How many problems does the 2023 SUBARU Ascent have?

The 2023 SUBARU Ascent currently has 36 owner-reported complaints according to NHTSA database. These complaints are organized by component to help identify common issues.

What are the most common problems with 2023 SUBARU Ascent?

The most common problems reported for the 2023 SUBARU Ascent are organized by component above. Each component section shows owner-reported issues, crash reports, and fire incidents to help identify patterns and problem areas.

Where does this 2023 SUBARU Ascent problem data come from?

All problem and complaint data for the 2023 SUBARU Ascent comes directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database. These are real complaints submitted by actual vehicle owners.

2023 SUBARU Ascent Problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

6 complaints

The passenger-side mirror on my Ascent has been damaged and removed since March 2025. I paid for the part on April 8, 2025 and was told it would arrive in a few weeks. As of July 1, 2025, the part has been delayed until August. The mirror is critical for visibility and safe operation. My wife drives this car daily with our infant. Subaru has refused to provide a rental, and the car is unsafe. I’ve contacted Subaru Corporate with no resolution, despite my continued persistence in contacting them through visits to their dealership in Plano, TX and several emails.

Jul 03, 2025

Unusual wear on tires - 7/32 at 8000 miles, 5/32 at 15000 miles, advised to replace all tires at 15000 miles. Existing recall WRH-23 covering vehicles manufactured between Dec 2022 and Jan 2023. My vehicle shows manufacturing date of March 2023 but I believe may be part of the same issue. See below Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is initiating a new safety recall and stop sale for certain 2023 model year Ascent vehicles equipped with 20-inch wheels. Description of the Defect and Safety Risk The vehicles included in this recall/stop sale may be equipped with tires that were damaged during the wheel mounting and assembly process. A misaligned bead guide arm on the tire mounting equipment may have caused excessive stress on the tire bead during mounting, possibly causing damage to the internal structure of the tire. Internal damage to the tire bead may lead to structural failure of the tire and rapid tire deflation, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy For all potentially affected vehicles, Subaru retailers will remove and replace all four tires with new ones at no cost to the customer. All removed tires should be rendered unusable and be disposed of according to local regulations. Affected Vehicles A total of 4,409 U.S. Subaru Ascent vehicles will be affected by this recall, as listed below: 2023 Ascent (w/20” wheels) December 1, 2022 – January 5, 2023 Not all vehicles in the production date range listed above are affected by this recall. Coverage must be confirmed by using the Vehicle Coverage Inquiry function on subarunet.com prior to repair. This information is now available

Sep 10, 2024

On May 12, 2024 I placed my vehicle in Park. As I exited, it rolled back. The door knocked me down and the car rolled over my left leg, injuring my lower leg, ankle, and foot. Problem has not been reproduced. Vehicle has not been inspected. I phoned the dealer, who denied any knowledge of the problem.

May 23, 2024

Injuries: 1

The vehicle is stated to get 20 MPG in the city, 26 MPG on the Highway and 22 MPG combined according to the monroney label that I have when I purchased the vehicle new in October 2023. I am only seeing about 15 -17. I drive mostly in the city. I took a highway trip once and got about 20 MPG after resetting the meter and a fresh fill up. I hear of other people in online forums getting a little better MPG but they have to drive it very carefully. Like never letting the RPM's get over 200, slow starts and coasting a lot. To me this is not normal driving. I am expecting at lease 20 MPG in the city with normal driving, not driving like an old grandma. So I believe that Subaru has misrepresented their information on the monroney label. I am ok with you inspecting the vehicle. no warming lights on indicating a problem.

Jan 30, 2024

I attempted to make a U-turn with the steering wheel fully turned to the left. When I accelerated, the car took off and went straight into the curb. It did so by “plowing” or what is referred to as severely undesteering - which forced the front right face of the wheel into the curb, breaking the wheel off. The vehicle continued accelerating for another 50 feet (as can be seen in the photographs) when the engine gradually and audibly died down and came to a stop. The brakes were no longer functioning properly at that time while sinking to the floor as they did immediately after the first impact. In the four months and 2300 miles that I’ve been driving that car, I’ve noticed surging a number of times during warm up and also while the CVT is “shifting.” I also constantly have to modulate the gas pedal to keep the vehicle at a consistent speed. RPMs drop and surge in an inconsistent manner. Also, when the wheel is turned completely to the left lock, (which is how my crash occurred) and upon acceleration, there is a bang/grinding sound from the front left axle. Lastly, I noticed at least one other incident where it seemed like the turbo would not disengage when lifting off the throttle. In other words, it lagged in response to the throttle by about two full seconds before the engine began decelerating.

May 15, 2023

Crash: 1

Injuries: 1

+ 1 more complaint for this component

VISIBILITY/WIPER

6 complaints

The windshield on the 2023 is extremely susceptible to cracking easily. Chips turn to cracks within minutes

Jun 23, 2025

2023 Subaru Ascent Touring. Front windshield easily cracked from minor rock strikes 3 times within 20 months. Replacement with Subarus OEM glasses twice already within 3 months. Now a new crack needs repair or potential replacement. Defective windshield that cannot withhold minor impact is clearly serious safety concern, increased stress on owner and burden on insurance, and impact to vehicle structural integrity for repeated replacements, and depreciation of vehicle value.

Sep 15, 2024

Windshield is delicate and very easily chipped. Windshield has three different chips from 4000 miles of paved road driving. Small chips have quickly spread into long cracks across the windshield.

Aug 12, 2024

The windshield on my Subaru Ascent is prone to cracking, vehicle of less than 3,000 miles has a 3in crack in windshield putting our safety and the safety of others at risk.

Jul 04, 2023

Just bought my Ascent last 12/31/22. With less than 600 miles, while driving with my heater on, I noticed there was a crack on windshield lower center portion, about 5" in length. There was no object that hit the windshield that I saw or heard.

Feb 10, 2023

+ 1 more complaint for this component

SERVICE BRAKES

6 complaints

Formal Complaint Summary (VIN: [XXX] ) I am submitting this formal complaint concerning a 2023 Subaru Ascent Onyx Edition Limited (VIN: [XXX] ), which continues to experience brake-related safety defects despite recall repairs and repeated service attempts during the warranty period. Subaru of America issued Service Bulletin 06-92-24 in July 2024, which extended warranty coverage and acknowledged systemic issues with front brake components—specifically brake pulsation, squealing, pedal softness, and vibration. Subaru developed new components and repair protocols to address these issues, including new rotors, tie bars, pad kits, and a revised installation process. In September 2024, I brought the vehicle to CMA’s Subaru of Winchester after experiencing symptoms covered under the recall. Subaru replaced all required recall components. However, the defect returned in March 2025, while driving from Indianapolis to Winchester, now worse than before—resulting in violent steering wheel vibration, loud grinding noises, and unsafe braking behavior, particularly during downhill braking. Instead of replacing the parts again, Subaru resurfaced the upgraded rotors—despite the bulletin’s warnings against doing so. This resurfacing served as a temporary patch, not a true fix, and failed to resolve the underlying safety issue. I have made 21 lease payments totaling $13,707.96 and paid a $6,000 down payment, totaling $19,707.96 in out-of-pocket costs. Subaru has offered only a $2,500 goodwill payment, which I rejected. Relief Requested: I am requesting a full reimbursement with buy back under Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Investigation to the reoccurring break issues despite being serviced for a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Apr 09, 2025

I am filing a formal complaint against Subaru of America regarding a safety defect in my 2023 Subaru Ascent (VIN: [XXX] ) and their failure to honor warranty and recall obligations. Subaru issued recall TSB 06-92-24 to address front brake vibration by replacing rotors and pads with upgraded parts. My vehicle received this repair in September 2024. Less than 9,000 miles later, the exact same symptoms returned—steering wheel shaking and brake pulsation. In April 2025, Subaru resurfaced the upgraded rotors instead of replacing them, violating their own TSB, which prohibits unnecessary resurfacing and mandates rotor replacement if runout exceeds 0.05 mm. An independent inspection dated April 9, 2025, confirmed: Left front rotor measures 29.0 mm with 0.5 mm runout (10x Subaru’s limit) Right front rotor also measures 29.0 mm Subaru’s dealership claimed the rotors were 30.09 mm and 29.50 mm—inaccurate and misleading Subaru returned the vehicle in an unsafe condition with documented brake system defects. Their customer service insists the vehicle is “operating as designed,” despite clear evidence to the contrary. I am requesting regulatory review and a full buyback or enforcement of proper warranty compliance. Photos, inspection documents, and invoices are available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Apr 09, 2025

Brakes have been replaced once and serviced once afterwards. The vehicle now needs the brakes serviced again. This will be the third time taking the vehicle in for this problem. I am unsure if the vehicle is safe to drive. The only trip I am now planning is back to the dealership to have the brakes done. Again.

Jan 03, 2024

Right around the 10,000 mile mark I started noticing a shake when braking. I was pretty concerned about this as the car only has the mentioned 10,000 miles. I took it to the dealership where I bought the car. They were able to fix the problem by replacing the rotors and break pads. I was informed that the rotors were warped and had hot spots. The vehicle no longer shakes when braking, but I’m worried that it will happen again in another 10k miles. It may be an issue with the size of the brakes compared to the weight of the vehicle. This causes the rotors to heat up more than intended which leads to warping and hot spots.

Oct 28, 2023

The brake pedal is too high for people of average height, especially women, to use properly. Our feet slip underneath the brake when using it. When our heels are on the floor, our toes barely touch the brake pedal, and going from the gas to brake pedals smoothly is impossible with our heels on the car floor. Holding our right legs up above the floor causes extreme hip pain, as well as inaccuracy when transferring between the gas and brake pedals. The fact that the brake pedal is so far forward of the gas pedal also causes inaccuracy when switching from gas to brake. My shoes have gotten caught on the brake pedal many times in the transition, costing me valuable time in depressing the brake. I contacted the Subaru dealership and they said the entire brake pedal and arm would have to be replaced and they didn’t know how to do that. I would have paid for it. I contact Subaru Corporate and they left me a voicemail but then didn’t answer any of the times I called back. I am having to get hand controls installed in order to drive safely. It’s costing thousands. Subaru needs to acknowledge this is a huge problem and change the design of its brake pedal going forward, as well as offer replacement brake pedals for those of us who already own Ascents. Please see the Subaru Ascent Forum for others’ complaints. Thank you.

Jun 13, 2023

+ 1 more complaint for this component

TIRES

3 complaints

Tire blew out at 70 mph on interstate with no warning and no debris on roadway. (245/50R20). Police officer aided us after we changed the spare to re-enter interstate safely due to high traffic speed. Beginning of a road trip so bought a new tire when we found a town & shop disposed of destroyed tire though we do have a photo. Heavy traffic and difficult to get to shoulder safely as vehicle began fishtailing as we maneuvered onto the gravel shoulder. Extremely frightening. Had to put spare on next to cars flying by just next to the rear passenger tire that blew. Vehicle only 3 months old and with less than 10k miles.

Nov 21, 2023

On 7/16/2023 I was driving my 2023 Subaru Ascent on I-95 when the tire PSI warning alerted me to low tire pressure on my rear driver side tire (Falken 245/50/R20 - tires were on the vehicle when purchased in April 2023). I immediately turned on my hazard lights, lessened my speed, and carefully made my way to the shoulder hoping to exit the highway for assistance. The tire pressure dropped from 34 to 0 in a matter of seconds (I watched the PSI monitor in the dash display). I barely made it to the shoulder. A AAA technician [XXX] A-Z Towing) changed my tire and noted that the tire may be defective after inspecting the tire, given the sidewall damage and no other obvious tire damage to cause the flat and that I had less than 4k miles on the vehicle. Internet searches yielded a recall for my exact vehicle and tires, my exact experience with sudden loss of tire pressure; yet my VIN was not included in the recall. I am concerned that the recall is not expansive enough and there may be other vehicles with defective tires driving unaware because their VIN was not identified. The recall may need to be more expansive and inclusive. I have an appointment with Subaru Hunt Valley today and have been in contact with Subaru of America - case #[XXX] s far, Subaru is not acknowledging my experience as part of the recall. I am fearful to drive my new car in that I worry the other three tires will rupture spontaneously. This is not the safety I expected when purchasing a new Subaru. I was on I-95 traveling at 55mph in the rain in the second from left lane when the tire PSI alert sounded. Thankfully, I acted immediately out of an abundance of caution and concern, since there was no reason for my tire to suddenly lose pressure it was alarming. I could have caused an accident and have been severely injured. I do not feel safe driving my vehicle knowing it has three other tires susceptible to the same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Jul 22, 2023

Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S rear right tire. We were driving on the 14 freeway when suddenly the car began shaking and warning lights started going off. My husband kept the wheel steady and I saw our tire come off in a solid piece onto the freeway! We had not hit anything. We made it four lanes over to the right shoulder safely to see that we had no tire left! We waited for assistance and got the spare put on thank God as we had our child in car with us. We called our mechanic at Subaru and returned an hour to him to replace the tire. After several hours we drove past the same spot and the tire that had come Off was laying completely intact on the shoulder of freeway. No obvious cuts in it except it was off the wheel/rim. This is a brand new vehicle with just 2500 miles on it.

Feb 16, 2023

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

2 complaints

When crossing a bridge at 40 mph with wide open lanes and shoulders the vehicle on cruise control suddenly braked aggressively and came to a full stop in the middle of a state highway bridge. Conditions were daylight, headed towards sun, no shadows on bridge. The road surface was smooth asphalt. There were shoulders as wide as the active lanes. There was no warning and very little time for a driver reaction. This type of vehicle behavior will most certainly cause rear end collisions.

Sep 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that the Eyesight system was intermittently inoperable. A message indicating that the Eyesight function was disabled was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the Eyesight icon turned from green to white with a line across. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be replicated. The dealer advised the contact to keep records of occurrences of the failure. The contact followed the dealer's instructions. The contact stated that upon following up with the dealer, the dealer informed the contact that the regional field engineer had been notified of the failure and advised that there was no remedy to correct the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Nov 04, 2024

AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES

2 complaints

There was a SUDDEN and UNINTENDED acceleration without the driver input while braking to park going approximately 1 - 2 MPH. Our safety was at risk. The vehicle was not in our control. A police report was generated. Rather than stopping we crashed into the apartment building causing significant damage to both the apartment and our vehicle. There were no warnings, no automatic braking to avoid the collision, the air bags did not deploy. The total damages are still being determined by the dealer and insurance company.

Sep 02, 2024

Crash: 1

unknown defects in some vehicles that could cause sudden and unintended acceleration without driver input Yes, our safety was at risk. The vehicle was clearly not in our control. A police report was generated. The car plowed through the garage no control to brake The damages are being inspected by insurance. There were no waring lights that I could see

Aug 22, 2024

Crash: 1

SEATS

2 complaints

The heated seats do not heat. They are luke warm and you can barely feel any heat. I took the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer and they determined there was no issue. Was told the seats are not suppose to get hot. So what is the point of heated seats then? There are several online groups for Subaru where owner discuss issues with their vehicles and give advice. There are many customers who are complaining about the same thing. (Seat being luke warm). Then there are other customers who say their seats get super hot on the same model vehicle. I contacted Subaru of America, told them about the issue and the complaints in the online groups about the issue. They only advised me to go to a different dealer and be retested. Obviously in certain vehicles the heated seats are defective because some people say they are super hot and some say they barely get warm. I just can't get anyone at Subaru to admin there is an issue and take corrective action. I am ok with you inspecting the vehicle. no warming lights on indicating a problem. The vehicle was bought new October 2023 and the seats have always been this way. I feel that the seats are defective in some manner and that alone is a safety risk. All that energy that is suppose to be heating the seats and isn't has to be going somewhere and could lead to a fire or electrical shock.

Jan 30, 2024

Front passenger seat in Subaru Ascents do not have means of raising and lowering seat height. Consequently, shorter passengers are faced with either sitting very low in front passenger seat or having to use a pillow or cushion to raise them up on seat. Not sure how this can affect front passenger safety, but it is certainly something worthy of investigating. Subaru said that this feature is not available on their Ascents, but is available on their smaller and less expensive Outbacks.

