Subaru Ascent Complaints (2024)

49 consumer complaints on file.

#11759770August 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving, shortly after starting the trip (after traveling approximately a quarter mile), I felt what seemed like a bite or an electric shock on my left ankle, at floor level. I immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. My sock had a burn/hole in it, and I sustained three distinct marks on my ankle. There were no dashboard warning lights on before, during, or after the incident. This startled me while I was actively driving and could have caused a loss of vehicle control, particularly if it had occurred at higher speed or in traffic. The vehicle has since been inspected twice: once by the selling dealer's service department, and once by the manufacturer's own field specialists, including a full diagnostic scan, a road test, and a physical inspection of interior wiring, including the footwell area near where the incident occurred. Both inspections found no electrical faults, no damaged wiring, and no diagnostic trouble codes related to the concern. The vehicle's Event Data Recorder (airbag control module) was also downloaded and showed no recorded event for the date of the incident. Despite these findings, the cause of the injury has not been identified, and the problem has not been reproduced. I have continued driving the vehicle since and remain concerned this could happen again, since no cause has been confirmed or ruled out. The vehicle is available for further inspection if needed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11744250June 15, 2026
TIRES
I am submitting this complaint regarding the original-equipment Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S 245/50R20 tires installed on two separate 2024 Subaru Ascents owned by my family. The vehicles were purchased approximately one month apart and are operated under similar New England driving conditions. Both vehicles were equipped with identical factory-installed Falken tires. Beginning at relatively low mileage, both vehicles exhibited substantially similar wet-weather traction concerns, including hydroplaning tendencies and reduced traction during rain. As tread depth decreased, traction in snow, slush, and icy conditions also deteriorated significantly. Both vehicles experienced loss-of-traction events during winter driving conditions, including incidents in which the vehicles slid off the roadway. The concerns were reported to Falken Tire and Subaru of America. Falken advised that the tires were manufactured to Subaru's original-equipment specifications and directed me to Subaru regarding my concerns. One of the vehicles ultimately received replacement tires through a Subaru retailer. The original Falken tires were replaced with General AltiMAX RT45 tires. Following replacement, the concerns were improved. The second vehicle remains equipped with the original Falken tires. At approximately 13,000 miles, the tires measure approximately between 2&3/32 inch tread depth and continue to exhibit the same traction concerns. Because two separate vehicles equipped with the same original-equipment tires have exhibited substantially similar wet-weather and winter-weather traction issues, and because replacement of the tires corrected the concern on one vehicle, I believe this matter warrants review from a vehicle safety perspective.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740740May 28, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, VISIBILITY/WIPER
While pulling up to a drive thru window the vehicle shuddered and the engine shut off. I lost all power steering and had to come to a stop, shift into park, then restart the engine. No check engine lights or warnings illuminated. There were no status messages to indicate what caused it to shut off. Also the driver side mirror shakes a lot, just like all the other reports say.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740418May 27, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I am a current lessee of a 2024 Subaru Ascent. I leased this vehicle starting July 27, 2024. My lease ends on July 27, 2027. I live 60 miles away from the dealership and only did a test drive around town. The minute I got on the freeway after leaving the dealership the night I leased the vehicle, I noticed the drivers side mirror heavily vibrated and I remember thinking how strange it was to have the headlights from the cars behind me look so shaky in the mirror. I took the car to the service department on August 9, 2024 where they logged a "driveability diagnostic" and "MPI." My reason for that appointment was the side mirror vibrations. It is bad during the day, but not as noticeable and very distracting when driving at night. I was told by the service member that they were "aware" of this issue and had seen it "a few other times." They "fixed" it but the vibrations continue to this day. I'm filing this complaint now as I have become aware of a class action lawsuit against Subaru for this very issue and I want to document my vehicle as one that was affected and ignored.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738307May 16, 2026
STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN
