2019 SUBARU ASCENT Complaints

CVT APPEARS TO BE FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING, RPMS WILL JUMP UP BY 1-2K, STAY AT THAT LEVEL FOR A SECOND OR TWO, THEN DROP DOWN. WHEN IT DROPS, CAR WILL SHUDDER OR ACCELERATE. OCCASSIONALLY A SCREECHING OR GRINDING NOISE IS HEARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT IS NOT PREDICTABLE. IT HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS IF 65 AND ABOVE; AND IT HAS HAPPENED ON CITY ROADS AT SPEEDS OF 30. IT SOMETIMES HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE TRIP; OR IT MAY GO A WEEK BETWEEN EVENTS. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REPLICATE IT, SAYS IF THEY CAN'T REPLICATE IT THEN THE "BEST CASE SCENARIO" FOR A DIAGNOSIS IS FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL AND FOR US TO BE STRANDED. A INTERNET SEARCH FOR "SUBARU ASCENT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS" REVEALS THAT THIS IS A RARE PROBLEM, BUT SEEMS TO DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT ASCENTS BUILT IN AUGUST OF 2018. SUBARU ALLEGEDLY IS REPLACING THESE TRANSMISSIONS ONCE PROBLEM IS DIAGNOSED, BUT IF IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM THEN THEY SHOULD REPLACE THEM ALL PROACTIVELY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU ASCENT. WHILE DRIVING 70-80 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DCH SUBARU OF RIVERSIDE (LOCATED AT 8069 INDIANA AVE, RIVERSIDE, CA 92504, (951) 428-2314) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I ATTEMPTED TO START MY SUBARU ASCENT AND IT WOULD NOT START. I CONTACTED SUBARU'S TOWING AND THEY CAME AND JUMPSTARTED THE CAR. THE TOWING COMPANY INFORMED ME THAT SUBARU'S ASCENT BATTERIES ARE DEFECTIVE AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FORCED TO JUMP A NUMBER OF THEM. I DROVE TO WORK. THE NEXT MORNING, I WOKE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED SUBARU'S TOWING SERVICE, AND THEY CAME OUT AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TESTED THE BATTERY, BUT THE BATTERY DID NOT EXHIBIT FAIL CODES. SUBARU WOULD NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY, DESPITE THE TWO FAILURES. SINCE THIS TIME, I'VE HAD MULTIPLE BATTERY FAILURES AND SUBARU CONTINUES TO DENY MY REQUEST FOR REPLACEMENT.

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR AND BACKED OFF A PARKING LOT. WHEN SHE PRESSED THE BRAKE AND FELT WIRED - THE BRAKE COULD NOT BE PRESSED DOWN AND FELT LIKE IT'S JAMMED SOMEHOW. THE CAR DID NOT STOP EVEN SHE SWITCHED THE CAR TO PARKING! IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER HIT A PARKED CAR BEHIND. BECAUSE THE SPEED WAS VERY LOW SO THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO BOTH CARS. BUT AFTER RESTARTED THE CAR, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON - RAB, EYE SIGHT, AT OIL TEMP, LOW TIRE PRESSURE, AND THE SUN ROOF AND SUN SHADE NOT WORKING.

WITHIN 5000 MILES TRANSMISSION JUMP, REAR GEAR NOT WORK AND THE RAB LIGHT, DEALER TOLD ME HE MUST REPLACE! I FIND A LOT OF STORY ON WEBSITE, PEOPLE HAVE SAME ISSUE AND SAME AMOUNT OF MILEAGE

ALMOST 9500 MILES, RAINING OUTSIDE WIFE DRIVING NORMAL SPEED (HIGHWAY DRIVING) AND EYESIGHT STOPPED WORKING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE STILL RAN. SECONDLY TOOK TO LOCAL SUBRAU DEALERSHIP FOR 10,000 SERVICE THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND DID SERVICE. WIFE LEFT DEALERSHIP AND NOTICED CAR PULLING TO LEFT AFTER TIRES ROTATED. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP , THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL FEATHERING OF TIRES. WORRIED EYESIGHT AND ENGINE CAN BE AFFECTED WITH RAIN. ALSO AT A FEW HUNDRED MORE MILES WE NOW SMELL BURNING OIL ON AND OFF OUTSIDE OF CAR. WE HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED HIGH REVVING MOTOR WITH NO FOOT ON GAS PEDAL.(STATIONARY WHEN SMELLING BURNT OIL SMELL AND MOTOR REVVING. ALSO ONCE HIGH REVVING WHILE MY 17 YEAR OLD WAS CITY DRIVING. LOVE TO DRIVE THE CAR, HOPE IT HOLDS UP!

LET THE TAILGATE OPEN FOR 4 HOURS AND THE BATTERY DIED. USE THE CAR TO TRAVEL WITH DOGS. PURPOSE OF THE CAR IS TO TRAVEL WITH DOGS FOR FIELD WORK. CANNOT HAVE IT DIE OR MY DOGS DIE WITHOUT PROPER VENTILATION.

GASOLINE VAPORS IN CABIN AND AROUND CAR. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED, GASOLINE VAPORS ARE ACCUMULATING AROUND CAR. WE EXPERIENCE STRONG GASOLINE VAPORS IN OUR ENCLOSED GARAGE AFTER DRIVING (APPEARING 10-15 MINUTES AFTER TURNING CAR OFF). ALSO, AFTER DRIVING FOR EVEN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN TURNING THE CAR OFF, THEN STARTING AGAIN, GASOLINE VAPORS ENTER THE CABIN THROUGH THE VENTS (IF NON-RECIRCULATING). DEALER CONFIRMED WE GASOLINE MIXED WITH OUR MOTOR OIL (DEALER CHANGED THE OIL, BUT DIDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM). WHILE THIS IS ALARMING ENOUGH, THE SMELL CONTINUES. THE SMELL OF GASOLINE IN THE CABIN AND MY HOME GARAGE IS NOT HEALTH/SAFETY RISK FOR MY FAMILY BREATHING IN, BUT SINCE SUBARU DOESN'T KNOW A CAUSE, COULD IT BE A RISK FOR A FIRE. MY FAMILY SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING IN A BRAND NEW CAR THAT IS INTRODUCING GASOLINE VAPORS UNDER NORMAL OPERATION. OTHERS ON MESSAGE BOARDS ARE COMPLAINING OF SIMILAR ISSUES WHICH COULD POINT TO A BIGGER PROBLEM. THANK YOU!

THE BATTERY DRAINS ALL THE TIME LOCKING THE REAR HATCH. YOU CAN NOT ACCESS THE CAR FROM THE REAR. IF DOGS ARE CRATED IN THE REAR THEY ARE STUCK & THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS. I HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH THE REAR SEAT UNHOOK SEVERAL ANCHORS THAT HOLD THE CRATES DOWN, TRY TO MANEUVER ONE SIDE WAYS SO AS TO GET THE DOOR TO OPEN TO GET THE DOG OUT. IF IT WAS HOT OUT OR AN EMERGENCY, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE. IT TOOK ABOUT 20 MIN. TO GET THIS DONE. THERE IS NO OVERRIDE ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID ITS THE WAY IT IS. UNTIL THE BATTERY GETS JUMPED OR CHARGED, YOU CAN'T GET IN THE REAR HATCH.

RAW GAS SMELL WHEN VEHICLE IS AT IDLE OR AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR A BIT AND PARKED IN THE GARAGE. THE SMELL COMES THRU THE VENTS AND FILLS THE GARAGE AFTER I PARK THE VEHICLE. GAS MILEAGE IS ALSO BEING EFFECTED IT SEEMS, AND IS LOW.