Subaru Ascent Complaints

262 consumer complaints on file.

#11581306April 5, 2024
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Vehicle drifts on the highway and pulls hard to the left, which is a very concerning safety issue. I have already taken the vehicle to the dealer; they did a calibration of the eyesight. The problem still persists, especially when driving the vehicle on the highway. This has almost pulled me into traffic on a few occasions!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11580921April 3, 2024
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while making a left turn at approximately 5-10 MPH, another vehicle ran a red light and crashed into the front passenger's side bumper. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's chest struck the steering wheel, resulting in a fractured sternum. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was first towed to the police impound lot, then to a body shop. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired and was not deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11578417March 20, 2024
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
I bought the Vehicle new at Subaru of Bristol, TN. At around 23,000 miles it starting lurching forward while idling, jerking and hesitating when trying to accelerate, or not accelerating at all. It was so bad that at one point, I pulled out to pass and almost got rear ended by a semi because it simply wouldn't engage and accelerate. I took it to the Wallace Subaru dealership on [XXX] at 25,578 miles. They drove the vehicle and did a software update and claimed it was fixed. It seemed ok for a couple of days and then started having the same issues again. I took it back to Wallace on [XXX] at 27,248 miles and also engaged Subaru of America. They had the vehicle until [XXX] during which time they replaced the transmission. It seemed ok for a few days and started doing the same thing again. I took it back to the dealership on [XXX] at 29,449. They performed no service because they claimed they couldn't replicate the issue. This past weekend, I almost had another wreck trying to merge from the on-ramp onto the interstate because the car literally just stopped accelerating and jerked for several seconds before engaging again. Cars were literally slamming brakes behind me to keep from hitting me. This car is unsafe to drive and it's either going cause me harm or someone else because Subaru, despite knowing this is a known issue with this model and certainly with this particular car, seems like they need me to have a wreck before they will continue servicing the vehicle and finding and fixing the issue. They need to buy it back for at least what I owe. I certainly don't want to trade it for another Subaru. 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
#11575451March 5, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
In span of little over a year i have replaced the windshield once and had a repair twice. Insurance already went up due to the claims. Windshield cracks fast and easily!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575036March 2, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Ascent randomly hesitates when pulling out into traffic.. both at slow speeds and when attempting to pass on interstate.. has been at dealer service numerous times regarding this , it periodically 'walking' when parked and ranfom inability to get hatch to work. Is currently at a different dealer service as previous dealer was unable to replicate and unwilling to keep vehicle for more than the hour or 2 of service appt. Prev dealer did replace hatch motor over a year ago..but still works randomly..their fix for this is to manually reset everytime.. as for ' walking ' when parked, my ascent will very slowly move 6 to 8 feet when parked..dealer 'fix' is to only park with parking brake on. Hesitation issue is now worse since prev dealer did 'system update'.. now rpm drop to 1000 or lower, then after 3 or 4 seconds, car revs to 3 or 4 k & takes off..during the 3 or 4 seconds of hesitation, I am literally sitting in the middle of the road as the car initially starts to move forward, then literally just sits there until it revs up and takes off. This is random, so no way to record..and no rhym or reason to know when it's going to happen. Last week it nearly got me t boned by an 18 wheeler when I pulled out across 4 lanes after getting fuel. Have contacted Subaru of America requesting their help but have gotten no reply despite my 7 voicemail left for the assigned rep. My car is a 22 ascent touring with 17k miles..has been at same dealer repeatedly for same issues and their repeated reply us "unable to duplicate, so no issue.".. I am on Subaru Ascent page on FB.. There are numerous people complaining of same nasty hesitation issue with no resolution from their dealer service. I bought this car with a 10 yr 100k warranty..fortunately I have not been financially responsible for the numerous service calls, but I am seriously concerned with being a statistic..my car is listed as one of the top 10 safest in a crash, but I don't like feeling like a ' test dummy'
