Electrical System Problems of Subaru Ascent - part 1

While driving my Subaru Ascent, a check engine warning light appeared on the dashboard. Shortly afterward, I noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. I immediately pulled over and turned the vehicle off. Within moments, flames began coming from under the hood. The fire spread rapidly, and within 5-10 minutes the entire vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. The fire originated from the engine compartment. The vehicle was a total loss. Subaru of America was notified on 12/23/2025, but no follow-up or update on investigation has been responded. The vehicle was always serviced with Subaru. This sudden, traumatizing and catastrophic failure with no prior warning.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

The transmission on our 2021 Subaru Ascent is slipping and failing to accelerate, rpms reving, and every issue indicator notification light is on. We took the car to our mechanic, then to the Subaru dealership service dept for diagnosis. A full transmission replacement is required plus associated repairs for a cost of $14,543. 98. Service estimate attached. This repair is more than 2/3 of the value of the vehicle. This make/model and transmission type have documented problems and Subaru has previously issued an extended warranty on other model years for this same transmission issue. We are trying to communicate with the Subaru customer service but have had limited response due to the holidays and have not had a resolution yet in the past month.

Uncommanded maximum braking with simultaneous high-voltage and low-voltage shutdown. Vehicle is not safe in florida with puddles or any types of ongoing obstructions vehicle shuts down in the middle of traffic if it perceives you do not match google maps.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

The battery is draining so quick that the car doesnt start at all. The battery drained completely in 3 days and it’s happening more often.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

I have a 2019 Subaru Ascent limited model with 96,xxx miles as of January 2025. In 2023, there was a safety recall for the ptc heater ground bolt sent first class mail for multiple year Ascent models. This recall was completed by local Subaru dealership on 3/27/2023 stating "wrl 22 completed. Removed ground bolts and cleaned threads. Found no signs of heat damage. Removed and replaced bolts. " move forward to Saturday, [xxx]. I remote started vehicle from inside the house while on vacation in bristol tennesee. Car was running for roughly 5 minutes, when fire alarms inside the house starting going off. Seemed odd considering nothing was going on inside. Walked inside to see large amounts of white smoke coming from the windows of the Ascent. I was able to jump into the car and turn the engine off. I opened all 4 doors to let the car air out. I checked the engine, nothing seemed off. I then turned my attention to the air cabin filter, everything seemed normal as well. After the engine cooled and aired out, there is smoke damage to the vehicle. I was able to transport the car safely to wallace Subaru which was less than 0. 25 mile from our airbnb. I was quickly notified by the service technician that the car is not safe to drive until it was fixed. After further investigation, it was found that the ptc ground bolt has failed again, and this time melting the wiring harness and bolt around it. This was right next to the carpet and put my life as well as my wife, who is [xxx] and my [xxx] daughter. Thankfully we weren't in the vehicle when this occurred. There was no warning. No check engine light, nothing. No other issues leading into the incident. Car is still parked in bristol TN at the dealership and I am 5 hours away in lexington ky. Subaru has been uncooperative with this situation and is avoiding talking to me or making this situation better. I literally have no answers. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Started the vehicle to drive 30 miles for an appointment. While driving, all of the intrument cluster lights illuminated. The eye sight turned off, cruise control no longer worked, parking brake light was illuminated, abs light was illuminated. Tpms light was illuminated. This has occured 2 times before. The fix for the previous issues was to clean the battery terminals.

We have had to replace battery twice and had to have auto club give us a jump start multiple times. We drive this vehicle once or twice a month, but something is causing battery to run down way to fast. Manufacturer claims we need to drive more often. I have always had one car, that burned to much fuel, and was used as an occasional vehicle, but never had this type of problem. Something needs to be provided so that battery does not leak power when it is a low use car. I don’t want the internal lights to turn on when I walk by, or for it to access the internet. I believe that this leaves us vulnerable to non-availability at a critical time. We are planning a multi-week trip and have no idea if car will start when we return. Nor is their a way to disconnect unneeded activity that is draining battery.

