2020 Subaru Ascent problems & reliability
322 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Ascent, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Subaru Ascent vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 101 | 31% |
| Power Train → | 58 | 18% |
| Unknown / Other | 56 | 17% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 49 | 15% |
| Engine → | 29 | 9% |
| Service Brakes → | 26 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 14 | 4% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 12 | 4% |
| Visibility → | 11 | 3% |
| Structure → | 10 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 24 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 133 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 6,633 miles (middle 50% between 3,100 and 13,750 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“After replacing tires I started hearing noises from rear wheel. I searched online and it appears there is an issue with wheel bearings on several Subaru models (see YOUTUBE video by FIXBOOK dated July 12, 2026). The issue was confirmed by my Subaru dealer on 9/10/2026. Subary wheel bearings prior to 2026 were subject…”
Wheels · filed Sep 11, 2026
“Subaru has a known problem/design with their LED daytime running lamps on the Ascent model. Dealerships are seeing a high failure rate of these LED lights, and it is always with the left side headlamp assembly. The LED strip quits working. In my case my car has about 42,000 miles on it with estimated 1,500 hours of…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Sep 4, 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was skipping. The failure was recurrent. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair was…”
Power Train · filed Aug 27, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
519 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Ascent. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the front strut mounts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
05-62-18R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2026
This bulletin announces the availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0014, P0024, P0128, P2109. If any of the DTCs…
09-98-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2026
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a non-compliance recall for certain 2026 model year Crosstrek Hybrid vehicles, 2025-2026 model year Forester & Forester Hybrid vehicles, and 2019- 2026 Ascent vehicles due…
WRH-26R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 25, 2026
This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other · issued Aug 21, 2026
This service bulletin outlines the diagnostic and repair procedure for white smoke emitted from the exhaust after startup. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
02-196-26R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
16-154-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This bulletin announces availability of new reprogramming files developed to address SYMPTOM 1: A jerk or judder sensation felt from the powertrain during braking with the air conditioning on. SYPMTOM 2: A shudder is…
16-150-24R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip condition on the TR580 and TR690 model CVT transmissions used in the models…
16-132-20R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Subaru Ascent has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Subaru Ascent?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 6,633 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.