2020 SUBARU ASCENT Complaints

Between October of 2021 and February of 2022): Shuddering (like driving on rumble strips) and sluggish transmission (slow to respond acceleration and sometimes jumping when depressing the gas pedal) - reported this multiple times to dealership but was told they couldn’t replicate what I was feeling/experiencing. I also reported that the CVT would not adjust to the lower RPM (remained between 2000-3000) after ascending a hill. I was told in a dismissive manner that it was throttle control, which it was not. Brought vehicle back in June 2022 reporting the same issues. Determined it was the WRK-21 service bulletin. WRK-21 repair was done in July/August of 2022. I was without my car from June through August 30th. Transfer case was replaced. By March of 2023, the exact same symptoms returned and got worse on a much shorter timeline than the first time this happened. On 5/31/23 I brought the car back in. Approx 2.5 weeks later it was determined that it was the WRK-21 issue again. Today 6/30/23, I was told that a regional service technician from Subaru of America has determined that the transfer case needs to be replaced again. I opened a case at Subaru of America (case #[XXX]), requesting that a new transmission be installed into the vehicle, citing major safety concerns about repairing/replacing a repair. No warning lights ever went on at anytime in this reported timeline. Car is not in my possession so it would only be accessible at the dealership. It has been there since 5/31/23. Ultimately, I feel like driving the vehicle is dangerous. I’ve wondered if it’s just going to die while driving at times when it shudders. I have a young child and need a safe vehicle. I do not feel safe in this vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Since the day I bought this car anything that blows across the road causes the brakes to slam on....even at speed on the highway This is dangerous as hell. Additionally the eye sight disconnects intermittently for on reason or because of rain or a small bump in the road. You must stop and turn the car off and on to get a reset. I have had the vehicle inspected at 3 different Subaru dealerships and they all say nothing is wrong with either system. Now I have tried for 2 weeks to get a response from Subaru Customer Advocate with negative results.

Car was unresponsive and would not start. It was just purchased certified used on 5/8/2023. On 5/10/2023 AAA replaced the battery and on 5/12/2023 the battery died again as a result the car did not start and was unresponsive. Tailgate was beeping in both situations.

The car has issues with rapidly deteriorating brakes. The brakes have been replaced twice and I feel they are bad again. This puts myself, anyone in my car, and any car around me at risk. The dealer is aware of the issue. Car was last inspected with the same concerns in mid-April to which the dealership responded the brakes are "like new". No one else has inspected the vehicle including the police or insurance representative. There was no warning lights related to the issue. I could just feel the brakes grinding. They were first replaced one year after purchasing the vehicle on 4/28/21. They were replaced again on 6/23/22. They feel like they are grinding again.

The braking system on the vehicle does not operate as expected on the vehicle. As a result a vehicle that only has 40k miles on a daily driver, is on its 3 set of rotors, 2nd set of brake pads( i declined having them changed at the 40k service) and 2nd set of tires. The brakes have not functioned comparably to any other vehicle that I have driven. They grind and the vehicle shakes when stopping. The issue grows worse with the increase in speed. I spoke with the service manager at the dealership and he informed me that Subaru is aware of the issue and it is common for this vehicle. The service manager stated that the rotors and calipers for the vehicle are undersized for the curb weight and it is an ongoing issue with the vehicles. I have spent thousand on maintenance on a vehicle that is 2 years old, an unreasonable amount. On the service managers recommendation I reached out to Subaru about the issue and was given a $600.00 coupon and told there is nothing else they can do and my issue was reviewed at the "highest levels". As I drive the vehicle now, I feel that the braking system is inadequate and the vehicle does not handle in a safe manner. According to Subaru, my only recourse is to spent thousands of dollars each year I own the vehicle at their dealership changing brakes and rotors with every oil change. Unacceptable.

The brakes are insufficient for the weight of the vehicle. This has been recognized by the Dealer who sold the vehicle. Rotors warp quickly. Stopping power of the system is insufficient.

Driver front wheel was making a noise when turning or slowing down. In Sep 2022, the dealership said they repaired it, but had we not brought it to them, where the front wheel meets the axel would have caused us problems. The noise did not go away, and when we took the vehicle to dealers again, they found front strut mount and bearing failure, and had to replace these (the car is just 3 years old).

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the left turning signal and driver’s side daytime running light failed to illuminate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that he was given a ticket for the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turn signal and drive’s side headlight needed to be replaced; however, the parts for the repair were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

On Tuesday, January 3, I had a THIRD chip in my windshield. This just happened yesterday, so I have not had it evaluated yet. HOWEVER, this will be the THIRD chip that I will have to have repaired in the three short years I've owned this vehicle. The first chip happened within a month of owning the vehicle, and there is a current NHTSA complaint on file (11297348) for this chip. The second chip occurred in September 2022, and I have had that one repaired. NEITHER of the repairs "held" past 30 days. I have NEVER owned a vehicle that had a windshield that chipped so easily. I'm very surprised that this has not been a recall issue yet (as the glass repair shop suggested it should be- they see this ALOT with Subarus).

Drive chain could compromised but there is lack of parts to fix issue which could prove costly to the transmission. Need to know what I can do to fix before it becomes a problem.