Component- steering locks safety risk - vehicle cannot be started. Therefore if in an area of risk - cannot start vehicle. This randomly happens pulling into parking spaces. It is repetitive. I’m older and alone, scary when it happens as you are stranded. And call to Subaru roadside only option was to tow the vehicle the vehicle to dealership. Online fix is to man handle the steering wheel and turn it in the direction of the tension. Pulling into a normal parking space should not create the tension necessary for the steering wheel to lock. I have been on Subaru Ascent form us and this seems to be a common problem with this vehicle. Mine has been inspected for the last occurrence and was told battery issue. The other times there were no battery issues and dealerships cannot find issues. Warning light only lights up after steering wheel locks up and vehicle cannot be started. The safety risk for me is being stranded - and no way to prevent it or know when it might happen.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

Battery draining. Bought car from dealership preowned with 25k miles. Owned it for 3 weeks and so far -battery dead, jumped it, good for a day then dead again. -took back to dealership, said bad battery, replaced it, good for a week and a half then dead again -scheduling to go to a Subaru dealership for diagnoses ive read about the dcm on these vehicles trying to connect to 3g towers continously even when the car is off. The 3g towers are no longer in use in the USA. Subaru should have a software update to remedy this issue but have not found that thus far. Just a lawsuit over this issue.

In my new 2024 Ascent, there's a vibration in the driver side mirror that gets worse as speed increases. It's a minor issue, but it's disappointing for a brand new car to have this problem. The Subaru dealer hasn't taken any action despite being informed about it, and the vibration persists.

Lift gate began malfunctioning going up and down on its ownthen dropped suddenly onto spouse's head. Now the lift gate does not open properly.

Eye sight freezing when car purchased brand new. I was told that this was a known issue. Radio freezing and then resuming at blaring volume, I was told that this was a known issue and Subaru was waiting for an update. Burning smell from car when purchased, notified dealer, smell did not go away. I was told that this was normal. Starling freezing and not working, this was a service that I paid for, I was told that this was a known issue and was waiting for an update. On 6/9/2024 I was driving, while entering a tunnel, and using the adaptive cruise, the car did not track the car in front of me. I braked, this did not stop the adaptive cruise (according to Subaru) and the car collided with the car in front of me after the emergency braking system failed to also stop the car in time. Starling did not call to check on us for 30 minutes (did alert 911) but no call was made to my phone, as per the paid service, and the airbag exploded and we were covered in brown substance. I had asked to return the vehicle before any of these events, as I felt that there was an issue with it, as was told to begin the north carolina lemon law process.

I bought a 2021 Ascent - touring , lately there was an ever increasing amount of wind noise. It sounded like it was coming from the sunroof, but I couldn't see anything from the inside that looked out of place and there were no signs of water leaking. I finally looked up on the roof from the outside and the weather stripping along the back of the sunroof was coming out. The glue is thin, and didn't even stick to it anymore. . This is an ongoing issue. There are people people on the Subaru Ascent, facebook reddit forms that have said they are having the same issue. .

Over the course of 5 years, a lot has been mechanically wrong with our vehicle. Each service appointment yielded a 'cannot duplicate' response. Recently, my car has been in the service department a few times. My car had recall work performed on a ground bolt, and my husband advised them that the car had a 'rich fuel' smell when starting with the hood open. I've complained since 2021 of a smell when pulling up the mountain. The smell is what I described as a perm solution smell. Each time, the response was 'cannot duplicate. ' in February, I took the car in to have the exhaust inspected because it was getting louder each passing day. I was advised that the entire exhaust needed to be replaced, and I would be responsible for costs. I brought my car home, unrepaired, and called Subaru of America to file a claim through them. I had repeatedly expressed concerns, and nothing was done, yet I'm expected to foot the bill now. Since February 12th, I have been back and forth with Subaru and just made the appointment to get the exhaust work completed, with a small contribution from Subaru. However, this past Saturday, April 13, 2024, my vehicle caught on fire while driving. I am fine, but my vehicle has now been deemed a total loss. As I was descending the mountain, I smelled the same 'perm solution' smell, and shortly after, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The smoke entered the cabin as I pulled off the road. Upon exiting the vehicle, flames and smoke were visible from the hood. I grabbed my purse and ran, called 911, and watched my vehicle engulfed in flames.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the forward collision avoidance front camera became inoperable. The pre-collision, the braking control, and the lane departure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,737.

Ascent randomly hesitates when pulling out into traffic. . Both at slow speeds and when attempting to pass on interstate. . Has been at dealer service numerous times regarding this , it periodically 'walking' when parked and ranfom inability to get hatch to work. Is currently at a different dealer service as previous dealer was unable to replicate and unwilling to keep vehicle for more than the hour or 2 of service appt. Prev dealer did replace hatch motor over a year ago. . But still works randomly. . Their fix for this is to manually reset everytime. . As for ' walking ' when parked, my Ascent will very slowly move 6 to 8 feet when parked. . Dealer 'fix' is to only park with parking brake on. Hesitation issue is now worse since prev dealer did 'system update'. . Now rpm drop to 1000 or lower, then after 3 or 4 seconds, car revs to 3 or 4 k & takes off. . During the 3 or 4 seconds of hesitation, I am literally sitting in the middle of the road as the car initially starts to move forward, then literally just sits there until it revs up and takes off. This is random, so no way to record. . And no rhym or reason to know when it's going to happen. Last week it nearly got me t boned by an 18 wheeler when I pulled out across 4 lanes after getting fuel. Have contacted Subaru of America requesting their help but have gotten no reply despite my 7 voicemail left for the assigned rep. My car is a 22 Ascent touring with 17k miles. . Has been at same dealer repeatedly for same issues and their repeated reply us "unable to duplicate, so no issue. ". . I am on Subaru Ascent page on fb. . There are numerous people complaining of same nasty hesitation issue with no resolution from their dealer service. I bought this car with a 10 yr 100k warranty. . Fortunately I have not been financially responsible for the numerous service calls, but I am seriously concerned with being a statistic. . My car is listed as one of the top 10 safest in a crash, but I don't like feeling like a ' test dummy'.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

My car refused to start-pressed the ignition and it sputted, lots of lights went on and off and then the running lights came on and stayed on and ran the rest of the battery out. Had to charge it for hours to get it started again.

I have encountered a series of persistent issues with the vehicle since its initial purchase, indicating fundamental deficiencies that warrant thorough consideration and resolution. Commencing with brake malfunctions at an exceptionally low mileage threshold, the recurrent necessity for brake replacements, despite being facilitated by the dealership on four separate occasions, underscores a notable deficiency in the vehicle's manufacturing or assembly process. Furthermore, the manufacturer's offer of $10,000 in exchange for signing a waiver relinquishing my right to file a claim is indicative of their acknowledgment of the vehicle's inherent flaws. Subsequent to this agreement, additional complications have arisen, including persistent window malfunctioning, electrical faults, exhaust system irregularities, and most notably, transmission failures, with repeated complaints culminating in a catastrophic breakdown witnessed by the dealership's service team. In light of these recurring issues, the manufacturer's proposition to repurchase the vehicle while crediting back the $10,000 initially offered and prorating mileage solely from the transmission repair fails to address the cumulative impact of the vehicle's deficiencies. It is inequitable to discount the mileage accrued during the earlier brake-related concerns, especially considering the ongoing nature of the vehicle's mechanical shortcomings. Arguably, the rescinding of the $10,000 offer necessitates a reevaluation of the waiver's validity, as its premise was contingent upon mitigating specific concerns, which have regrettably persisted. Moreover, the manufacturer's refusal to accommodate a reasonable request for mileage adjustment from the onset of the brake-related issues undermines the principles of fairness and consumer protection. Given the manufacturer's reluctance to engage in arbitration and their apparent disregard for addressing the comprehensive history of issues encountered.

Car battery died in store parking lot. Low mileage (24,000). I do lots of short trips and this is a reported problem for 2019 Subaru Ascents. I had to wait 2 hours for someone to bring a charger to drive to auto parts store fire replacement battery.

Battery keeps dying.

We purchased a used 2020 Subaru accent from a dealership on 11/16/23. Twice since that date the car would not start due to the battery not having enough charge to start it. The dealership that we bought it from stated that prior to the sale date they had a new battery installed.