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11573842February 25, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshield started cracking after a minor pebble strike near the bottom center of the windshield. Crack has doubled in size in less than 10 minutes and continues to grow.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11572800February 19, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After 3 years the battery died completely and the car was unable to start, I replaced the battery with AAA and the next the day, it also died again. I was able to jump start the battery the next day and continued to use the vehicle. I have the battery for about a month and again the battery on the vehicle had drained where I was unable to start the car but I was able to jump start the car with a battery jump starter. There has been 3 occasions of battery just draining and I have a new battery installed. I called Subaru and they mentioned that there could be an issue with the back latch no closing which could drain the battery, however, the have confirmed that the back door does completely close and lock or it will just automatically come back up. I feel there is something wrong with the electrical system and AAA has confirmed with me the the alternator or the battery is functional.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11572635February 18, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle has a parasitic battery draw. I purchased a new gel cell (Redtop) battery, the most powerful one that fits the car, and was reimbursed by Subaru. The car battery still goes totally dead after about one week, even with occasional driving. I have to carry a jump battery in case I am traveling to insure that I can get the car started when I stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11568751January 30, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle is stated to get 20 MPG in the city, 26 MPG on the Highway and 22 MPG combined according to the monroney label that I have when I purchased the vehicle new in October 2023. I am only seeing about 15 -17. I drive mostly in the city. I took a highway trip once and got about 20 MPG after resetting the meter and a fresh fill up. I hear of other people in online forums getting a little better MPG but they have to drive it very carefully. Like never letting the RPM's get over 200, slow starts and coasting a lot. To me this is not normal driving. I am expecting at lease 20 MPG in the city with normal driving, not driving like an old grandma. So I believe that Subaru has misrepresented their information on the monroney label. I am ok with you inspecting the vehicle. no warming lights on indicating a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11568741January 30, 2024
SEATS
The heated seats do not heat. They are luke warm and you can barely feel any heat. I took the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer and they determined there was no issue. Was told the seats are not suppose to get hot. So what is the point of heated seats then? There are several online groups for Subaru where owner discuss issues with their vehicles and give advice. There are many customers who are complaining about the same thing. (Seat being luke warm). Then there are other customers who say their seats get super hot on the same model vehicle. I contacted Subaru of America, told them about the issue and the complaints in the online groups about the issue. They only advised me to go to a different dealer and be retested. Obviously in certain vehicles the heated seats are defective because some people say they are super hot and some say they barely get warm. I just can't get anyone at Subaru to admin there is an issue and take corrective action. I am ok with you inspecting the vehicle. no warming lights on indicating a problem. The vehicle was bought new October 2023 and the seats have always been this way. I feel that the seats are defective in some manner and that alone is a safety risk. All that energy that is suppose to be heating the seats and isn't has to be going somewhere and could lead to a fire or electrical shock.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11568297January 28, 2024
POWER TRAIN, SUSPENSION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The auto brakes are not accurate because it triggers them in unsafe situations.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11566809January 21, 2024
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Vehicle wanders on the highway and pulls hard to the left, which is a very concerning safety issue. I have already taken the vehicle to the dealer, did an alignment and took it back a month later because the issue persisted. The problem persist, specially when driving the vehicle on the highway. I am really concern about my family safety and the safety of others in the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11563206January 3, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes have been replaced once and serviced once afterwards. The vehicle now needs the brakes serviced again. This will be the third time taking the vehicle in for this problem. I am unsure if the vehicle is safe to drive. The only trip I am now planning is back to the dealership to have the brakes done. Again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11563177January 2, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I own 4 Subarus I’ve replaced 4 windshields and since replacing the windshields, I have 4 broken windshields. The oldest Subaru I own is a 2020. The smallest rock cracks the windshield, many think it’s the eye sight system and a much thinner windshield. Insurance companies increase the rates if you claim the windshield, so many Subaru owners just don’t get them fixed, causing visibility issues. I emailed Subaru of America about the problem and they sent me a $500 dollar coupon for parts? I asked a dealership about it, they said “that’s Arizona”. 5 of the 8 broken windshields broke in Massachusetts where I bought 3 of the 4 Subarus, he avoided the conversation after that. Something’s not right, and Subaru has gotten into trouble with this before.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11562472December 28, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
