33 of the
1,348 complaints filed about the Subaru Ascent
are about the body and structure —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2019.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Accent. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the hood was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that an unknown adjustment was needed. Additionally, the shocks were replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the hinges were fractured. The contact was informed that the hinges needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11762249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Immediately after pushing the lift gate release button on the dash, a loud and constant alarm tone began. The gate would then not open using the button on the dash, remote, or handle on the exterior of the lift gate door. To access the items in the rear (and to stop the alarm), we needed to get the door open. We followed the owner's manual exactly to access the internal emergency release. We removed the plastic cover for the gear unit, then used a screwdriver to manually move the release to the right. Despite every amount of pressure we tried, including adding pressure by pushing down on the gate from the outside with one person while another tried the release procedure, the gate would not open. We ended up looking on YouTube, and found a video that this is not uncommon - and that the solution is to disconnect the battery or to remove fuse #14 on the fuse panel. With tremendous effort and using a pair of pliers, we finally removed the fuse. The alarm stopped but the gate (and other parts of the electrical system) were now off. We replaced the fuse and the door returned to normal function and opened using the handle on the lift gate. This is a tremendous safety issue. First, there is no easy way to open the gate manually from the interior in the case of an emergency (removing the safety cover and the use of a screwdriver or similar tool is required). Second, this emergency process failed completely, as the gate couldn't be opened at all using the manual release.
NHTSA complaint #11758028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The window pillars on the passenger side deformed on exposure to sunlight reflected from our house windows; in less than 6 months of ownership! We are the original owners and took possession in June 2025. Both the local Subaru dealer and Subaru USA have been involved. Subaru USA Case number is: 251230 - 1500232. Subaru will NOT cover this despite us having owned a Subaru DL, a Subaru Forester, and a Hyundai Tucson all parked in the same driveway, same manner (backed in), and owned for a minimum of 5 years by us as second owners for all 3 cars AND zero issues with any body pieces. There were no warnings, either at time of purchase or prior to us filing a request for relief with Subaru in December 2025.
NHTSA complaint #11735425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Water intrusion occurred inside the vehicle, resulting in extensive mold contamination throughout the interior, including the seats, front and rear carpets, and a child’s car seat. The source of the water intrusion has not been identified. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Subaru retailer, which confirmed in writing that water was present inside the vehicle and that mold was covering interior surfaces, including the child’s car seat. The only diagnostic test performed was a car wash to check for a sunroof leak, which did not replicate the issue. The retailer indicated that further diagnostic work would require significant interior disassembly and cleaning at the owner’s expense before the source of the leak can be determined. The manufacturer was contacted regarding this issue and declined assistance, citing “lack of required maintenance.” The specific maintenance and its relationship to the water intrusion have not been identified, and the source of the leak has not yet been diagnosed. The retailer also stated that technicians would not enter the vehicle due to the extent of the mold contamination. As a result, standard recall repairs have not been performed while the vehicle remains in this condition. A dealership technician also documented in a recorded inspection that water was present beneath the carpet, that the source of the leak could not be identified without further disassembly, and that the extent of mold contamination created an unsafe working environment. This condition creates a potential health and safety concern due to mold exposure inside the passenger cabin, particularly for a child occupant. In addition, excessive interior moisture has caused window fogging, which may impair visibility while driving. No warning lights or prior indicators were observed before the issue was discovered. The problem has been confirmed by a Subaru retailer. The vehicle remains available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11728801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The hood acts like it is going to come loose whenever I : 1> Meet a semi-truck on a two lane road. 2> If following a truck on interstate. 3> Driving when windy. The flex in hood is very unnerving for fear it is going to blow off when in traffic. The body shop has adjusted latch today but did not correct the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11727976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2021 Subaru Ascent (VIN#***). Water found dripping down both second row seatbelts on multiple occasions during or following heavy rain, accumulated into mold growth on the carpet in front of second row seats to the front of the 3rd row seats (cargo area dry, front footwells dry). Authorized Subaru dealer technician report (dated 10/29/25 and 12/3/25 copy pasted into email) explicitly documents 'condensation build up on the interior of roof (seat belt area)' due to unlocated water intrusion. The dealer attributes this to 'leaf debris' in the front cowl area and rear hatch hinge despite the leak occurring at the rear C-pillar (and notably cargo area and front footwells showed no moisture making this physically impossible). Despite confirmed moisture exposure to critical passive restraint systems, the dealer relays that the manufacturer has issued a verbal-only warranty denial (stating no addl records exist aside from the initial technician report) and suggest the only repair be carpet replacement, with refusal of confirmation of the source of the leak and no proposal of replacing the 2nd-row seatbelt retractors nor provide a written safety guarantee. The vehicle is covered by an active 8yr/120,000-mile Subaru Gold Plus Added Security Plan (Agreement #*******, started on 8/2/21), yet the manufacturer is refusing to honor the contract for the defect or the resulting biohazard ('mold spouts' documented by their technicians on carpeting and into the foam). This unaddressed moisture creates an unreasonable risk of internal corrosion and failure of the seatbelt G-sensor/locking mechanisms on both sides. Also as an immunocompromised owner (due to medication for multiple sclerosis to such an extent that requires monthly IVIG infusions), the documented mold is a significant health hazard. Vehicle has only 15,166 miles. Correspondence with dealer and SoA as well as agreement# are available on request. Date of incident was when taken to dealership (events in summer/fall 2025)
NHTSA complaint #11714272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driver side mirror vibrates making the view in the mirror blurry. The distorted picture causes confusion and safety hazard as it's very difficult to see in day and almost impossible at night. Vibrations are noticeable in the driver's side B pillar. According to the dealership, this is related to the car's frame, no further details were provided so far. Car has been in the service for almost two weeks due to this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11677132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The windshield on the 2021 Subaru Ascent is dangerous because it chips extremely easily. I purchased the car new in 2021 and since then I have had 7 rock chips (in all different states (TX, CA, WA) and driving conditions/speeds/roads). In the 4 years since I have owned it I have had the windshield replaced twice so I am on my 3rd windshield. Each time the rock hits, it causes a large chip to form which distracts the driver momentarily. It also creates defects in the windshield which could lead to safety issues of the windshield shattering.
