There are 10 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2020 Subaru Ascentin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was driving and I got check engine light and all safety features disabled while I was in the freeway, luckily I was able to drive to nearby Subaru dealer for inspection and I found out that there was a recall on the engine for this vehicle and when I contacted the manufacturer they asked me to take it for diagnostics and I did that at a Subaru retailer, but the case manager told me that this recall is being completed for the previous owner of the vehicle and cannot help me with anything, which was never disclosed when I was buying the vehicle.
Car has 82,000 miles, has been maintained and requires an engine replacement due to 'Sludge'. Reading a lot of forums that indicate this is a common situation with this make and model and likely due to manufacturer's defects.
Unknown PCV valve failure caused catastrophic engine failure on interstate highway (70 mph speed limit). Luckily there was room to pull to the side and no one got hurt. This part was recalled in 2019 models due to possible loss of control from engine failure. Dealer tore down engine to determine cause for possible warranty coverage and found the PCV valve was the cause of engine failure. There were no warning lights or indications of any problems before this.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for routine service, where it was discovered that the cam carrier was leaking from the engine. While having an oil change, the mechanic informed the contact that there were no further leaks found. There were no warning lights illuminated. After driving and parking the vehicle, there was an abnormal odor of oil coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an overhaul of the engine was needed. While driving, there was an abnormal oil-burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Adventure Subaru (2269 N Henbest Dr, Fayetteville, AR 72704), who confirmed there was no recall coverage for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The battery died after two weeks of replacing it, later revealing the alternator failed. Parts are not available, Subaru kept them My safety was at risk because the lights on my dashboard Christmas Tree'd letting me know something was wrong. Within a couple of blocks I had no power steering and was dying on a busy street. The car was so dead that I couldn't even turn on my hazard lights. The car was jumped by Subaru, the tow truck driver left and the car died two blocks later. This time in the middle of the busy street. The vehicle was towed to Subaru who replaced the battery we bought two weeks earlier. We asked if they check the charging system and they said yes. The battery light was on before we left the lot. We made them keep the car so we wouldn't die in the middle of anymore busy streets. Days later they determined it was the alternator. The car had 26,000 miles on it. I don't know what Subaru did with the parts. They said they needed them as it was a warranty replacement. The battery light never came on before the car died. First the Eye Sight Disabled light came on then many lights on the dashboard flashed on. This happened a couple blocks prior to me losing power. I found the first place I could to get off the road. Two weeks prior when the battery died, the eyesight disabled light came on and the battery light. That time I got home and we replaced the battery. Therefore when the eyesight disabled light came on, I knew something was wrong but thought I had time to get out of the way. Then everything died. The worst part is that hazard lights didn't work.
On Friday evening, February 23, 2024 , I pulled onto my driveway and came to a complete stop before driving into the garage . I reached up and hit the garage door remote. When the door began to go up I took my foot off the brake. Instead of creeping up the driveway the car took off like a proverbial "bat out of hell" It was as if I had pushed the accelerator compltely down.to the floor board. The brakes had no effect. I smashed through the garage door,. The car jumped a six inch concrete step up, obliterated the garage cabinets and pushed the contents of the cabinets and garage wall into our family room.The car came to a rest just outside our family room. My son opened the door to the garage and yelled out to me "Are you okay" Because the engine was still racing he said "Get your foot off the accelerator' My reply was I DON'T HAVE MY FOOT N THE ACCELERATOR". I then tuned the ignition off and the ordeal was over.. It appears that the engine continued to recieve fuel irregardless of the position of the accelerator., the automatic braking system failed miserably and the the forward collision warning was malfunctioning. I am waiting for the insurance company to remove the car from the garage and do a structural assessment.. Because there may be serious structual damage I want the insurance company to remove the vehicle less the second floor collapses onto the garage. My son was on the couch just seconds before the wall "exploded". The couch was moved eight feet across the room. If a piece of debris came through the windsield I also might have been injured. The potential for serious injury to others in another set of ircumstances also scares me. The malfunction came without warning. The damages will be in the tens of thousands of dollars. I am blessed that no one was injured or killed.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle had started jerking. The RPMs became elevated however, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
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.
I recently bought my Subaru and I noticed the transmission would stall when going in to gear or changing gears and the rpm would be high, also last night I de fogged my windows and drove to my destination and noticed a crack in my windshield from the top where my eyesight is, I did not hear or see anything hit my car windshield, my car didn't give off any warning signs for either of the problems I stated, I have contacted subur 1800subur3 they say there is no recall so now talk to customer service so now I am waiting to speak to them
ODOMETER: 1,289 MILES VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, DROVE 3 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT AND CHECK COOLANT INDICATOR CAME ON. OPENED HOOD TO SMOKE AND SERPENTINE BELT HAD SHREDDED. COOLANT WAS SPRAYED ALL OVER UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED SERPENTINE BELT AND APPEARS BATTERY LIGHT AND OVERHEATING WAS CAUSED FROM BELT FAILURE.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026