Subaru Ascent Complaints

262 consumer complaints on file.

#11677586July 31, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving 30 -35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped and resumed driving repeatedly. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond as intended, causing the braking distance to be extended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and repair were completed. Additionally, the contact stated that the same dealer had previously repaired the brakes under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to retrieve the vehicle from the dealer even though the contact had safety concerns. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677132July 30, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Driver side mirror vibrates making the view in the mirror blurry. The distorted picture causes confusion and safety hazard as it's very difficult to see in day and almost impossible at night. Vibrations are noticeable in the driver's side B pillar. According to the dealership, this is related to the car's frame, no further details were provided so far. Car has been in the service for almost two weeks due to this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675148July 21, 2025
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive and failed to accelerate at intended. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission, and informed the contact that the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673578July 15, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield cracked right at the corner of where the defects have taken place on the previous year Ascents, which is not covered under the extended warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672621July 10, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The drivers side mirror glass shakes while driving. Visibility in the mirror is extremely limited making it impossible to see vehicle approaching or to judge distance. After dark the mirror is useless.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672190July 9, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The front panel of the moonroof cracked from the inside without any impact or clear cause. I brought the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer, Troncalli, for inspection, but they were unable to determine why it happened. I purchased this vehicle for my wife and kids, and now there’s a cracked piece of glass directly above their heads. After doing some research, I found that this appears to be a common issue, often attributed to temperature fluctuations or body flexing. It seems Subaru used the same thin glass on the moonroof panels as they do on their windshields, which seems to be the problem. The vehicle is only three years old, yet Subaru has declined to cover the damage. I am hesitant to pay out of pocket to replace the panel, knowing the issue still exists on newer models, including the 2025s. My concern is that even after repair, it could easily happen again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672030July 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN
On Friday, June 13, 2025, while (thankfully) in my driveway, the transmission broke on my 2021 Subaru Ascent in my driveway. I simply started my car, put it in reverse, and my car jerked and stopped. NO prior warning. I was on a slight slope. I thank my lucky stars I did not have my kids out on the road when it happened. I had to have it towed to the closest Subaru dealership (a $395 charge). Upon inspection, my transmission (the CVT model) was no longer working. My car was bought in December 2021 and it has around 80,000 miles on it. In researching, I saw that the 2019 and 2020 models with the CVT had been recalled (or had their warranties extended to 100,000 miles coverage) for the EXACT thing that happened to my car. If I am correct, my car was manufactured in November of 2020 from what I was told. I find it so hard to imagine that a transmission should fail due to "no reason" at this point, my car is not even 5 years old! The fact that this has happened on cars right in the timeframe of when mine was made, it's hard to imagine I should have to pay almost $10,000 for a new transmission when the history of these transmissions failing have been quite newsworthy! It was not fixable, the only choice I was given was to buy a new transmission. In today's economy, I just find this unacceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671020July 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The passenger-side mirror on my Ascent has been damaged and removed since March 2025. I paid for the part on April 8, 2025 and was told it would arrive in a few weeks. As of July 1, 2025, the part has been delayed until August. The mirror is critical for visibility and safe operation. My wife drives this car daily with our infant. Subaru has refused to provide a rental, and the car is unsafe. I’ve contacted Subaru Corporate with no resolution, despite my continued persistence in contacting them through visits to their dealership in Plano, TX and several emails.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668970June 24, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
No particular incident happened, but the driver's side view mirror vibrates when moving especially at high speeds and/or bumpy roads. Worse at night as when you look, headlights in rear are shaking and make me dizzy and not look. The passengers side is nice and stable. Doesn't vibrate and shake.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668559June 23, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield on the 2023 is extremely susceptible to cracking easily. Chips turn to cracks within minutes
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668200June 20, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