While cruising on a 2-lane road or a freeway, the vehicle will cross over the adjacent line, either left or right. This generally happens between 50 to 75 mph. The event happens either when cruise control is on or off. Wind is not necessarily the problem. The solution requires one to take the necessary immediate steering correction. At times, the departure from the lanes may repeat. This may be a temporary correction. This may create a head-on collision if not immediately correctly manually. VERY DISTURBING!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736826May 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN
On 9-May, 2026, the vehicle was driven during the morning with no warning lights or indication of component failure. Vehicle was parked on the owner's driveway at approximately 13:00. Approximately 15:40 I started the Ascent’s engine, let it idle for about 60 seconds, buckled up and scanned dashboard and rearview mirror. No warning lights or any fault indication. Approximately 15:42, I put the vehicle in reverse and released the brake Approximately 15:42:30 the vehicle exited the driveway Approximately 15:43 there was a shudder on [XXX] (heading north); the dash lit up with multiple warning lights; the check engine warning illuminated and the ATOIL Temp warning light engaged. At this time, the vehicle rolled down a hill, un-commanded, and only with repeated pumping of the brake did the vehicle stop. Approximately 15:49 I was able to park the vehicle, engaging the hazard flashers and exited the vehicle. While no one was injured in this instance, had this happened on a highway there would have been insurance losses and potential injuries. 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
#11727976March 30, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
The hood acts like it is going to come loose whenever I : 1> Meet a semi-truck on a two lane road. 2> If following a truck on interstate. 3> Driving when windy. The flex in hood is very unnerving for fear it is going to blow off when in traffic. The body shop has adjusted latch today but did not correct the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702898December 4, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Uncommanded maximum braking with simultaneous high-voltage and low-voltage shutdown. Vehicle is not safe in Florida with puddles or any types of ongoing obstructions vehicle shuts down in the middle of traffic if it perceives you do not match Google maps
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699279November 13, 2025
STEERING, WHEELS
My 2024 Subaru Ascent developed a recurring clunk/thump noise from the steering system during low-speed turning (10–15 mph) and when turning the wheel at a stop. The noise was present daily and worsened over time. I took the vehicle to two Subaru dealerships. Sterling Subaru dismissed the steering noise completely and stated they could not duplicate it. Dulles Subaru also initially dismissed the issue. Only when I returned to pick up the vehicle and insisted on demonstrating the noise did their technician acknowledge it. They compared my vehicle to another Ascent on the lot and confirmed the noise was abnormal. Dulles then replaced the steering gear box assembly (steering rack) under warranty. This confirms there was a mechanical defect in the steering system. Before this repair, I also reported excessive inner-edge wear on both front tires. The technician documented “excessive wear on both front inner tires” and recommended replacing all four tires and performing an alignment. Inner-edge wear on both front tires is not caused by lack of rotation—it is consistent with misalignment or steering geometry deviation, which matches the confirmed steering defect. Subaru America has refused to replace the damaged tires even though the tire manufacturer (Falken) stated in writing that irregular wear caused by a mechanical defect is the vehicle manufacturer’s responsibility. Safety concern: A defective steering rack caused abnormal steering behavior and front-end geometry issues, which led to rapid inner-edge tire wear. If unnoticed, this can result in loss of steering control or a tire failure at highway speeds. Both dealerships initially dismissing the issue is also concerning. I am filing this report so NHTSA can track potential steering-related defects and resulting tire safety issues on the 2024 Subaru Ascent. I can provide service records, photos, and Subaru correspondence upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698561November 10, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When driving below 5 mph—forward or reverse—with the rear passenger door fully open, the only alert is a small “door ajar” icon on the dash. This icon is the same drawing, whether the door is completely open or semi-latched, so the driver has no way to know the extent of the hazard. Without an additional warning, an fully open door can strike pedestrians, poles, garage, or other vehicles, and any passenger seated beside it is needlessly exposed to injury.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685769September 8, 2025
WHEELS, ENGINE, STEERING
