2019 Subaru ASCENT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2019 Subaru ASCENT has 545 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 6.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (29% of all complaints), specifically: have had electrical (radio/bluetooth) issues since 2 weeks after taking poccession. been in for repair 4 times . no resolve loose steering is a big safety concern. while driving vehicle at an approx.speed of 65 mph in windy conditions on nov.3 2018 garden state pkwy the wind encapsulated the vehic. ⚠️ 9 fire reports filed.

9 fire reports 12 crash reports 3 injuries

545

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

6.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

158 complaints

29%

• HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL (RADIO/BLUETOOTH) ISSUES SINCE 2 WEEKS AFTER TAKING POCCESSION. BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES . NO RESOLVE LOOSE STEERING IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT AN APPROX.SPEED OF 65 MPH IN WINDY CONDITIONS ON NOV.3 2018 GARDEN STATE PKWY THE WIND ENCAPSULATED THE VEHIC
• I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE DASH- STARTED FLASHING AND EVERYTHING AT ONCE STARTED SHUTTING OFF AND THEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED ON ITS OWN. VERY SCARY WHILE IN TRAFFIC- I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK FOR OVER 3 HOURS. DIALS: AT OIL TEMP FLASHES, ALL ELECTRONIC THINGS IS ALL OFF AND LIT. TRANSMISSION
• THE BATTERY KEEPS DYING WHEN I HAVE THE TAILGATE (TG) OPENED FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME SUCH AS WHEN DOG TRAINING. THE FIRST TIME MY BATTERY DIED, I WAS THE LAST PERSON ON THE TRAINING GROUNDS. I CLOSED THE TG AND LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND BEEPING FOR A FEW MINUTES. THE BATTERY DIED AND THE TG W

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 4 fire reports

“HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL (RADIO/BLUETOOTH) ISSUES SINCE 2 WEEKS AFTER TAKING POCCESSION. BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES . NO RESOLVE LOOSE STEERING IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT AN APPROX.SPEED OF 65 MPH IN WINDY CONDITIONS ON NOV.3 2018 GARDEN STATE PKWY THE WIND ENCAPSULATED THE VEHIC”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

82 complaints

15%

• OUR ASCENT STARTED HAVING A SQUEAL AND RPM JUMP AROUND 6000 MILES. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MAKES THIS NOISE ON ACCELERATION AND WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO LOCK UP UNTIL THE CHAIN/BELT WOULD RESEAT AND THE RPM RETURN TO NORMAL. IT THROWS NO WARNING CODES BUT HAPPENS RANDOMLY BUT SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT DOES HAP
• THE SUBARU ASCENT WAS PURCHASED AUGUST 2018 (ABOUT 7 MONTHS AGO) AND THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 14,000 MILES. THE CVT TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AROUND MARCH 16TH, 2019, CAUSING INTERMITTENT VIBRATION AND LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS WOULD OCCUR AT BOTH LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS, AND WOULD OCCU
• WITHIN 5000 MILES TRANSMISSION JUMP, REAR GEAR NOT WORK AND THE RAB LIGHT, DEALER TOLD ME HE MUST REPLACE! I FIND A LOT OF STORY ON WEBSITE, PEOPLE HAVE SAME ISSUE AND SAME AMOUNT OF MILEAGE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“OUR ASCENT STARTED HAVING A SQUEAL AND RPM JUMP AROUND 6000 MILES. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MAKES THIS NOISE ON ACCELERATION AND WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO LOCK UP UNTIL THE CHAIN/BELT WOULD RESEAT AND THE RPM RETURN TO NORMAL. IT THROWS NO WARNING CODES BUT HAPPENS RANDOMLY BUT SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT DOES HAP”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

81 complaints

15%

• WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE RIGHT LANE AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WITH NO WARNING, NO EXTERNAL IMPACT, NO OTHER VEHICLES NEAR BY, AND WITHOUT PRIOR IMPACT TO WINDOW.
• I RECENTLY NOTICED THE WINDSHIELD HAS THOUSANDS OF MILLIONS OF GLARING SPECKS/DOTS WHEN FACING THE SUNLIGHT IN EARLY MORNING OR LATE AFTERNOON. THE WINDSHIELD BECOMES SO BLURRY AND EXTREMELY ANNOYING. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I FACE LIGHTS EVEN NIGHT TIMES WITH ONCOMING VEHICLES KINDA OF GLARE. I CLEANED W
• MY CAR WAS PARKED. I SAW A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD (CAUSE UNKNOWN) ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THAT BEGAN AT THE TOP GLASS AND DESCENDED, THEN HEADING INWARDS TOWARDS THE MIRROR. OVER THE COURSE OF 2 DAYS, IT HAS EXTENDED PAST THE MIRROR INTO THE DRIVER VIEW. THE SUBARU GLASS (AGC AUTOMOTIVE, DOT-376, M8