Reporting a serious incident with my 2020 Subaru Ascent at 21k miles. On October 16th, a burning plastic smell and white smoke from the floorboard forced an immediate stop; I had to call the fire department for safety. The vehicle's battery has been replaced thrice, and the radio system frequently resets. Despite a Subaru recall fix in February meant to prevent such issues, the problem persists, raising major safety concerns. With 20+ years in electrical engineering, I've noted consistent electrical issues with this car. I urgently request NHTSA intervention for an immediate and thorough investigation, holding Subaru accountable for ensuring vehicle safety.

The radio started turning on and off repeatedly and does not work. The back door will not open using any of the buttons.

Arrived at my car after traveling for the weekend, and arrived to my car to find out the battery was dead. Nothing on, lights were in auto like normal. The last thing I did after getting out of my SUV was grabbed my suitcase from the trunk. I think it must not of latched correctly and it drained the battery. There is supposed to be a light delay to preserve the battery but it did not work in this case. I still can't open the trunk. This happened once before while camping with our dogs we left the tailgate up to unpack and pack the SUV. We loaded the dogs up to leave the campsite. When we went to start the SUV the battery was dead. Seems leaving the tailgate open drains the battery. The problem is even after we got our car jumped and the car was operating okay, we could not open the tailgate. It just makes a beeping sound like it wants to release but will not open. The manual handle should allow anyone to open the gate even if there is a electrical disturbance. This is a safety issue related to not being able to get our dogs out of the cargo compartment. Our dogs are over 100 lbs and their travel crates are large and need to be opened from the rear of the vehicle.

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.

Car has been not able to roll up driver side window for a year randomly. Suddenly 3 years old and battery is draining and rab and eyesight and engine light on. Took in and saying can’t replicate window after they did replicate it 3 months ago and did not solve issue. Did battery parasitic draw and numerous parts of car are draining battery. Cannot find source.

Car was unresponsive and would not start. It was just purchased certified used on 5/8/2023. On 5/10/2023 aaa replaced the battery and on 5/12/2023 the battery died again as a result the car did not start and was unresponsive. Tailgate was beeping in both situations.

Rear lift gate drains battery to the point where the vehicle won't start. The tailgate will beep three times, but will not open. Within 24 hours, the battery is insufficient to start it. You have to do a manual override to open the lift gate. The battery, starter and alternator were all tested and had no issues. I have to keep a jump pack in the car as the issue has become more frequent. The local Subaru dealership in mequon, WI said they would replace the battery, but won't replace the module identified in a technical service bulletin for no charge: https://static. Nhtsa. Gov/odi/tsbs/2019/mc-10163522-0001. Pdf this seems to be a very common problem with the my19 Ascents.

Car system drains battery for no reason. Opening a trunk or door for a 5-10min to load or unload vehicle is enough to drain a new full battery. This can leave people stranded in parks and remote areas. We have had the battery checked and verified it is good. This problem has happened multiple times on our Ascent.

I parked my Ascent rear facing inside of my garage to unload my groceries. When I opened my hatch at the front button, the hatch only opened halfway. The hatch would not close with the push of the button and had to be closed manually. Once I returned to my Ascent to go somewhere, the hatch sensor beeped repeatedly, while driving, until coming to a complete stop. Once driving continued, the sensor continued beeping. This occurred with two straight vehicle drives. The entire course of the drive. I parked the Ascent in my garage and returned to the car the next morning and the Ascent would not start. Aaa came to do a jumpstart with no remedy. We replaced the battery with a new, borrowed battery and the car started immediately with no beeping. We charged the old battery and replaced the new battery and the Ascent had no other issues, including easy startup and no beeping. There were no warning lights for any of the issues including the hatch or the battery.

Battery went dead after leaving tailgate open for 1hr.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v907000 (electrical system). The local dealer was contacted; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

My vehicle won’t stay charged. We replaced the battery and still every single time I go out to start it it’s completely dead and I have to get it jumped.

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v9070000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed her that parts were available. The dealer was called back, and the contact was placed on a waiting list. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.