2021 Subaru ASCENT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2021 Subaru ASCENT has 134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is driver assist/cameras problems (16% of all complaints), specifically: vehicle wanders on the highway. when passing a vehicle on the road the lane centering assist tries to hug the centerline and the driver must keep pulling he vehicle back to the center of the passing lane. a short lapse of steering could pull the vehicle into the side of the vehicle being passed. . ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 2 crash reports 2 injuries

134

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

1.7x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

22 complaints

16%

• VEHICLE WANDERS ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN PASSING A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE LANE CENTERING ASSIST TRIES TO HUG THE CENTERLINE AND THE DRIVER MUST KEEP PULLING HE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE PASSING LANE. A SHORT LAPSE OF STEERING COULD PULL THE VEHICLE INTO THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BEING PASSED.
• VEHICLE WANDERS ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN PASSING A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE LANE CENTERING ASSIST TRIES TO HUG THE CENTERLINE AND THE DRIVER MUST KEEP PULLING HE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE PASSING LANE. A SHORT LAPSE OF STEERING COULD PULL THE VEHICLE INTO THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BEING PASSED.
• THE LANE ASSIST FEATURE (ONLY AN OPTION WHEN USING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL; NOT THE SAME AS LANE CENTERING WHEN NOT USING THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL [THE BASICS LANE CENTERING WORKS JUST FINE]) SEEMS OVERLY AGGRESSIVE. EACH TIME I HAVE USED LANE ASSIST WITH CRUISE CONTROL, IT JERKS THE CAR VERY ABR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“VEHICLE WANDERS ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN PASSING A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE LANE CENTERING ASSIST TRIES TO HUG THE CENTERLINE AND THE DRIVER MUST KEEP PULLING HE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE PASSING LANE. A SHORT LAPSE OF STEERING COULD PULL THE VEHICLE INTO THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BEING PASSED. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

17 complaints

13%

• OUR WINDSHIELD ALREADY HAS NUMEROUS CHIPS AND ONE CRACK THAT WE REPAIRED. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR SINCE OCTOBER BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE WINDSHIELD IS VERY BRITTLE. WE HAVE HAD SOME WINTER WEATHER LATELY SO THERE WAS EXCESSIVE JUNK IN THE ROAD AND SAND BUT OUR OTHER VEHICLES HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME I
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A OWNS A 2021 SUBARU ASCENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT MID LEVEL SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT A CRACK HAD INFORMED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD RIGHT ABOVE FRAME. OVER TIME, THE
• THE WINDSHIELD OF OUR NEW SUBARU ASCENT TOURING 2021 JUST CRACKED ON ITS OWN ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE. THE CRACK IS NOW ABOUT 10IN AND KEEPS GETTING LONGER((

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

“OUR WINDSHIELD ALREADY HAS NUMEROUS CHIPS AND ONE CRACK THAT WE REPAIRED. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR SINCE OCTOBER BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE WINDSHIELD IS VERY BRITTLE. WE HAVE HAD SOME WINTER WEATHER LATELY SO THERE WAS EXCESSIVE JUNK IN THE ROAD AND SAND BUT OUR OTHER VEHICLES HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME I”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

17 complaints

13%

• MY WIFE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN SHE WENT TO START IT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AT ONLY 1667 MILES.
• AT 1667 MILES ON MY BRAND NEW SUBARU ASCENT THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DRAINED WHILE MY WIFE WAS OUT SHOPPING. THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO CHARGE TO ME, HOWEVER AT 1667 MILES THAT IS AN ISSUE. THERE IS A DEAD SUBARU ASCENT BATTERY CLUB THAT N FACEBOOK DEDICATED TO THIS ISSUE AND LAWYERS ST
• After leaving liftgate open for a while, battery was dead. Learned from website that this was known issue for Subaru’s with automated liftgate. As i was camping with no cell signal, it was super difficult to get help and this could lead to the really big issue. This is the known issue for a while an

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

“MY WIFE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN SHE WENT TO START IT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AT ONLY 1667 MILES.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

16 complaints

12%

• The windshield cracked without impact.
• My mirror on my car has started melting. They told me it was a outside force, from a lighter. I told them it was electrical or something wrong from the inside of the mirror. There are forums recently posted up regarding this and Subaru has ignored them all claiming it is reflective light from the su
• April 25, 2022: The trunk/liftgate of the vehicle failed to detect an obstruction and closed without retracting when it came in contact with an individual's head. The impact caused a head injury, blackout, and concussion, and resulted in permanent damage to an individual (6' 2" - 190lbs). Subaru’s

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

“The windshield cracked without impact.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

16 complaints

12%

• When operating the 2021 Ascent, I experience intermittent problems at various shift-points in the CVT and at various RPMs. The transmission seems to shudder and slip between shift-points, and the shuddering sensation is so severe that it transfers up through the steering column and the steering whe
• The Transmission on the vehicle was exhibiting excessive noise when shifting from park to drive and was progressively becoming undrivable with odd shifting, hard shifting, RPM fluttering, and chugging. It made progressively louder audible sounds and squeaks during cold starts when shifting from par
• Vehicle will jerk and shudder when accelerating and de-accelerating. Mostly between 15mph and 30mph. I’ve taken the vehicle back to the dealership and they didn’t find the issue. This prompted me to do some research online and found in one of many. There is a class action lawsuit for 2018-2019 Ascen

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

“When operating the 2021 Ascent, I experience intermittent problems at various shift-points in the CVT and at various RPMs. The transmission seems to shudder and slip between shift-points, and the shuddering sensation is so severe that it transfers up through the steering column and the steering whe”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 134 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: VEHICLE WANDERS ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN PASSING A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE LANE CENTERING ASSIST TRIES TO HUG THE CENTERLINE AND THE DRIVER MUST KEEP PULLING HE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE PASSING LANE. A SHORT LAPSE OF STEERING COULD PULL THE VEHICLE INTO THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BEING PASSED.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: OUR WINDSHIELD ALREADY HAS NUMEROUS CHIPS AND ONE CRACK THAT WE REPAIRED. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR SINCE OCTOBER BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE WINDSHIELD IS VERY BRITTLE. WE HAVE HAD SOME WINTER WEATHER LATELY SO THERE WAS EXCESSIVE JUNK IN THE ROAD AND SAND BUT OUR OTHER VEHICLES HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: MY WIFE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WHEN SHE WENT TO START IT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AT ONLY 1667 MILES.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: The windshield cracked without impact.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)