2020 Subaru Ascent Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that he parked the vehicle in the parking garage overnight and when he went to get into the vehicle the next morning, he noticed that the windshield was cracked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Between October of 2021 and February of 2022): Shuddering (like driving on rumble strips) and sluggish transmission (slow to respond acceleration and sometimes jumping when depressing the gas pedal) - reported this multiple times to dealership but was told they couldn’t replicate what I was feeling/experiencing. I also reported that the CVT would not adjust to the lower RPM (remained between 2000-3000) after ascending a hill. I was told in a dismissive manner that it was throttle control, which it was not. Brought vehicle back in June 2022 reporting the same issues. Determined it was the WRK-21 service bulletin. WRK-21 repair was done in July/August of 2022. I was without my car from June through August 30th. Transfer case was replaced. By March of 2023, the exact same symptoms returned and got worse on a much shorter timeline than the first time this happened. On 5/31/23 I brought the car back in. Approx 2.5 weeks later it was determined that it was the WRK-21 issue again. Today 6/30/23, I was told that a regional service technician from Subaru of America has determined that the transfer case needs to be replaced again. I opened a case at Subaru of America (case #[XXX]), requesting that a new transmission be installed into the vehicle, citing major safety concerns about repairing/replacing a repair. No warning lights ever went on at anytime in this reported timeline. Car is not in my possession so it would only be accessible at the dealership. It has been there since 5/31/23. Ultimately, I feel like driving the vehicle is dangerous. I’ve wondered if it’s just going to die while driving at times when it shudders. I have a young child and need a safe vehicle. I do not feel safe in this vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Since the day I bought this car anything that blows across the road causes the brakes to slam on....even at speed on the highway This is dangerous as hell. Additionally the eye sight disconnects intermittently for on reason or because of rain or a small bump in the road. You must stop and turn the car off and on to get a reset. I have had the vehicle inspected at 3 different Subaru dealerships and they all say nothing is wrong with either system. Now I have tried for 2 weeks to get a response from Subaru Customer Advocate with negative results.

Car was unresponsive and would not start. It was just purchased certified used on 5/8/2023. On 5/10/2023 AAA replaced the battery and on 5/12/2023 the battery died again as a result the car did not start and was unresponsive. Tailgate was beeping in both situations.

The driver door window gasket cracked and is hanging loose inside the door, letting air to get air while the vehicle is in operation. I would expect this after 10 years of use, but the vehicle is about 3 years old.

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).

The CVT transmission has failed and been replaced three times despite proper maintenance. Subaru has replaced the transmission multiple times under warranty, but the failure continues to recur. •First CVT replacement at 50,542 miles •Second CVT replacement at 88,175 miles •Third CVT replacement at 92,832 miles This shows repeat failure, not wear-and-tear. It is a safety risk: The vehicle hesitates and loses power intermittently, which creates a safety risk when accelerating or merging into traffic. The most recent replacement is incorrectly listed as pan replacement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The car drains the battery prematurely overnight

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Battery life issue

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was a delay while shifting gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train). The recall repair was performed; however, the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was repaired several times. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 30,000.

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.

Both front struts have failed within 55000 miles, the passenger one had a failure at 43,000 miles and the driver side has failed at 54000 miles. The dealership stated that the struts had "corrosion" and were not damaged. The strut failures cause the car to shake when hitting even a small bump. There were no warning lamps or messages.

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.

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.

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.

My car had a CVT drivetrain recall which has been labeled as "repaired" because I brought it to the dealer, however, the issue still exists and my car has been to the dealer 5 times already concerning this recall. The symptoms of the CVT drive train that I am experiencing are: shuddering (dealership vocabulary) at approximately 20 mph (approximately 1500-2000 rpm). The issue has gotten worse because now I experience the occasional shuddering at 40 mph and about 60 mph. In addition, occasionally at about 20 mph after slowing down and then accelerating there is a heavy vibration from the engine (which was heard over the phone by someone). Some things that the dealership have done included updating the computer, reflashing, reprogramming it, etc. However, as I mentioned the issue still exists and has gotten worse. I also personally contacted corporate Subaru to let them know that the issue has not been resolved. I wanted to report this issue to you because they have labeled my car as "repaired" based on the fact that I brought it in for the recall, however, the issue was not fixed and it has gotten worse.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 $50 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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Constant dead battery No start

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.