10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,937 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #31

Feb 012021

Ascent

  • 20,000 miles
Small crack in windshield has spread across entire windshield rapidly. We do not recall when the small crack occurred but the crack spread across the entire windshield in roughly two weeks time.

- Tomball, TX, USA

problem #30

Jan 032021

Ascent

  • 21,000 miles
My windshield was hit by some soft, small debris and cracked. I learned that this is an issue with a lot of owners therefore wanted to file a complaint. While it happene

- Arlington Heights, IL, USA

problem #29

Feb 032021

Ascent

  • 0 miles
I parked my car at work with nobody around me and nothing above the car. When I got out of work I sat in the car I noticed a crack on the windshield approximately half a foot. I drove it that morning and absolutely sure it was not there. I looked around where I parked if there is anything that could possibly hit it and there was nothing, none on the ground or on the vehicle. The windshield just spontaneously cracked even the vehicle is stationary how much more if something hit the windshield on a highway. I also had to replace the tires in about a year of use, I never had to replace my tires that so early on a brand new vehiclle.

- Westbrook, ME, USA

problem #28

Dec 302020

Ascent

  • 30,000 miles
The car emits gas, petrol fumes in the cabin via the vents. The car has been brouhgt back tho the shop several times and they have not been able to repair this. Have taken a gas sensor to the vents and the gas sensor proves that gas/petrol fumes are being released into the cabin and can potential cause affixation. Note this happens when the car is stationary or driving

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #27

Jan 162021

Ascent

  • 55,000 miles
At 2 years and 5 months old (55K miles, mostly highway driven) the battery dies and I was stranded when I had stopped and parked. Would not start anymore. Had to jump start car and drive to dealership. Subaru dealership (gillman Subaru southwest, houston, tx) did a load test and determined battery is dead. Would not replace battery. Wanted to charge $500 to replace battery!! went to auto zone and had it replaced and installed for under $200!

- Sugar Land, TX, USA

problem #26

Jan 112021

Ascent

  • 50 miles
Battery has died at least 3-4 times since purchasing the car. Also ongoing issues with the radio- radio has stopped working completely before two instances when the radio died. Amplifier has been changed in car and serviced multiple times. Once while driving, the car died while driving it and steering locked.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #25

Sep 162019

Ascent

  • 3,000 miles
Windshield easily cracked < had to get repair in !St 6mos w/ car, has sealed crack deep chip in middle of windsheild.

- Boise, ID, USA

problem #24

Sep 102019

Ascent

  • 10,000 miles
Windshield cracked by itself while driving down a road at 45mph. Stereo system defective. Stereo has been replaced 3 times already

- Winton, CA, USA

problem #23

Dec 032020

Ascent

  • 20,000 miles
Car died and would not start at one year old, diagnosed as faulty battery 11/2019; almost exactly one year later at md office would not start and lights flickered and no control, would not start again! ; now sitting in parking lot waiting tow; believe fault is related to battery drain in one year and electrical drain; left stranded with two kids getting covid tested with a brand new 2 year old car with 20,000 miles only!!!!!!!

- West Suffield, CT, USA

problem #22

Nov 112020

Ascent

  • 20,698 miles
Battery died while parked with no other lights etc left

- Castro Valley, CA, USA

problem #21

Aug 012020

Ascent

  • miles
When accelerating the car lurches and hesitates, there is also a low growling noise from the right side. This happens most often at low speeds, in neighborhood driving, under 30 miles hour. The car has already had a new transmission as we were told this would resolve the issue. Almost immediately the issue continued and was back at the dealership. The official diagnosis from the dealership is we do not know what the issue is and we cannot fix it. Please drive as normal. This issue has bene ongoing with the car for months.

- Lynnwood, WA, USA

problem #20

Aug 132020

Ascent

  • 15,000 miles
Hairline crack on windshield. Unknown how and when it started. Noticed when I entered the car in evening.

- San Ramon, CA, USA

problem #19

Jul 282020

Ascent

  • 10,000 miles
Parked the car. The rear liftgate would not open with fob or from dashboard. Two quick beeps but no movement. We decided to just grab our items from the inside and left. When we returned to the car about an hour later, the car would unlock but the rear liftgate still didn't work. We loaded up the car and started the car but battery was dead. After charging up the battery, all the major safety car features have been disabled and the engine light is on with many other lights showing up. The car is drivable but obviously doesn't feel right or safe. I just called Subaru to make an appointment. I explained the problem. They originally scheduled an appointment for 2 weeks later but I managed to get an appointment for next day. I'm concerned about the safety of the car especially with the number of other owners with electrical problems specifically related to the tailgate.