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE RIGHT LANE AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WITH NO WARNING, NO EXTERNAL IMPACT, NO OTHER VEHICLES NEAR BY, AND WITHOUT PRIOR IMPACT TO WINDOW.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

59 complaints

11%

• A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND BACKED OFF A PARKING LOT. WHEN SHE PRESSED THE BRAKE AND FELT WIRED - THE BRAKE COULD NOT BE PRESSED DOWN AND FELT LIKE IT'S JAMMED SOMEHOW. THE CAR DID NOT STOP EVEN SHE SWITCHED THE CAR TO PARKING! IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER HIT A PARKED CAR BEH
• WE ARE HEARING A THUMPING OR KNOCKING NOISE IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WELL AREA. WE NOTICE THIS NOISE WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION ON A ROUGH ROAD WHILE DRIVING, TURNING, OR BRAKING. THE DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED OUR CAR FROM CHECKED ALL RUNNING GEAR PARTS UNDER THE CAR, AND STEERING COMPONENTS, TO SEE IF
• SUSPECTED IMPACT FROM A SMALL PEBBLE WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THIS RESULTED IN A SMALL CHIP ON THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WITHIN THE TOP 1/2" OF THE GLASS. AFFORDED NO TIME TO SCHEDULE A FIX WITH A GLASS COMPANY. WITHIN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, CRACK SPREAD TO THE EDGE AND FROM UPPER R

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND BACKED OFF A PARKING LOT. WHEN SHE PRESSED THE BRAKE AND FELT WIRED - THE BRAKE COULD NOT BE PRESSED DOWN AND FELT LIKE IT'S JAMMED SOMEHOW. THE CAR DID NOT STOP EVEN SHE SWITCHED THE CAR TO PARKING! IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER HIT A PARKED CAR BEH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

48 complaints

• DRIVING ON FREEWAY CHECK ENGINE CAME ONLINE SUDDENLY. EYESIGHT TURNED OFF. CAR BECAME UNSTABLE, COULD NOT GO PAST 60 MPH. KIDS IN FREKING OUT. VERY UNSAFE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT. I DID ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOLLOWED THESE FORUMS HTTPS://WWW.ASCENTFORUMS.COM/FORUM/137-SUBAR
• I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE DASH- STARTED FLASHING AND EVERYTHING AT ONCE STARTED SHUTTING OFF AND THEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED ON ITS OWN. VERY SCARY WHILE IN TRAFFIC- I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK FOR OVER 3 HOURS. DIALS: AT OIL TEMP FLASHES, ALL ELECTRONIC THINGS IS ALL OFF AND LIT. TRANSMISSION
• WITHIN MY FIRST TWO WEEKS (200-300 MILES) OF OWNING THE VEHICLE I WAS TOLD BY STEVENS CREEK SUBARU THAT THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN. ANOTHER FAILED STRUT. SO BY DEDUCTION, IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED SUBARU FROM PUTTING ME BACK IN IT, FULLY AWARE THAT THE STR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“DRIVING ON FREEWAY CHECK ENGINE CAME ONLINE SUDDENLY. EYESIGHT TURNED OFF. CAR BECAME UNSTABLE, COULD NOT GO PAST 60 MPH. KIDS IN FREKING OUT. VERY UNSAFE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT. I DID ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOLLOWED THESE FORUMS HTTPS://WWW.ASCENTFORUMS.COM/FORUM/137-SUBAR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 545 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL (RADIO/BLUETOOTH) ISSUES SINCE 2 WEEKS AFTER TAKING POCCESSION. BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES . NO RESOLVE LOOSE STEERING IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT AN APPROX.SPEED OF 65 MPH IN WINDY CONDITIONS ON NOV.3 2018 GARDEN STATE PKWY THE WIND ENCAPSULATED THE VEHIC
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: OUR ASCENT STARTED HAVING A SQUEAL AND RPM JUMP AROUND 6000 MILES. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MAKES THIS NOISE ON ACCELERATION AND WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO LOCK UP UNTIL THE CHAIN/BELT WOULD RESEAT AND THE RPM RETURN TO NORMAL. IT THROWS NO WARNING CODES BUT HAPPENS RANDOMLY BUT SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT DOES HAP
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE RIGHT LANE AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WITH NO WARNING, NO EXTERNAL IMPACT, NO OTHER VEHICLES NEAR BY, AND WITHOUT PRIOR IMPACT TO WINDOW.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND BACKED OFF A PARKING LOT. WHEN SHE PRESSED THE BRAKE AND FELT WIRED - THE BRAKE COULD NOT BE PRESSED DOWN AND FELT LIKE IT'S JAMMED SOMEHOW. THE CAR DID NOT STOP EVEN SHE SWITCHED THE CAR TO PARKING! IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER HIT A PARKED CAR BEH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)