My vehicle has lost EYESIGHT TOO MANY TIMES while Am driving ON HIGH WAY SO STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, ADATER,CRUISE CONTROL SIGN APPEARS TOGETHER .JUST A SECOND MY FAMILY HAD ALMOST DIED DUE TO VACATION TIME IN AUGUST,2025.I CANT BELIEVE THAT IS BRAND NEW SUBARU ASCENT TOURING 2024 I PURCHASED FROM MARCH ,2024. We found SUBARU DEALERSHIP AT LAS VEGAS ,NA But TECHNICIAN OF THERE RESPONDED TO ME THAT : THEY DONT KNOW EXHAUST BUTTON NUMBER and THEY ARE NOT SURE MY CAR STILL SAFE OR NOT SAFETY WHEN I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, (MY FAMILY HAS 7 peoples from [XXX] OLD TO [XXX] OLD ,WE HAD TO SLEEP AT GAS STATION OVER 2 NIGHTS WITH OUT ELECTRONIC,..) THEY ANSWERED TO ME THAT : THEY CAN NOT FIX IT. Their ANSWER MADE ME SCARED BECAUSE WE NEED TO A CAR GO BACK HOME .WE CAN NOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE ,I DECIDED TRADE IT TO CHEVROLET TO PURCHASE OTHER BRAND NEW CAR on AUGHUST 9,2025 TO BACK HOME. I wanted to SUBARU MANUFACTURE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE TO MY NEW EXPENSES VEHICLE like insurance higher, LOAN INTEREST HIGHER. The Car only 14,823 miles, I spoke to SALESMANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP and Requested Refund but He did not have resolve to Me and keeping quiet until now.IF MY WHOLE FAMILY DIE FROM SUBARU CORPORATION FROM THEIR TECHNOLOGY ERROR,WHO WILL RETURN OUR LIFE? 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
#11685210September 5, 2025
SEATS
When the passenger cool seat is turned on, a loud vibration like sound can be heard. My assumption would be a fan. I’m unsure if this could lead to any other issues such as electric problems or cause a fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681000August 15, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Driver's side mirror vibration on uneven road or at highway speeds makes visibility in mirror difficult. This has been the case since purchasing the vehicle in November 2024. Have had most recent Subaru service bulletin on mirror performed by dealer (on 8/8/25), but the problem remains.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679290August 8, 2025
TIRES
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Ascent equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: ZIEX, Tire Size: 245/50/R20, DOT Number: IRAKH. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the rear tire experienced a blowout. The tires were the original tires. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The tire manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 11,200.
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
#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
#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
#11651602March 30, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Have had two fuel level senders fail in one year of ownership. The dealer/manufacturer has replaced the first one, and a second replacement is pending. The failure shows inaccurate fuel levels including a full tank reading as 1/4 or less full. Subsequent refueling does not change the level reading. If the car thinks it is out of fuel, it may cease to operate (even if there is fuel in the tank).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11649058March 18, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Driver side mirror shakes/vibrates excessively sometimes to the point of distorting images seen on the mirror. Many other users are reporting this issue with 2024 and 2025 Subaru Ascents. The issue has been there since the vehicle was purchased brand new. There are threads on reddit, facebook, and the Subaru Ascent forum, where many owners have reported this issue. Below is a link to a thread in the Subaru Ascent online forum. [XXX] 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
#11643242February 17, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, WHEELS
My 2024 Subaru Ascent started experiencing brake issues in early January. The car would shake heavily and make noise when braking, despite having only 10,500 miles. Concerned, I contacted Subaru of America and was advised to take it to a dealership for an inspection. On 1/31/25, the dealer inspected the brakes and determined that the front rotors and brake pads needed to be replaced. Subaru of America confirmed that the dealer would order new parts for the front brakes. A few days later, I received an email from the dealership stating that the new rotors and brake pads had arrived, and they scheduled me for service on 2/14/25. However, after waiting at the dealership for three hours, I was informed that instead of replacing the rotors as initially promised, they had simply resurfaced them. The explanation given was that these were already “upgraded” rotors. This raises serious concerns for me—if these rotors were already upgraded, why did they fail before 10,000 miles? This is a clear safety issue, and I am increasingly worried that both Subaru of America and the dealership are not properly addressing the situation. I was supposed to receive brand-new rotors, yet I am now left with resurfaced ones, which does not give me confidence in my vehicle’s safety. I need a proper resolution to this issue. Potentially Subaru America should issue a safety recall for these breaks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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