I was sitting in a long line of stopped cars. I looked in my mirrors to move to the right lane. I made sure no vehicles were coming. I pressed on the accelerator to move, and nothing happened. In a panic I quickly repeated pressing the accelerator and nothing happened. The third time the car finally moved forward. I was terrified that someone would come along quickly in the right lane a hit my car. I also had a passenger that was speechless about the incident. Now I feel unsafe to drive the car. This has happened one time previously, but I thought it was a fluke. Also, like many other comments the transmission shudders sometimes but not often. I waited to buy a new 2022 Ascent Limited because I read where the transmission issue had been fixed. Mentioned it to the service advisor and he laughed it off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557423November 29, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Subaru Eyesight will turn off randomly while driving or while parked (turn the vehicle off, unlock the door, sit for a minute or two and when restarting the vehicle, eyesight indicator is orange - off. Example - getting fuel at a full service gas station. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection. Our safety is put at risk. Once Eyesight is off it will not reset/restart, so you are driving without the number one Subaru safety feature. We can reproduce the error. The Dealer just looked at the codes and said it was normal operation. We reported the error to Subaru Customer care and we have a case number. Subaru Customer care is going to contact the Dealer. There is a small red "i" indicator light in the dash that will light up after Eyesight fails. There are no warnings of the failure. We understand rain, snow and fog will impact Eyesight. We had a 2020 Subaru that Eyesight only shutdown when expected (heavy rain, snow, fog) and would restart once we were in the clear, but now we are told that sunlight and windshield condensation affects Eyesight's functionality. We were also told by Customer care that the cameras where changed on the 2023 Ascent model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11556541November 23, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake making squeaky noise when it's being applied. This happened less than 30,000 miles during April 2023. I went to dealership during a routine oil change and the service tech found nothing wrong. I took it to road trip and it was to the point where the vehicle shakes and everyone else around me could hear it when we apply the brake. I took it to another dealership and the service manager said he has seen several vehicle came in and the caliper sticks to the brake pad, so they had to change the inner brake system as well as the rotor. Well, after changing it in July, it is now November and I am hearing the squeak again so I know it will get worst very soon. It seems like the dealership that changed it knew it was happening to other 2022 Ascent vehicles, too. I scheduled an appointment with my local dealership for 12/6/2023 and I will see what they say.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11556340November 21, 2023
TIRES
Tire blew out at 70 mph on interstate with no warning and no debris on roadway. (245/50R20). Police officer aided us after we changed the spare to re-enter interstate safely due to high traffic speed. Beginning of a road trip so bought a new tire when we found a town & shop disposed of destroyed tire though we do have a photo. Heavy traffic and difficult to get to shoulder safely as vehicle began fishtailing as we maneuvered onto the gravel shoulder. Extremely frightening. Had to put spare on next to cars flying by just next to the rear passenger tire that blew. Vehicle only 3 months old and with less than 10k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552904October 31, 2023
POWER TRAIN
The transmission jerks and slips after accelerating from stops. It causes the car to jitter and not accelerate when necessary while in traffic. After taking it to the service center multiple times, the problem was reproduced with a service technician in the car. The tech had a computer connected to the diagnostic box. The service tech stated that he completed a computer update to correct the issue. The issue is still happening and I've returned the vehicle to the service center at least 3 times since the "computer fix". The issue happens every day during my morning and evening commutes. The manufacturer hasn't inspected the vehicle. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before, during, or after the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552358October 28, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Right around the 10,000 mile mark I started noticing a shake when braking. I was pretty concerned about this as the car only has the mentioned 10,000 miles. I took it to the dealership where I bought the car. They were able to fix the problem by replacing the rotors and break pads. I was informed that the rotors were warped and had hot spots. The vehicle no longer shakes when braking, but I’m worried that it will happen again in another 10k miles. It may be an issue with the size of the brakes compared to the weight of the vehicle. This causes the rotors to heat up more than intended which leads to warping and hot spots.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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