Power Train Problems of Subaru Ascent - part 2

While driving the vehicle between 30 - 40 mph, the vehicle will intermittently studder. I have mentioned this issue multiple times to the dealership and they have attempted to fix the issue but the problem still continues. The issue is occurring more frequently and I’m concerned this may create additional engine/powertrain problems down the road.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

When trying to maintain highway speeds (65 to 70 mph) and driving in mountainous terrain of pennsylvania, maryland, or new york, the vehicle will shudder as if it is loosing power. The vehicle will rapidly loose speed. No warning code is issued. The only way to solve issue is depress the pedal to increase the rpms. Took vehicle to dealer and reported that it felt as if the cvt chain was slipping. They said they could not recreate and there was no code.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

Transmission needed to replaced at around 50k miles. Sister in law has the same year and her transmission went about the same mileage.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who serviced the rear differential but later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 106,100.

The cvt experienced a catastrophic failure, later identified as "the chain" by a Subaru dealer mechanic. The night before the incident, the transmission "slipped" and made a metallic clunking noise when merging onto a highway. On the day of the incident, the transmission failed completely after turning onto a roadway from a stop sign. No forward or reverse power was available. Had the transmission failed the night before while merging onto a highway, with little ability to pull out of the roadway, we certainly would have been in danger. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer and the transmission failure confirmed. The transmission "stuttered" for several months previously while accelerating, though not consistently.

At approximately 10000 miles the drive train (transmission) developed a shuddering while driving. This occurs at any speed but more frequently at 45-60 mph. The frequency of this problem has increased with the vehicle which now has 45202 miles. It is now occurring periodically at acceleration from a complete stop. The problem has been reported to the dealer at every service. It was evaluated by the service department for a 4-day period in which they could not duplicate the problem. However, they only drove the vehicle 20. 2 miles during this evaluation. It is unknown if this may lead to a safety issue, but it produces a very uncomfortable driving experience and distraction while driving. There is no warning lamp associated with this problem at this time.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 55 mph, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 21v955000 (power train). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

While driving on a road with a lot of hills our car sudden lost all engine power but all of the lights and engine were still on. We pulled over but kept the car on and it seem to resume power. Then about 1/8 of a mile later it happened again. We shut the car off completely for 5 minutes and turned it back on and we were able to drive it normally for another mile. It then happened three more times on our way to a safe spot to pull over. The fifth time it happened all warning lights on the dashboard turned on (see picture). The speed in which it happened varied. It is important to note that we brought it in for service on 8/8 for a standard interval service at a Subaru dealership and have brought our car in multiple times to address issues with the transmission.

Purchase the car two weeks ago the first night on the way home it was acting up just like it did when I test drove it and was told by the BMW dealership aristocrat motors in topeka kansas that they would fix anything that was wrong with it. On the way home I realized I didn't think it would make it back the 60 miles so I took it to olathe Subaru they informed me that it had had transmission problems reported by the previous owners but their technician couldn't get it to do it again so the people just traded it in instead and then I got the car without them getting the transmission fixed or whatever was wrong. They are actually waiting on Subaru of America to respond to tell them what needs to be done to the car and in the process I have been two weeks with little information of what's going on. I feel the recall should have been done and the car is still a good car it just needs to be repaired correctly. Thank you for your response I look forward to hearing from you please help.

Bolt holding the driveshaft support bracket backed out causing driveshaft to come out. This is a known issue with the 2019 and 2022 Subaru Ascents and have active service advisories but Subaru of America does not recognize it for the 2020 models even know it is also happening in the 2020 vehicles. If the driveshaft would have came out at a high speed it could have caused a crash. Based on the research the bolts do not hold the torque from the factory due to a bolt manufacturing issue and slowly back out after time unknown to the driver. Subaru is not recognizing the problem, so they are not notifying the 2020 owners of the problem, instead they are offering a 50% payment on the repairs as a goodwill payment to offset the cost since it is not a warranty issue. I had had my car in for oil changes in the past and the dealership did not know to check for the tightness of the bolts as there were no service advisories. There should be a recall for this problem before someone dies in a crash caused by this problem.

We have been dealing with issues with this vehicle since 2024. We had 3 open recalls which we took into the closest dealership to us and things were okay for a few months and then started having issues again. We live in a small town and it is hard to get to the dealership so we had a few local mechanics take a look and one had found that the exhuast recall was not installed properly and so he addressed that issue. Things were then okay for a little bit after that and then we started having bigger issues the car would not exceed 30 mph in the middle of us driving and then the car would jerk back and forth. After advice from Subaru of America we got it checked out at a dealership who put a part into the vehicle and then we got it back and less than a week later the car was doing the same things. We took it back and they kept the car for 2 weeks but told us they could not duplicate the problem so we got the car back and right away had the same issues when taking it home. The cvt is for sure messing up we believe and now the car does not drive at all. After some back and forth we found out that the 1st owners took it in for the cvt recall so I reached out to the dealership who did that and was told that they did look at it but at the time the cvt was not an issue but the mileage was fairly low at that time. Personally I am not in a place to afford to get it replaced on my own but I do not believe that the recall should have been closed out knowing that the part would eventually go out since it is a known issue on that car I have tried to go back and forth to get this resolved but I am not getting anywhere and I am not sure what to do at this point to try and get the problems address and made right.

When driving, Ascent sudders while under normal highway conditions. Has had all 4 recalls completed but this specific event has been consistently present even after each recall was completed. Now that Ascent is out of powertrain period, Subaru of America acknowledged transmission finally needs complete replacement but only offering portion as a one time offer.

My 2021 Subaru Ascent (40,000 miles) suffered multiple major mechanical failures that pose ongoing safety concerns: 1. Engine oil leak: the vehicle developed an active engine oil leak at 20,000 miles, posing a risk of fluid contacting hot exhaust/engine components under the hood or causing low oil levels during operation. Repair time more than 35 days due to parts not available. 2. Loose factory engine mounts: at 25,000 miles, excessive engine shifting, vibration when braking, the dealer discovered loose engine mounts. 3. Transmission valve body failure: at 40,000 miles the transmission valve body failure and need replacement.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the transmission slipped, there was a loud noise and the vehicle loss power when accelerated. The contact is unsure if any lights was illuminated. The contact pulled over and left the vehicle for a couple of hours. Upon return, the contact stated the vehicle drove normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they reprogrammed an unknown system. However, the failure was experienced several times. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and a diagnostic was performed and the dealer was unable to duplicated the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated if the failure could not be duplicated the vehicle could not be repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

The vehicle hesitates like it doesn’t want to get up to speed, despite pressing the gas pedal to accelerate. The rpm needle bounces. Dealership has not been able to “replicate the hesitation I feel when accelerating. ” they originally tried to say I didn’t tell them the problem was happening when it had time to warm up, which is a lie, I have all the scheduling notes made by the employee who set the appointment up. Dealership said it passes diagnostic testing despite my serious concerns as the owner driving it daily. No lights are lit up on the dashboard which is another reason why the dealership is saying everything is fine. It’s already had a firmware update in July and the dealership is very dismissive of my concerns. I made multiple calls before appointment telling them it’s happening more frequently around 20-30 minutes of drive time and to make sure I have them the full picture well enough in advance for them to make adequate time to look at my vehicle.

The auto brakes are not accurate because it triggers them in unsafe situations.

See all problems of the 2023 Subaru Ascent 🔎.

I bought the vehicle new at Subaru of bristol, TN. At around 23,000 miles it starting lurching forward while idling, jerking and hestitating when trying to accelerate, or not accelerating at all. It was so bad that at one point, I pulled out to pass and almost got rear ended by a semi because it simply wouldn't engage and accelerate. I took it to the wallace Subaru dealership on 01/03/24 at 25,578 miles. They drove the vehicle and did a software update and claimed it was fixed. It seemed ok for a couple of days and then started having the same issues again. I took it back to wallace on 01/29/24 at 27,248 miles and also engaged Subaru of America. They had the vehicle until 02/08/24 during which time they replaced the transmission. It seemed ok for a few days and started doing the same thing again. I took it back to the dealership on 03/12/24 at 29,449. They performed no service because they claimed they couldn't replicate the issue. This past weekend, I almost had another wreck trying to merge from the on-ramp onto the interstate because the car literally just stopped accelerating and jerked for several seconds before engaging again. Cars were literally slamming brakes behind me to keep from hitting me. This car is unsafe to drive and it's either going cause me harm or someone else because Subaru, despite knowing this is a known issue with this model and certainly with this particular car, seems like they need me to have a wreck before they will continue servicing the vehicle and finding and fixing the issue. They need to buy it back for at least what I owe. I certainly don't want to trade it for another Subaru.

I was sitting in a long line of stopped cars. I looked in my mirrors to move to the right lane. I made sure no vehicles were coming. I pressed on the accelerator to move, and nothing happened. In a panic I quickly repeated pressing the accelerator and nothing happened. The third time the car finally moved forward. I was terrified that someone would come along quickly in the right lane a hit my car. I also had a passenger that was speechless about the incident. Now I feel unsafe to drive the car. This has happened one time previously, but I thought it was a fluke. Also, like many other comments the transmission shudders sometimes but not often. I waited to buy a new 2022 Ascent limited because I read where the transmission issue had been fixed. Mentioned it to the service advisor and he laughed it off.

