2021 Subaru Ascent problems
NHTSA has received 145 complaints about the 2021 Subaru Ascent, and 12% of them involve drivetrain & axles. Next are electrical system (12%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 145 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 12% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 3,000 miles 27 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 24 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 0 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 27 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 2,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2021 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Subaru Ascent with enough data (145 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while making a left turn at approximately 5-10 MPH, another vehicle ran a red light and crashed into the front passenger's side bumper. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's chest struck the steering wheel, resulting in a fractured sternum. Medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was first towed to the police impound lot, then to a body shop.
The driver was driving into a parking lot preparing to park, when the vehicle accelerated and started going forward at a higher speed. The vehicle struck a parked vehicle, then travelled across the parking lot, over curbs, a grass median, landscaping, and struck a rock building at a high rate of speed, causing a partial collapse of the wall. The vehicle is available for inspection through the insurance company. No analysis of data was done and nothing was inspected.
Vehicle wanders on the highway. When passing a vehicle on the road the lane centering assist tries to hug the centerline and the driver must keep pulling he vehicle back to the center of the passing lane. A short lapse of steering could pull the vehicle into the side of the vehicle being passed. Full time job to keep the vehicle from wandering when very liitle wind and almost impossible to keep it from wandering when the wind is blowing 15-20 MPH. Not a pleasant relaxing drive.
The 2021 ascent has lane centering assist with very strict margins. It is a constant tug of war with the vehicle when lane centering is active. When you let the car take over, it violently jerks you into the next lane. This problem has been cross checked with other users on a subaru forum and all have the same issue. The car overcorrects and is prone to cause an accident at some point. I am lucky no one was in the lane next to me when the car swerved me into the next lane.