The drivers side mirror has a constant vibration that causes visibility issues. Has done it since we bought it new.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665581June 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The lane assist failed by over correcting while I have my hands on the steering wheel. It over corrects to the center lane when you are driving with normal behavior. This can cause a collision if it were to over correct while a car was there, this is also easily reproducible in my car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665178June 5, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
I have a 2021 Subaru Ascent that falls under an extended warranty regarding the windshield due to a faulty windshield. My windshield has cracked, reduce visibility, and does not allow the forward collision warning to work properly. Subaru recognizes the faulty windshield and refuses to remedy the issue. I question the safety and integrity of this windshield to protect from normal road debris strikes, allow normal visibility, and the integrity of the lamination of the from windshield in the event of a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659057May 5, 2025
ENGINE
camshaft carrier oil leakage need to be reseal. there was oil leakage at 36,000 miles and dealer fixed it under warranty. now at 80,000 it is doing it again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658723May 3, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Every time I go out of park there is a massive clubking noise from under the car. It's actually a super common item with these cars I am seeing as well in other forums. I believe this could lead to sheared parking brakes in the future.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654864April 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Transmission needed to replaced at around 50k miles. Sister in law has the same year and her transmission went about the same mileage
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654734April 15, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Driver's side mirror vibrates when driving. Almost not usable when at highway speeds. Seems like Subaru does not have a fix for it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653634April 9, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
I am filing a formal complaint against Subaru of America regarding a safety defect in my 2023 Subaru Ascent (VIN: [XXX] ) and their failure to honor warranty and recall obligations. Subaru issued recall TSB 06-92-24 to address front brake vibration by replacing rotors and pads with upgraded parts. My vehicle received this repair in September 2024. Less than 9,000 miles later, the exact same symptoms returned—steering wheel shaking and brake pulsation. In April 2025, Subaru resurfaced the upgraded rotors instead of replacing them, violating their own TSB, which prohibits unnecessary resurfacing and mandates rotor replacement if runout exceeds 0.05 mm. An independent inspection dated April 9, 2025, confirmed: Left front rotor measures 29.0 mm with 0.5 mm runout (10x Subaru’s limit) Right front rotor also measures 29.0 mm Subaru’s dealership claimed the rotors were 30.09 mm and 29.50 mm—inaccurate and misleading Subaru returned the vehicle in an unsafe condition with documented brake system defects. Their customer service insists the vehicle is “operating as designed,” despite clear evidence to the contrary. I am requesting regulatory review and a full buyback or enforcement of proper warranty compliance. Photos, inspection documents, and invoices are available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653574April 9, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Formal Complaint Summary (VIN: [XXX] ) I am submitting this formal complaint concerning a 2023 Subaru Ascent Onyx Edition Limited (VIN: [XXX] ), which continues to experience brake-related safety defects despite recall repairs and repeated service attempts during the warranty period. Subaru of America issued Service Bulletin 06-92-24 in July 2024, which extended warranty coverage and acknowledged systemic issues with front brake components—specifically brake pulsation, squealing, pedal softness, and vibration. Subaru developed new components and repair protocols to address these issues, including new rotors, tie bars, pad kits, and a revised installation process. In September 2024, I brought the vehicle to CMA’s Subaru of Winchester after experiencing symptoms covered under the recall. Subaru replaced all required recall components. However, the defect returned in March 2025, while driving from Indianapolis to Winchester, now worse than before—resulting in violent steering wheel vibration, loud grinding noises, and unsafe braking behavior, particularly during downhill braking. Instead of replacing the parts again, Subaru resurfaced the upgraded rotors—despite the bulletin’s warnings against doing so. This resurfacing served as a temporary patch, not a true fix, and failed to resolve the underlying safety issue. I have made 21 lease payments totaling $13,707.96 and paid a $6,000 down payment, totaling $19,707.96 in out-of-pocket costs. Subaru has offered only a $2,500 goodwill payment, which I rejected. Relief Requested: I am requesting a full reimbursement with buy back under Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Investigation to the reoccurring break issues despite being serviced for a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652894April 4, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The windshield on the 2021 Subaru Ascent is dangerous because it chips extremely easily. I purchased the car new in 2021 and since then I have had 7 rock chips (in all different states (TX, CA, WA) and driving conditions/speeds/roads). In the 4 years since I have owned it I have had the windshield replaced twice so I am on my 3rd windshield. Each time the rock hits, it causes a large chip to form which distracts the driver momentarily. It also creates defects in the windshield which could lead to safety issues of the windshield shattering.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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