- Edmonds, WA, USA

problem #18

Jul 022020

Ascent 4-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
I have a 2019 Subaru Ascent. On July 2, my husband was driving on a rural road when out of nowhere the car started vibrating and rattling and his speed went from 60 mph down to 30 mph in a matter of seconds and the car started flashing information on the dash. And the car shut off. He got off the road and called aaa. It was an hour and a half before they got there. Nothing and nobody was around and he had to beg the tow truck driver to let him and our elderly dog ride to the nearest Subaru dealership which was about 50 miles away. I was already at the beach at emerald isle nc and had to go pick him up at parkway Subaru in jacksonville nc. This was on July 2,2020. Today, July 11, we still don't have my car back. I am thankful that parkway dealership loaned us a car to get back to raleigh where we live and bout our car, at southern states Subaru. Parkway has told us various things that could be the problem. For for several days they had to guess as the Subaru headquarters it was 'down'. as of now parkway still has my car and I have their loaner Subaru outback. This was a very dangerous situation and could have caused a crashed as well as left my 65 year old husband and dog stranded on the side of a very rural road. This is totally unacceptable and what I thought was a very reliable Subaru Ascent has greatly disappointed. Please help!!

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #17

Oct 182019

Ascent 4-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
Had two chips in the windshield, one cracked and had to replace windshield. 24 hrs later had another chip and another within a couple of weeks. I only drive on the freeway once per week and don't drive much because I work from home. I used to drive 60 miles on the freeway every day for school and work when I owned a subura impreza (2007) and outback (2014) and never once had a chip in those 5 years until I purchased Ascent. I expressed my concerns and was told by the dealership that the new Subaru use a thinner glass due to the new eye sight feature and you do not get the option to purchase a thicker glass windshield.

- Grants Pass, OR, USA

problem #16

Jun 142020

Ascent

  • 22,160 miles
Moon roof cracked. Car was parked away from trees etc. Roof was in tack when parked. Vehicle was not in motion. When I returned to my vehicle 2 hours later it had a huge crack extending from back to front of window. It was a warm sunny day, but not excessively hot.

- Demotte, IN, USA

problem #15

May 292020

Ascent 4-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
The car was in the usual parking space when I go to work. No hazard or debris that might hit the car/ windshield but today when I get off from work, my windshield has a 30' linear crack, extending from the passenger side up to the middle of the windshield. There is no mark that the windshield is hit by a stone or debris or hit by something hard. I don't know what happen or how it got a crack. It might be possible that the windshield was crack by the direct heat of the sun? maybe the windshield is defective on it's own after certain time. Our Subaru Ascent was purchased almost 23 months ago with 30K mileage.

- Dalton, GA, USA

problem #14

Apr 202020

Ascent

  • 15,000 miles
When the car idles for even short periods of time (5 minutes) the inside of the car will start to smell like fumes (exhaust type smell). This happens in any environment (parking lot, our driveway, rural area) when the car is in park and still running. Rarely have I smelled the fumes upon starting the car, although it has happened before. The problem has occurred in every season and with the car blowing out warm, neutral, and air conditioned air. This was noticed very shortly after purchasing the car in September of 2018. I have taken the car in to the Subaru dealership three times and they haven't been able to find the issue. The first time they were able to detect the smell but found no problem to correct. The other two times they said they weren't able to replicate the smell even after leaving it on for an hour. I can elicit the smell every time if I let it run for a few minutes while parked. Others appear to be having this issue as well and are being told the same thing by their dealerships. I am very concerned about this issue as my children may be affected when they are in the car.

- Spokane, WA, USA

problem #13

Jan 222020

Ascent

  • 19,124 miles
The windshield cracked while driving in the freeway.

- San Ramon, CA, USA

problem #12

Feb 042020

Ascent

  • 25,000 miles
1st replacement: Replaced factory windshield (7/27/19) due to crack from top right to the middle of the glass. 2nd replacement: On the highway on ramp at <55 mph, a pebble hit on the drivers side towards the bottom of the oem (7/27/19) replacement windshield and a substantial chip (immediate spider crack) resulted. In process of having the chip filled, a 12" crack formed that spread towards the exterior edge and interior of the windshield. Replaced windshield on 3/5/20 (second windshield replacement in less than 8 months). Still concerned about reliability and integrity of the oem/factory windshields that are installed on the Subaru Ascent.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

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