For the past month, the engine revs up higher than normal at slow and highway speeds. It had the feeling of the engine skipping gears and staying at to high of an rpm even with the accelerator being eased off. Initially it was brought to Subaru service dealer in November and they could not replicate the issue. On 12/13/23, it began to constantly go into very high rpms, much more frequently then it had been, and the check engine light came on as well as a warning light for the automatic transmission oil temperature light. We brought it into the dealer and the evaluated and said the transmission is failing and said it is not safe to drive. We were given a loaner and they are in the process of submitting paperwork for a new transmission under their powertrain warranty.

Cvt jerks the vehicle and stutters when at certain rpms, making long car rides very uncomfortable. Feels like whiplash every so often. Very dangerous when trying to speed up to pass another vehicle because the vehicle doesn't respond and accelerate as it should. The dealer said its normal because of the cvt technology. They said they tried to reproduce it, but were only gone 5 minutes. The highway is 5 minutes away from dealership, one-way. I explained it happens after about 20 minutes of continously driving at speeds over 50 mph. The vehicle had only been inspected once for this issue. The dealer refuses to look at it again because they, "already explained it to [me]". There are no warnings or indicators prior to it happening.

2019 Subaru Ascent was taken to mechanic due to jolting between 1000rpm and 1500rpm. Car was not throwing any code. Mechanics then did other test and it was determined the transmission is failing. Car only has 70,000 miles on it. Also, when car is started at times, there is a very prominent cloud of smoke that comes from the exhaust.

Cvt transmission skips in high gear and shudders randomly while driving down the road. Randy marion in hickory nc is where we purchased and replaced the rear transfer clutch and insists the problem has been corrected. It is not. Our regular mechanic and moderna Subaru of boone nc both agree the transmission is bad. It has been sitting at the dealership for 2 months while all parties argue over who is responsible for repair. (original selling dealership, Subaru of America, 3rd party warranty) meanwhile I have no car but am expected to make payments. There are no warning lights or indicatator lamps to show an issue which is even more scary. I do not feel safe driving the vehicle without repair as the stutter and slipping between gears can cause hesitation that could cause an accident or worse. We did not test drive the vehicle at high gear and that was our mistake, but I drove it on a trip 2 days after purchasing and it had transmission issues the entire time. Dropped back off at dealership Monday morning and have been dealing with headaches since then.

The car would not move when stopped at a light. I had to call for roadside assistance. They now say the car needs a new transmission. It. Only has 9200 miles.

The right front wheel was making an airplane type noise. Upon taking it to belle tire in gaylord, mi, they confirmed it was a defective bearing when the mechanic pulled the wheel off, the cv shaft pulled apart. It had to be replaced. I have a picture and invoice.

I have been asking Subaru to fix the transmission for 2 years now. It seems like it’s going to stall between 20-25 mph and 45-50 mph. There is a torque converter shutter but I’m told that the car is fine. Subaru corporate has 2 case files for this issue now.

Car has always refused to accelerate if gas pedal is pushed down too quickly. Just before 60k miles, on way home we had pulled over at a roadside stop on a hill. Tried to pull across highway to continue up road, car refused to accelerate and luckily were able to brake in time to keep from getting t-boned by big truck heading down the hill. No trouble lights came on, so weren't sure if this was operator failure from pushing gas down on hill or mechanical problem. Also were too close to 60k miles to get home and back to dealership without going over warranty and serious service issues with dealership previously, and leaving for vacation following day. Decided to see if there were further problems. Live at 8k elevation, vacation at half that. No further problems until after returning from vacation. Car definitely hesitating when cold to accelerate at 8k elevation. Checked owners manual, at this time believed appropriate 36k service at dealership had inspected cvt fluid as requested, and was a bit early for next inspection listed in book at 66k miles, but thought perhaps cvt fluid needed changed (did not expect transmission to be failing with such a new car, only a bit over warranty miles now). Because of previous with dealership, instead found ase certified shop for cvt fluid inspection. Fluid at shop inspection was dark and needed replaced. Shop exchanged with oem fluid, not Subaru brand. Cvt functioned much better for a time, then got worse and not just hesitating with cold but also jerking. Called service shop to insure they had used correct fluid and amount, they had. Brought in to confirm and fluid level was correct. They suspected cvt was failing. Called Subaru of America and made appointment at suggested dealership different from purchase dealership, confirmed transmission failure. Dealership rented car for safety because of suspected cvt failure. Subaru refused to replace cvt under warranty and wanted $7k+ to fix after $3k "discount: still no trouble lights.

