2019 Subaru Ascent Reliability & Problems

1. 1.Battery drain or no-startSeriousAbout 1 in 3 complaints7,400–19,400 mi33%

   Owners describe a dead battery, needing jump starts, and being stranded, often after the car sat parked in a garage or overnight. Reports are typically at about 11,900 miles, and the middle half falls between about 7,400 and 19,400 miles. No recall in this model year describes battery drain, and many owners had the battery replaced, some two or three times.

   What owners describe

   • Dead battery after sitting40%
   • Battery keeps draining26%
   • Needs repeated jump starts24%
   • Car will not start22%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: battery replaced (24 reports).

   Repair worked in 25% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   11,900 mi

   Middle half 7,400–19,400 mi · 82 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   33%

   145 of 441 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0.7%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “When trunk or doors are open more than an hour battery will drain to the point where the engine is unable to start.”

2. 2.Windshield cracks on its ownMinorAbout 1 in 5 complaints5,300–23,900 mi~$1,000 repair20%

   Owners report cracks appearing while parked, overnight, or with no visible impact, and chips that spread within minutes or hours. Many describe it on the highway or freeway. Reports are typically at about 15,000 miles, and this model year has no recall for it. Owners often replaced the glass more than once.

   What owners describe

   • Cracks on the highway36%
   • Chip spreads fast29%
   • Cracks while parked18%
   • Cracks without impact10%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: windshield replaced (9 reports).

   Repair worked in 23% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   15,000 mi

   Middle half 5,300–23,900 mi · 66 reports

   Repair cost

   $1,000

   Middle half $888–$1,400 · 11 owner amounts

   How common

   20%

   90 of 441 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “Within less than 24 hours, crack spread to the edge and from upper right corner down to the middle of the windshield”

   “Over the course of 2 days, it has extended past the mirror into the driver view.”

3. 3.Hesitation or slipping while drivingSeriousAbout 1 in 13 complaints5,100–28,200 mi7%

   Owners describe the transmission slipping, a loss of power, hesitation and surging, at various speeds and on the highway. Reports are typically at about 14,400 miles. Four reports mention recall 21V955000, which covers a programming error in the transmission control unit that may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.

   What owners describe

   • Hesitation on acceleration30%
   • Transmission slipping18%
   • Loss of power18%
   • RPM jumps or jerking12%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: transmission replaced (3 reports). Recall 21V955000.

   Mileage

   14,400 mi

   Middle half 5,100–28,200 mi · 23 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   7%

   33 of 441 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “When driving in low speeds, the car is very jumpy and seemingly inconsistent with the amount of fuel delivered to the pedal.”

   “The car loses power, RPM increase and decrease significantly accompanied by a screeching sound.”

   “Hopefully all is well and it does in fact fix the weird shifting and hesitation at all speeds.”

4. 4.Liftgate fails to operate properlySeriousAbout 1 in 22 complaints3,500–17,000 mi5%

   Owners say the tailgate or rear hatch would not open, did not fully close, or opened only about half the time. Others report a dead battery after the tailgate was left open. One owner reported the tailgate closing on two people's heads. This model year has no recall for it.

   What owners describe

   • Liftgate will not open55%
   • Battery dies with gate open30%
   • Rear hatch does not close5%
   • Gate closes on people5%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: new battery and battery disconnect switch (1 report).

   Repair worked in 30% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   5,900 mi

   Middle half 3,500–17,000 mi · 9 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   5%

   20 of 441 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “After charging up the battery, all the major safety car features have been disabled and the engine light is on with many other lights showing up.”

   “The gate would then not open using the button on the dash, remote, or handle on the exterior of the lift gate door.”

   “It has closed twice in the last week while groceries were being loaded and hit two people in the head.”

5. 5.Transmission failure needing replacementSeriousAbout 1 in 22 complaints18,000–65,000 mi5%

   Owners describe loss of power, CVT slipping, shuddering, hard shifting and complete failure, and many say a new transmission was needed. Reports are typically at about 42,000 miles, with the middle half between about 18,000 and 65,000 miles. No recall is named in these reports.

   What owners describe

   • Complete transmission failure10%
   • Loss of power10%
   • Shuddering or hard shifting10%
   • Reverse or uphill trouble10%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: transmission replaced (5 reports).

   Repair worked in 15% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   42,000 mi

   Middle half 18,000–65,000 mi · 13 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   5%

   20 of 441 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “Cvt transmission began slipping around march 16th, 2019, causing intermittent vibration and loss of power when accelerating”

   “The transmission was damaged from the slack in the CVT belt and now has to be completely replaced.”

Repeated dead batteries, a car that will not start after sitting overnight, or a liftgate left open that drains the battery are worth a dealer visit early, before you are stranded. Until the park-outside recall is done, park away from structures and do not leave the car unattended with the engine running. Stop driving and get help if the transmission slips, you lose power on the road, or many warning lights come on at once. Confirm that every recall on your VIN has been completed.

73 problems found in all 441 complaints. One complaint can describe more than one problem, so counts add up to more than the total. Not counted as a defect: 19 about recall paperwork or parts delays. Typical miles, repair cost and fix rate show only when enough owners report them.

• Complaints. NHTSA's owner complaint file, counted as unique complaint numbers for make SUBARU, model ASCENT, model year 2019. Data through Oct 4, 2026.
• Verdict. Judged from this model year's own complaints, not against other models, using shares rather than counts. Serious known problems: one serious problem (transmission, engine or stalling, steering, brakes, airbags, fire, fuel leaks) is in a quarter or more of complaints; or a smaller but clear cluster comes with an unusual share of crash, fire, injury or loss-of-power reports or early failures; or an urgent recall or NHTSA investigation matches a top complaint. Some known problems: one of those signals on its own. No pattern of serious problems: none of them; this doesn't mean the vehicle is trouble-free. Too few complaints to judge: under 50 complaints. Why this verdict: A park-outside recall (22V907000) for a fire risk in the electrical system, matching a top complaint.
• No grade or class ranking. Raw complaint counts favor models that sell fewer cars, so we don't score or rank this vehicle against other models until we can adjust for sales.
• Trouble spots and history. Complaints grouped by the part owners chose when filing. The history grid counts complaints filed in each model year's first 3 years so older and newer years compare fairly; years with fewer than 3 complete years are marked too new.
• Named problems. Every one of the 441 complaints was researched and classified by its problems, severity, symptoms, repairs and any cost the owner mentions; the counts, costs and fix rates on this page are tallies of those classifications. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, checked against the original text. Engines are decoded from partial VINs with NHTSA's vPIC service.
• Repair costs and fix rates. Shown only when at least 10 owners report a repair cost, or at least 10 complaints describe whether a repair worked.
• Not adjusted for sales. Not affiliated with NHTSA. Page updated Nov 5, 2026.