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2023 Subaru Ascent

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2023 Subaru Ascent do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 52.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 44 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

4 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 8, 2026
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

2024 Subaru Ascent – Intermittent Electrical / Ignition-Control Malfunction Vehicle: 2024 Subaru Ascent Mileage: Approximately 29,000 miles Chronology of Events August 19 Vehicle had been operating normally. First occurrence – grocery store •Returned to vehicle after shopping. •Opened rear hatch, loaded groceries and closed hatc…

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2024 Subaru Ascent – Intermittent Electrical / Ignition-Control Malfunction Vehicle: 2024 Subaru Ascent Mileage: Approximately 29,000 miles Chronology of Events August 19 Vehicle had been operating normally. First occurrence – grocery store •Returned to vehicle after shopping. •Opened rear hatch, loaded groceries and closed hatch. •Driver's door would not unlock using the key fob or by touching the keyless-access door handle. •Reopened and closed rear hatch to determine whether this would reset the condition. Driver's door still would not unlock. •Passenger door could be opened. •Used the interior passenger-door lock/unlock switch, which successfully unlocked the driver's door and the rest of the vehicle. •Entered vehicle, started it normally, drove home and parked it in the garage. Second occurrence – later the same day •Opened rear hatch, loaded items and closed hatch. •Driver's door was already unlocked; entered vehicle. •Vehicle would not start. •Pressing START/STOP produced no dashboard lights and no apparent electrical activity. •Left vehicle and went inside house for several minutes. •Upon returning, the vehicle had spontaneously entered an energized accessory/ignition state without anyone operating the START/STOP button. •Lights, ventilation fan and other accessories were operating. Engine was not running. •Vehicle would not start. •START/STOP button would not turn the electrical/accessory systems off. •Approximately 40 minutes later, the vehicle remained electrically powered and still could neither be started nor shut down. •The negative 12-volt battery terminal was disconnected as the only available means of shutting the vehicle down. The dealer been unable to assess the cause of the issue and suggested driving the vehicle until the problem reoccurs

NHTSA ODI #11762923

Mileage unknown · Apr 23, 2026
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes

2023 Subaru Ascent, under manufacturer basic warranty. Factory OEM battery has repeatedly failed. Voltage drops below 11.5V in normal use. Three documented failures in six weeks. SAFETY INCIDENT: Vehicle died on a public street and became completely immobilized. Brake warning light activated. Vehicle would not move even after …

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2023 Subaru Ascent, under manufacturer basic warranty. Factory OEM battery has repeatedly failed. Voltage drops below 11.5V in normal use. Three documented failures in six weeks. SAFETY INCIDENT: Vehicle died on a public street and became completely immobilized. Brake warning light activated. Vehicle would not move even after a jump start. Passengers had to exit in a live traffic lane. A second vehicle was used to transport a replacement battery. The original battery is in my possession and available for inspection. A subsequent failure occurred when the original battery was reinstalled for a manufacturer-required diagnostic. Vehicle again would not start. KNOWN DEFECT: Subaru TSB 07-213-22R (revised 03/28/24) covers the 2023-24 Ascent battery and acknowledges the factory specification as inadequate, directing dealers to replace the battery, tray, cover, and holding rod with higher-capacity parts. This TSB was not proactively applied to my vehicle. The dealer did not identify or disclose it at earlier service visits where the battery concern was reported and "could not be reproduced." No recall or proactive owner notification has been issued. Dealers are not applying the TSB preventively. A complaint is open with Subaru of America Customer Advocacy. The manufacturer has declined to reimburse the out-of-pocket emergency replacement and has required a dealer diagnostic that has been repeatedly blocked by manufacturer/dealer procedural requirements.

NHTSA ODI #11733168

Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineStructureFire

The warning lights on the car flashed and the car shut down. I was on the highway. I called 911 and they told me to quickly and safely exit the car. Less than a minute later, the engine combusted and the car was engulfed in flames.

NHTSA ODI #11649273

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

Only 3500 miles on new 2023 Subaru ASCENT and it won"t start. I have had to give it a boost four times already, anytime I need to use it. I check to make sure there are no lights left on. Just staying parked from one day to the next and it won"t start. I have an appointment at the dealer service dept. at 1:45 pm o June 5th, 2023…

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Only 3500 miles on new 2023 Subaru ASCENT and it won"t start. I have had to give it a boost four times already, anytime I need to use it. I check to make sure there are no lights left on. Just staying parked from one day to the next and it won"t start. I have an appointment at the dealer service dept. at 1:45 pm o June 5th, 2023, for them to hopefully resolve the problem. I'll have to give it boost to start the car and drive 125 miles to the dealer. Hope the car makes it there. On your website, the 2019, 2020and 2021 models had a recall for the battery draining because of faulty wiring. We would think the manufacture Sabaru would have taken care of this problem on the newer models.

NHTSA ODI #11525200

Official recalls

4

26V436000 · Equipment:other:labels

Jul 7, 2026

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.

23V647000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft

Sep 21, 2023

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.

23V392000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

Jun 1, 2023

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles. The left or right front lower control arm may have an improperly tightened ball joint castle nut which can result in retention pin failure and separation of the ball joint from the lower control arm.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the lower control arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 30, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRJ-23.

23V258000 · Tires

Apr 7, 2023

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles equipped with 20-inch wheels. The internal tire bead may have been damaged during the wheel mounting process.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace all four tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 6, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-23.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.