal driving conditions. the ve…”
2026-05-22 · Unknown Or Other“i am submitting this complaint regarding a known exhaust manifold/flex pipe failure affecting my 2020 subaru ascent touring (vin: [xxx] ). my vehicle was diagnosed by a subaru dealership with a “broken flex pipe on the header” causing excessive exhaust noise and exhaust leak concerns. repair estimate was slightly over $2,000. after researching th…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.