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Subaru · NHTSA safety record

2023 Subaru Ascent

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

42

Complaints

4

Crashes

1

Fires

4

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2023 Subaru Ascent have filed 42 safety complaints with NHTSA between December 2022 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the brakes, named in 10 of them (24%).

NHTSA has issued 4 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (4)

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

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

23V647000 · September 21, 2023

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
The risk
Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 4,311 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

23V392000 · June 1, 2023

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles. The left or right front lower control arm may have an improperly tightened ball joint castle nut which can result in retention pin failure and separation of the ball joint from the lower control arm.
The risk
Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the lower control arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 30, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRJ-23.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 5 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES

23V258000 · April 7, 2023

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles equipped with 20-inch wheels. The internal tire bead may have been damaged during the wheel mounting process.
The risk
A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace all four tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 6, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-23.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 4,409 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 42.

SERVICE BRAKES 10 24%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 19%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 17%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 6 14%
AIR BAGS 3 7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 7%
ENGINE 3 7%
POWER TRAIN 3 7%
TIRES 3 7%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 7%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 5%
SEATS 2 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 16.

2022 2023 2026
2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

2 injured · crash · towed

On XXX, I was operating my vehicle heading Pocono PA, on I-80 in [XXX]. At approximately mile point 142.4, the vehicle's onboard Forward Collision Avoidance System (FCAS) suddenly and unexpectedly activated without any obstruction, hazard, or vehicle ahead. The abrupt, automated braking and system intervention caused an immediate loss of vehicle control, forcing the car into a 180-degree spin. The violent shift in momentum caused the vehicle to roll over on the highway before coming to a stop. No other vehicles were involved in the initiation of the crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11749348. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash · towed

I attempted to make a U-turn with the steering wheel fully turned to the left. When I accelerated, the car took off and went straight into the curb. It did so by “plowing” or what is referred to as severely undesteering - which forced the front right face of the wheel into the curb, breaking the wheel off. The vehicle continued accelerating for another 50 feet (as can be seen in the photographs) when the engine gradually and audibly died down and came to a stop. The brakes were no longer functioning properly at that time while sinking to the floor as they did immediately after the first impact. In the four months and 2300 miles that I’ve been driving that car, I’ve noticed surging a number

NHTSA complaint 11522102, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

On May 12, 2024 I placed my vehicle in Park. As I exited, it rolled back. The door knocked me down and the car rolled over my left leg, injuring my lower leg, ankle, and foot. Problem has not been reproduced. Vehicle has not been inspected. I phoned the dealer, who denied any knowledge of the problem.

NHTSA complaint 11590369. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

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

SERVICE BRAKES
I am reporting two issues with my vehicle that I believe require further attention and repair assistance. I am requesting that both issues be properly repaired without any charges to me. There are no warning lights, error messages, or other dashboard warnings related to either issue. However, both conditions are abnormal and affecting the vehicle’s operation and ownership experience. 1. Steering Noise (Inside Cabin). The steering assembly inside the cabin. Whenever I make any type of turn, either left or right, I hear a noticeable clicking/clocking noise coming from inside the steering column area. I want to clarify that this noise is not coming from the wheels, tires, suspension, or

NHTSA complaint 11755178, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The vehicle exhibited transmission slippage but did not provide any warning lights or other symptoms . About 100 miles later, the Automatic Transmission Oil light came on (flashing YELLOW), and all other systems light up (both Yellow and Red) disabling front collision, auto vehicle hold, RAB, etc. Pulled to a safe location and left in park for 10-15 minutes per guidance. Had towed to dealer to determine issue, transmission failure on a 3.5 yr old vehicle with 80,019 miles.

NHTSA complaint 11753964. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sirius XM ads showing up and there’s no way to opt out. The ads are distracting/difficult to close and cover a good amount off my media system even while driving.

NHTSA complaint 11741883. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2023 Subaru Ascent, under manufacturer basic warranty. Factory OEM battery has repeatedly failed. Voltage drops below 11.5V in normal use. Three documented failures in six weeks. SAFETY INCIDENT: Vehicle died on a public street and became completely immobilized. Brake warning light activated. Vehicle would not move even after a jump start. Passengers had to exit in a live traffic lane. A second vehicle was used to transport a replacement battery. The original battery is in my possession and available for inspection. A subsequent failure occurred when the original battery was reinstalled for a manufacturer-required diagnostic. Vehicle again would not start. KNOWN DEFECT: Subaru TSB

NHTSA complaint 11733168, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
In 2024, 2025, and 2026, I have had 2 incidents in each year where the cruise control is set to 60 to 65 mph and the cruise control then accelerates the car past 100 mph. When this occurs, tapping the break does NOT disengage the cruise control. All 6 times I have had to slam the breaks to a full dead stop while the car tries to accelerate anyway. April 4, 2026 and April 14, 2026 are the most recent occurrences and all occurrences so far for this issue have been during a downhill road incline. The dealer has dismissed the problem every time and has been unable to fix or reproduce the problem on demand. The random frequency of this problem can easily lead to a significant accident for the

NHTSA complaint 11731662, quoted in part. 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 14 1 —
2024 48 1 —
2022 55 2 —
2021 100 2 —
2020 318 5 —
2019 438 9 —

Other 2023 Subaru models

Outback 87 Forester 73 Solterra 41 Crosstrek 32 Legacy 10

Every Subaru on this site — 97 vehicles, 147 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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