2021 Subaru Ascent problems & reliability
102 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Subaru Ascent, alongside 2 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Subaru Ascent vehicles were involved in 10 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 19 | 19% |
| Electrical System → | 18 | 18% |
| Unknown / Other | 16 | 16% |
| Lane Departure → | 15 | 15% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 14 | 14% |
| Engine → | 12 | 12% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 9% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 7% |
| Steering | 7 | 7% |
| Structure | 7 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 20 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“After my husband replaced the 12V battery in my 2021 Subaru Ascent Touring ($90,000, fully paid off), Apple CarPlay stopped connecting via USB entirely. Android Auto and Bluetooth continued working fine on the same phone, cable, and port, proving the defect was isolated to Subaru's CarPlay system, not my device. I…”
Unknown / Other · filed Aug 31, 2026
“My local Subaru dealership / service provider has told me my car needs a new transmission at 66k miles, due to an issue within the CVT solenoid causing slipping and lag that will eventually lead to catastrophic failure of the transmission - per the Subaru of America service tree. This issue began on July 23, 2026…”
Power Train · filed Aug 28, 2026
“My 2021 Subaru Ascent (40,000 miles) suffered multiple major mechanical failures that pose ongoing safety concerns: 1. Engine Oil Leak: The vehicle developed an active engine oil leak at 20,000 miles, posing a risk of fluid contacting hot exhaust/engine components under the hood or causing low oil levels during…”
Engine · filed Jul 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
373 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 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 2021 Subaru Ascent has 2 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 2021 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.