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Subaru · NHTSA safety record

2022 Subaru Ascent

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 55 safety complaints about the 2022 Subaru Ascent with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering equipment and the electrical system.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 14 complaints, 25% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 38,000 miles, the median across the 5 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2022 to June 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

55 complaints on file

55

Complaints

6

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

6

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 14 · 25%
SERVICE BRAKES 10 · 18%
ENGINE 9 · 16%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 7 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 · 11%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5 · 9%
AIR BAGS 4 · 7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 · 7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 5%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 · 5%
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 · 4%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 2%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 55.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 19.

20 15 10 5
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2022 Subaru ASCENT, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 17.0%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

26V436000 · July 7, 2026

The defect
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."
The risk
An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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 are expected to be mailed August 25, 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.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 541,237 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

22V907000 · December 8, 2022

Park outside until repaired

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ascent vehicles. The ground bolt that secures the ground terminal of the Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater may have been improperly fastened, which could result in melting of the ground terminal and surrounding components.
The risk
A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park their vehicle away from structures and to avoid leaving the vehicle unattended while the engine is running. An owner who notices or smells smoke coming from the dash or driver's footwell area should immediately stop operating the vehicle and turn the ignition switch to the "Off" position. Dealers will replace the PTC heater ground bolts and if necessary, replace the ground wire and the connector holder, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 6, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-22.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 271,694 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

Air Bags did not deploy going at 32 MPH and during a head on front collision.

NHTSA complaint 11642928. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Other/I am not sure

2 injured · crash · towed

Were in a car accident of a speed of 32 MPH. Were told we would have to get rid of the carseat due to a hard wreck.

NHTSA complaint 11642929. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

1 injured · crash · towed

I was driving slowly through a parking lot. I found a spot to park my car and noticed that there was a curb painted bright yellow so I knew I could not pull through. I started to turn into the parking spot with my foot on the brake when all of a sudden my car was speeding towards the curb and a tree. My foot was on the brake but the car did not stop nor did the forward collision feature work and the air bag did not deploy. The accident has been reported to both my insurance and the auto maker. The car will be inspected tomorrow.

NHTSA complaint 11528890. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I hit a car that went through a red light. Despite hitting him squarely, and my front end bending, the airbags did not deploy

NHTSA complaint 11645950. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The front exhaust pipe on my 2022 Subaru Ascent cracked at approximately 77,800 miles. The component is available for inspection. Prior to diagnosis, I noticed a rattle/fluttering noise coming from the undercarriage during acceleration. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Subaru dealership. Subaru has issued TSB 09-106-23 acknowledging this is a known design defect affecting 2019-2023 Ascents, and has redesigned the part to correct the issue. Despite being within the 8 year/80,000 mile federal emissions warranty period, the dealership denied warranty coverage, claiming coverage only applies in California and Maryland. This is incorrect - the federal emissions warranty applies

NHTSA complaint 11746584, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

60,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist, the speedometer was inoperable, and the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who inspected the brakes and reset the check engine warning light, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who determined that the rear radar sensor module beneath the rear bumper had corrosion from car wash or road salt. The dealer replaced the rear radar sensor module and sealed it with silicone. The manufacturer was made aware of

NHTSA complaint 11746149, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Exhaust "Nut" mysteriously went missing, causing noises, and Subaru technician stated to replace exhaust if issues persist. Vehicle was under warranty, only been serviced by certified Subaru technicians, and multi-point inspections were allegedly performed during every service, however, the exhaust "nut" were somehow still went missing.

NHTSA complaint 11738890. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS
The front driver seat cushion/seat cover is deteriorating and ripping at the front portion of the seat. While driving, I can feel road vibration and impacts through the driver seat much more than normal, and the seat no longer feels properly cushioned or supported. I am concerned this affects the driver seating position, comfort, and ability to maintain proper control, and it creates a distraction while driving. The failed component is the front driver seat cushion/seat cover and it is available for inspection upon request. I have seen Subaru Service Bulletin 12-273-19 for earlier Ascent model years describing redesigned front seat cushion trim covers due to early wrinkling/durability

NHTSA complaint 11733857, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

115,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was slowly driven to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint 11731928. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
My eyesight camera keeps failing, it just started like a week ago I had it scanned and it is saying there is an error with the eyesight camera, I have not had an issue with it until now.

NHTSA complaint 11728873. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Subaru Ascent

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 15 1 —
2024 50 1 —
2023 45 4 —
2021 102 2 —
2020 322 5 —
2019 441 9 —

Other 2022 Subaru models

Outback 464 Forester 98 Legacy 33 Crosstrek 31 WRX 25 Impreza 13 BRZ 10

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Subaru on this site — 99 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst