13 recalls covering model years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
The sticker on the door frame that lists how much weight each axle can safely carry shows the wrong numbers on these Subarus. If you load the car based on that sticker, you could end up putting more weight on it than it is built to handle. Overloading a vehicle makes it harder to control and harder to stop. Subaru is mailing owners a corrected sticker, and a dealer will put it on for free if you prefer.
On certain 2023 Subaru Outback, Legacy, Ascent and Impreza vehicles, the bolts holding the middle support of the driveshaft can work loose. The driveshaft is the spinning shaft under the car that sends engine power toward the wheels. If those bolts loosen, the front end of the shaft can come apart from the car while you are driving. A driveshaft that separates underneath a moving vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
A nut that holds part of the front suspension together may not have been tightened properly at the factory. The nut sits on the ball joint, the pivot that connects the wheel to the lower suspension arm. If it is loose, the small pin holding it can break and the ball joint can pop out of the arm. That would let the wheel fold under the car while you are driving. Subaru will inspect both front lower arms and replace one if needed.
Certain Subaru Ascent SUVs built with 20-inch wheels may have tires that were damaged when the tires were put onto the wheels at the factory. The damage is to the inner edge of the tire, the part that seals against the wheel rim, and you cannot spot it by looking at the tire from outside. A tire damaged this way can lose all its air suddenly instead of slowly going flat.
A bolt that grounds the cabin's electric heater may not have been tightened properly at the factory. A loose connection there can get hot enough to melt the terminal and nearby parts, and that can start a fire. Subaru says to park away from buildings and not to leave the engine running while you are away from the vehicle. If you see or smell smoke from the dash or driver's footwell, stop and shut the engine off right away.
⚠ NHTSA advises: park outside and away from structures (fire risk).
Tie rods are the steering parts that push and pull the front wheels when you turn the wheel. They seat into a tapered hole in the steering housing, and on some 2020 Ascents that hole was made incorrectly, so the tie rod ends do not fit properly. Over-tightening them during assembly or a later repair can deform the parts. A deformed tie rod can separate from the housing, and if it does you lose steering control.
A programming mistake in the computer that runs the automatic transmission can let the transmission start pulling power before an internal drive chain is fully clamped. Over time that chain can slip and break. If it does, the vehicle loses drive to the wheels even though the engine is still running. Dealers will reload the software, check stored data and the chain guide for damage, and replace the transmission for free if damage is found.
The low-pressure fuel pump sits inside the gas tank and pushes fuel toward the engine. In these vehicles that pump can fail. If it quits, the engine can stall and shut off while you are driving, and you would lose engine power with little warning. A stall in traffic, at highway speed, or in an intersection can easily lead to a crash. The dealer replaces the pump inside the tank with a new one.
The pump that sends gasoline from the tank to the engine can stop working. If it quits, the engine shuts off while you are driving and the car will not start again. That can leave you stopped in traffic or on the side of a highway with no warning and no way to move. Subaru dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump at no charge to you.
A sensor inside the automatic transmission measures the pressure of the fluid that makes the transmission work. On these vehicles the sensor can read that pressure as higher than it really is. The transmission then lowers the pressure, and the chain that drives the wheels can end up too loose. If that happens, the vehicle can lose power to the wheels while you are driving, which could leave you stuck in moving traffic.
A small aluminum valve that vents pressure out of the engine can come apart. The broken pieces can fall into the engine itself, and the engine can lose power while you are driving — possibly in traffic or on the highway. A dealer will inspect the valve and replace it. If the valve has already broken and the missing pieces cannot be located, Subaru will replace the lower part of the engine at no cost.
The bolts that hold the middle support for the driveshaft, the spinning shaft that sends power from the engine back to the wheels, can work loose on some Ascents. If they loosen enough, the front part of that shaft can come apart while you are driving. Losing the driveshaft can leave you without power to the wheels and makes a crash more likely. Subaru dealers will replace the driveshaft assembly, including the center support brace, free of charge.
Some of these SUVs left the factory missing spot welds on or around the B-pillar — the post between the front and back doors on each side. Those welds are part of what holds the body together and gives it strength. If welds are missing, the vehicle may not hold up as well in a crash, so people inside could be hurt more badly. Dealers will check; if welds are missing, Subaru replaces the whole vehicle.
Complaints owners have filed with NHTSA about the Subaru Ascent. These are unverified reports; better-selling years collect more.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 441 | 10 | 6 | 8 |
| 2020 | 322 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 2021 | 102 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023 | 44 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 2024 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: