MODELYEARINDEX

Which Subaru Ascent years to avoid

Across 3 scored model years, the 2019 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Subaru Ascent Full report
D
Grade 2019–2021
2019 vs model median 1.4×
Model median3× median
Electrical 151
Lights & Visibility 83
Drivetrain 68
Avoid

2019

Best

2020 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2019
1.45× 489 D
2020
1.00× 349 C
2021
0.32× 114 B
2022 P
0.30× 79 B
2023 P
0.25× 63 B
2024 P
0.22× 64 A
2025 P
0.05× 18 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2019 D 489 reports · median 13,000 mi

  1. Electrical 151

    The battery keeps dying when I have the tailgate (tg) opened for extended periods of time such as when dog training. The first time my battery died, I was the last person on the training grounds. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 83

    I recently noticed the windshield has thousands of millions of glaring specks/dots when facing the sunlight in early morning or late afternoon. The windshield becomes so blurry and extremely annoying. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 68

    Our ascent started having a squeal and RPM jump around 6000 miles. The car would only makes this noise on acceleration and would cause the car to lock up until the chain/belt would reseat and the RPM return to normal. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

13 crash · 7 fire · 9 injuries

2020 C 349 reports · median 6,026 mi

  1. Electrical 99

    In AM tailgate found opened (by itself), battery dead , 3 jump starts over 24hrs battery still not recharging after 6 hrs contin. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 61

    I purchased my ascent on november 29, 2019. By december 8, I had two cracks in the windshield. I live in a small town, and was driving less than 45mph when both of these chips occurred. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 39

    Driving down the road the entire car started vibrating and felt wobbly when I got above 20mph. Pulled over to check tires and under the car, no obvious issues found. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

11 crash · 2 fire · 11 injuries

The best year for the Ascent

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Ascent model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 81.9 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.32× 114 B
2020 1.00× 349 C
2019 1.45× 489 D

Recalls

13 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
26V436000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2019–2025 541,237
22V907000 Park it ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH 2019–2022 271,694
21V955000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) 2019, 2020 198,255
20V218000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2019 188,207
21V587000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2019, 2020 175,968
19V855000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) 2019 76,842
19V856000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV) 2019 51,613
23V258000 TIRES 2023 4,409
23V647000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT 2023 4,311
21V954000 STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY 2020 1,305
18V508000 STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS 2019 293
19V519000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT 2019 166

+ 1 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2019 were reported at a median of 13,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Subaru Ascent years should you avoid?
2019 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Subaru Ascent model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Subaru Ascent?
2021 is the best-scoring Subaru Ascent model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 81.9 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Subaru Ascent have?
13 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Subaru Ascent model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2019 Ascent
Complaints in window
489
Severity-weighted
621
Model median (weighted)
429
vs model median
1.45×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
11
Open investigations
0
Score 48.8 D