2020 Subaru Ascent Reliability & Problems

1. 1.Battery drain or no-startSeriousAbout 1 in 3 complaints3,900–10,800 mi29%

   Owners describe a dead battery, a needed jump start and a car that would not start, often overnight or while parked in a garage. Some also mention a tailgate that beeped or would not open. Half of the reports with a mileage fall between about 3,900 and 10,800 miles, with a median of 7,100. No recall is mentioned for this problem.

   What owners describe

   • Dead battery after sitting47%
   • Car will not start20%
   • Needs a jump start18%
   • Tailgate beeps or will not open10%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: battery replaced (11 reports).

   Repair worked in 19% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   7,100 mi

   Middle half 3,900–10,800 mi · 56 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   29%

   94 of 322 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   1%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “Three months later at a regular service the dealer advised battery capacity was only 75% indicating continued above normal drainage.”

   “Battery keeps going dead. I have ensured nothing is left on and it keeps happening.”

   “They gave me a run around stating I had left the either a door open or lights on.”

2. 2.Windshield cracks easilySeriousAbout 1 in 5 complaints3,000–11,800 mi21%

   Owners describe cracks that appeared spontaneously, overnight or from small pebbles, and some say a repaired crack reappeared. Several happened within weeks of purchase, on the highway or while parked. Half of the reports with a mileage fall between about 3,000 and 11,800 miles. No recall is mentioned for this problem.

   What owners describe

   • Crack with no impact21%
   • Crack appears overnight13%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: windshield replaced (6 reports).

   Repair worked in 38% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   6,700 mi

   Middle half 3,000–11,800 mi · 50 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   21%

   68 of 322 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “Dealer denied service because they said they found itty bitty (smaller than a pin head) mark at very edge of window molding.”

3. 3.Hesitation or slipping while drivingSeriousAbout 1 in 15 complaints28,000–61,900 mi7%

   Owners describe the transmission slipping, a momentary rise in engine revs, a slight lurch and slow gear changes, often when accelerating onto the interstate or climbing a hill. Some report a grinding noise. One report mentions recall 21V955000.

   What owners describe

   • Transmission slipping36%
   • Hesitation or lurch36%
   • Revs rise without speed14%
   • Grinding noise9%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: recall repair (2 reports).

   Repair worked in 0% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   37,000 mi

   Middle half 28,000–61,900 mi · 9 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   7%

   22 of 322 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “The transmission occasionally slips, resulting in a momentary rise in engine revs and a slight lurch.”

   “Slipping is indicated by approximately 300 RPM change and a noticable hesitation in vehicle motion.”

   “When going up a hill the automatic transmission drops in gears which significantly increases RPMS”

4. 4.Transmission failure needing replacementSeriousAbout 1 in 19 complaints43,300–102,800 mi5%

   Owners describe the transmission failing while driving, no gear engaging, a car that lurched but would not move, and warning lights including the check engine light. Reports with a mileage have a median of 82,500 miles, and half fall between about 43,300 and 102,800 miles. Two reports mention recall 21V955000.

   What owners describe

   • Warning lights come on35%
   • Lurching or lost acceleration24%
   • No gear will engage18%
   • Grinding or loud noise18%

   Fix

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

   Mileage

   82,500 mi

   Middle half 43,300–102,800 mi · 10 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   5%

   17 of 322 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

Until recall 22V907000 is done, follow its advice: park away from structures and do not leave the vehicle unattended with the engine running. Watch for a battery that dies after sitting, a tailgate that beeps or will not open, and any slipping, lurching or grinding from the transmission. Warning lights with a loss of power or a gear that will not engage are reasons to stop driving and get it checked. Confirm with a Subaru dealer that every recall on your VIN is complete.

67 problems found in all 322 complaints. One complaint can describe more than one problem, so counts add up to more than the total. Not counted as a defect: 14 about recall paperwork or parts delays, 5 describing no vehicle defect. 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 2020. 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 322 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.