2023 Subaru ASCENT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2023 Subaru ASCENT has 58 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is driver assist/cameras problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: 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 inspectio. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 5 crash reports 2 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.7x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

10 complaints

17%

• 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 inspectio
• 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 inspectio
• 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 inspectio

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

“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 inspectio”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

9 complaints

16%

• I own a Subaru 2023 Ascent ([XXX]) that I purchased in December 2022. Since I got the car, the car has been nothing but a headache and has been full of issues. The car was making a squeaking noise from the break from the day we got it. I took it to the dealer (within a month, 600 miles), and after a
• The brake pedal is too high for people of average height, especially women, to use properly. Our feet slip underneath the brake when using it. When our heels are on the floor, our toes barely touch the brake pedal, and going from the gas to brake pedals smoothly is impossible with our heels on the c
• 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 th

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

“I own a Subaru 2023 Ascent ([XXX]) that I purchased in December 2022. Since I got the car, the car has been nothing but a headache and has been full of issues. The car was making a squeaking noise from the break from the day we got it. I took it to the dealer (within a month, 600 miles), and after a”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

7 complaints

12%

• Side passenger window spontaneously developed a crack about 10 inches long while sitting parked. The crack is located the direct line of sight of the side view mirror.
• I attempted to make a U-turn with the steering wheel fully turned to the left. When I accelerated, the car took off and went straight into the curb. It did so by “plowing” or what is referred to as severely undesteering - which forced the front right face of the wheel into the curb, breaking the w
• 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 re

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

“Side passenger window spontaneously developed a crack about 10 inches long while sitting parked. The crack is located the direct line of sight of the side view mirror.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

6 complaints

10%

• Windshield cracked more than 2 inches above the front windshield A/C vent while vehicle is in warm up process around outside temperature 30F. This car is only 3 weeks old with mileage w 240 at the cracked occurred.
• Just bought my Ascent last 12/31/22. With less than 600 miles, while driving with my heater on, I noticed there was a crack on windshield lower center portion, about 5" in length. There was no object that hit the windshield that I saw or heard.
• The windshield on my Subaru Ascent is prone to cracking, vehicle of less than 3,000 miles has a 3in crack in windshield putting our safety and the safety of others at risk.

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

“Windshield cracked more than 2 inches above the front windshield A/C vent while vehicle is in warm up process around outside temperature 30F. This car is only 3 weeks old with mileage w 240 at the cracked occurred.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

5 complaints

• unknown defects in some vehicles that could cause sudden and unintended acceleration without driver input Yes, our safety was at risk. The vehicle was clearly not in our control. A police report was generated. The car plowed through the garage no control to brake The damages are being inspected by
• There was a SUDDEN and UNINTENDED acceleration without the driver input while braking to park going approximately 1 - 2 MPH. Our safety was at risk. The vehicle was not in our control. A police report was generated. Rather than stopping we crashed into the apartment building causing significant
• The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that the Eyesight system was intermittently inoperable. A message indicating that the Eyesight function was disabled was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the Eyesight icon turned from green to white with a line across. The ve

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

“unknown defects in some vehicles that could cause sudden and unintended acceleration without driver input Yes, our safety was at risk. The vehicle was clearly not in our control. A police report was generated. The car plowed through the garage no control to brake The damages are being inspected by ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 58 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: 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 inspectio
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: I own a Subaru 2023 Ascent ([XXX]) that I purchased in December 2022. Since I got the car, the car has been nothing but a headache and has been full of issues. The car was making a squeaking noise from the break from the day we got it. I took it to the dealer (within a month, 600 miles), and after a
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: Side passenger window spontaneously developed a crack about 10 inches long while sitting parked. The crack is located the direct line of sight of the side view mirror.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: Windshield cracked more than 2 inches above the front windshield A/C vent while vehicle is in warm up process around outside temperature 30F. This car is only 3 weeks old with mileage w 240 at the cracked occurred.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)