Vehicle has completed all transmission recalls. Until recently, Subaru continued to say that the issues I was experience with loss of power or glitchy shifting could not be duplicated. After the vehicle exceeded it's warranty coverage, they were suddenly able to duplicate the problem and say that the cvt was causing my problems, that reprogramming failed and that the vehicle needs a new transmission. These issues have persisted before and after the recalls related to the cvt and have cause two near accidents as I pulled out into traffic only to have the car not shift/accelerate as expected. I no longer allow my teenagers to drive the vehicle due to this safety concern. I firmly believe the prior recalls were not effective in resolving the issues with the cvt and/or that Subaru said no damage to the chain was visible and checked the recall as done without actually doing anything more than reprogramming. I believe the issues should be looked into further and coverage for the cvt should be extended beyond the initial reprogramming provided by the recall.

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted after 30 minutes. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The mileage was approximately 42,000.

Between October of 2021 and February of 2022): shuddering (like driving on rumble strips) and sluggish transmission (slow to respond acceleration and sometimes jumping when depressing the gas pedal) - reported this multiple times to dealership but was told they couldn’t replicate what I was feeling/experiencing. I also reported that the cvt would not adjust to the lower rpm (remained between 2000-3000) after ascending a hill. I was told in a dismissive manner that it was throttle control, which it was not. Brought vehicle back in June 2022 reporting the same issues. Determined it was the wrk-21 service bulletin. Wrk-21 repair was done in July/August of 2022. I was without my car from June through August 30th. Transfer case was replaced. By March of 2023, the exact same symptoms returned and got worse on a much shorter timeline than the first time this happened. On 5/31/23 I brought the car back in. Approx 2. 5 weeks later it was determined that it was the wrk-21 issue again. Today 6/30/23, I was told that a regional service technician from Subaru of America has determined that the transfer case needs to be replaced again. I opened a case at Subaru of America (case #230628-1300171), requesting that a new transmission be installed into the vehicle, citing major safety concerns about repairing/replacing a repair. No warning lights ever went on at anytime in this reported timeline. Car is not in my possession so it would only be accessible at the dealership. It has been there since 5/31/23. Ultimately, I feel like driving the vehicle is dangerous. I’ve wondered if it’s just going to die while driving at times when it shudders. I have a young child and need a safe vehicle. I do not feel safe in this vehicle.

The transmission jerks and slips after accelerating from stops. It causes the car to jitter and not accelerate when necessary while in traffic. After taking it to the service center multiple times, the problem was reproduced with a service technician in the car. The tech had a computer connected to the diagnostic box. The service tech stated that he completed a computer update to correct the issue. The issue is still happening and I've returned the vehicle to the service center at least 3 times since the "computer fix". The issue happens every day during my morning and evening commutes. The manufacturer hasn't inspected the vehicle. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before, during, or after the issue.

I purchased the car brand new in 2019. Shortly after purchasing, the transmission started having hesitation and slipping. I took the car back to the Subaru, and they replaced the transmission under warranty. Unfortunately, they replaced it with another full transmission, and very shortly there after, they had to replace it again. Unfortunately, they replaced it with another faulty transmission and now it is at 150,000 miles and needs another transmission. No one offered me to buy back my car with a second transmission replacement. I was told I was trying to scam a new transmission from Subaru. For this third transmission, I had it verified by an independent shop. I have placed a complaint with Subaru and ask them to buy back my vehicle and I have been told it’s unlikely to happen. I am worried about what will happen when the transmission goes out while I’m driving 70 miles an hour down the highway. This is a pattern in the warrants consumer protection. Many other car companies have stopped. Trying to make this cvt because it kept having problems. .

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 mph, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer to be serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 22v907000 (electrical system). The contact was made aware that the VIN was also included in NHTSA campaign number 21v955000 (power train); however, they were unable to complete the recall repair because the vehicle had a salvaged title. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

The transmission of my 2021 Ascent regularly slips or shutters when trying to accelerate time to time(not always). Loud noises when shifting from low speed. Went to dealership but they said car working perfectly.

As I am going up a hill I will be pushing on the gas and the engine will rev up loudly and the rpm will increase but the vehicle speed won’t increase or it decreases as I’m trying to accelerate. This is dangerous because the people behind me are expecting me to be speeding up to go up the hill but my vehicle will be slowing down and won’t let me increase speed. It has been to the dealer multiple times and they say they can’t find nothing wrong. We drove the mechanic around and it did the exact same thing I explained and he still said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. I know this isn’t normal because when we first bought it, it did not drive like this. I’ve also had multiple people tell me they are experiencing the same exact issues. This has been going on for about a year now. It also has been doing a few other things as well.

The cvt transmission has failed and been replaced three times despite proper maintenance. Subaru has replaced the transmission multiple times under warranty, but the failure continues to recur. •first cvt replacement at 50,542 miles •second cvt replacement at 88,175 miles •third cvt replacement at 92,832 miles this shows repeat failure, not wear-and-tear. It is a safety risk: the vehicle hesitates and loses power intermittently, which creates a safety risk when accelerating or merging into traffic. The most recent replacement is incorrectly listed as pan replacement.