NHTSA complaint #11652894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 complaint #11649273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I can’t say what caused the huge crack in the sunroof bc there is no chips on the outside and no chips or breaking point on the inside. We went to get in the car and open up the sunroof and it has a huge crack that is a known issue if you look it up online. So far we haven’t been able to get it fixed bc of the amount of money it cost to have it replaced and it can’t be done by anymore but the dealer as safelight won’t touch sunroofs. It appears that a weak glass was installed and that’s unfortunate too bc they have no intention on fixing this for us.
NHTSA complaint #11625372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving at speed of 50+, the hood (both sides) wobble/raise up. Faster you drive it raises up further to the point it interferes with view. Concerned it will detach from hood struts and cause major damage
NHTSA complaint #11563703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at 35MPH, the struts were impacted hard which caused the vehicle to shake the dashboard. No warning lights as illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they could not diagnose the failure and would not take apart the vehicle to inspect the strut. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but refused to let the dealer work on the vehicle but offered to give 6,000 dollars on the new vehicle because the vehicle was nonrepairable. The failure mileage was approximately 39,634.
NHTSA complaint #11539164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I noticed that the driver's door was making an odd clicking sound when the door was closing. Upon further investigation, I found the silver door bolt holding the door to the frame was loose. I have since then had the bolt tightened.
NHTSA complaint #11536804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that the front passenger’s and driver’s side doors were difficult to open due to large gaps in the doors caused by improper welding. The contact also stated that an abnormal line had formed on the moonroof without incident while the vehicle was stationary. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V508000 (Structure) which she linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and stated that the cause of the failure was due to human error. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,920.
NHTSA complaint #11531770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Moving glass panel in sunroof cracked. Happened between laminations. Cannot feel crack on either face of glass. Car was parked in parking lot. No visible external impingement or reason I can see. Reporting here after Googl search and seeing other Subaru owners having same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11519391 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE MOON ROOF/SUNROOF HAS LEAKED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX IT ON THREE OCCASIONS. IT CONTINUES TO LEAK- IT LEAKS WATER INTO THE FRONT EYESIGHT CAMERAS CAUSING THEM TO NOT WORK & CUT OFF SPORADICALLY. THE WATER LEAKS INTO THE CAB CAUSING THE HEADLINER TO BE WET, THE FLOORBOARD AND THE ENTIRE CONSOLE AND CUP HOLDERS FILLS UP WITH WATER. I HAVE HAD IT AT THE DEALERSHIP ON THREE OCCASIONS DEC 2012 JAN 2021 NOV 11 2022 AND IT HAS NOW HAPPENED A 4 TH TIME ON NOV 15 2022 AND IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR 34 DAYS. IT HAS LESS THAN 18,000 MILES ON IT.
NHTSA complaint #11494417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2020 Subaru Ascent Premium.. Rear lift gate at times will not open electronically, and sounds an “alarm” locking the mechanism which prevents it from being opened. The alarm and lockout does not stop until the battery is disconnected. The first time this occurred was at a Subaru Dealership, the second time was at a location where it was necessary for me to go home to my shop to get the battery disconnected.
NHTSA complaint #11484963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am currently replacing my 3rd front windshield in 11 months on my 2019 Subaru Ascent (First 8.19.21, Second: 4.15.22; Third was replaced 7.5.22) from a simple rock chip. Within minutes of occurring the chip leads to significant cracking and the inability to navigate safely. It is my understanding that a class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Subaru Ascent owners due to this very issue. It is my understanding Subaru is aware of their windshields being designed at an angle making them susceptible to frequent breaking.
NHTSA complaint #11472419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I’m very disappointed in the terms of the Subaru recall. Instead of just replacing the faulty transmission, they will only fix CVTs w/ evidence of problems. I reported transmission issues at my last service and was told to wait for the recall as they would charge me $175 if they couldn’t replicate the problem. So now I have to drive until at least May (probably longer with all the other recalled cars seeking appts) w/a faulty transmission that could cause an accident, while they figure out a remedy? Plus my 2020 Ascent will be out of warranty soon (6000 miles). So I’m stuck with paying to replace the trans, if these problems show up later? I’ve had so many problems w/ this car incl squealing brakes (my car was in the shop for a total of more than 4 weeks before they figured out how to fix this) and a hood that came close to Detaching at highway speed — I had to bring the NTHSA bulletins to the dealer to get them to admit these both were known problems that could be fixed. Please insist that Subaru do the right thing by just replacing the transmission NOW rather than waiting till May to figure out a remedy and exposing the owners of this problem-plagued car to further needless risk.
NHTSA complaint #11452400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.