Jul 12, 2023

WHEELS

2 complaints

I have owned the car new since July 1, 2023. About a month into ownership the TPMS light came on. My wife was close to a tire shop so they checked all the pressures and all were fine. The light started coming on with regularity, any drive over about 25 miles would trigger it 99% of the time and it would reset shortly. Took to dealer they saw the faults in memory but did not know why they were being set. Cleared and reset the modules. The light was back a few days later and then on September 10 and 11 was on full time so I set an appointment. By the time I got the dealer the light had cleared. they found similar codes but they were not useful. The dealer wanted me to agree to pay for diagnostics if the "warranty company" turned down the claim. The warranty company being Subaru of America. I declined to pay for a safety issue being diagnosed on a brand new car. I have notified Subaru of America of my concern and have not received a response at this time. Looking at the Subaru forums on-line it appears that this TPMS issue is quite widespread. It is also apparent that Subaru is not willing to fix its safety issues without my agreeing to pay as well.

Sep 12, 2023

On 7/16/2023 I was driving my 2023 Subaru Ascent on I-95 when the tire PSI warning alerted me to low tire pressure on my rear driver side tire (Falken 245/50/R20 - tires were on the vehicle when purchased in April 2023). I immediately turned on my hazard lights, lessened my speed, and carefully made my way to the shoulder hoping to exit the highway for assistance. The tire pressure dropped from 34 to 0 in a matter of seconds (I watched the PSI monitor in the dash display). I barely made it to the shoulder. A AAA technician [XXX] from A-Z Towing) changed my tire and noted that the tire may be defective after inspecting the tire, given the sidewall damage and no other obvious tire damage to cause the flat and that I had less than 4k miles on the vehicle. Internet searches yielded a recall for my exact vehicle and tires, my exact experience with sudden loss of tire pressure; yet my VIN was not included in the recall. I am concerned that the recall is not expansive enough and there may be other vehicles with defective tires driving unaware because their VIN was not identified. The recall may need to be more expansive and inclusive. I have an appointment with Subaru Hunt Valley today and have been in contact with Subaru of America - case [XXX] . Thus far, Subaru is not acknowledging my experience as part of the recall. I am fearful to drive my new car in that I worry the other three tires will rupture spontaneously. This is not the safety I expected when purchasing a new Subaru. I was on I-95 traveling at 55mph in the rain in the second from left lane when the tire PSI alert sounded. Thankfully, I acted immediately out of an abundance of caution and concern, since there was no reason for my tire to suddenly lose pressure it was alarming. I could have caused an accident and have been severely injured. I do not feel safe driving my vehicle knowing it has three other tires susceptible to the same issue. (Also filed complaint as to tires.) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Jul 22, 2023

POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

I was entering an intersection to make a left-hand turn. I was driving at a low speed. My foot was pressing the accelerator and the car entered the intersection. In the middle of the intersection, the car wheels suddenly stopped turning. There was nothing in front of the car. Cars behind me began honking since my car stopped suddenly and unexpectedly while I saw a notice displayed on the car messaging, but I do not know what it said. I am unsure if the car engine turned off or not, but I remember turning on my hazard lights, putting the car in park and pressing the start button. I was able to drive out of the intersection to a safe location and turned off the car engine. I restarted the car and drove immediately to the dealer where I purchased the car from for them to evaluate it. It is currently being submitted for diagnostics at the car dealer. I told them I would make this safety report while I waited.

Nov 21, 2025

LANE DEPARTURE

1 complaint

Incident Description – Event 1 On August 28, 2025, at approximately 4:45 p.m. while driving on Sugar Ridge Road, my 2023 Subaru Ascent suddenly jerked violently into the left lane without warning while the EyeSight Driver Assist system was active. I had to take immediate corrective action to maintain control and avoid a head-on collision. This behavior has occurred on multiple occasions under similar circumstances. My husband has also experienced the same issue while driving, which demonstrates this is not an isolated event. Incident Description – Event 2 On multiple other occasions, while the EyeSight Driver Assist system was engaged, the vehicle veered dangerously close to a semi-truck traveling beside us. I had to react instantly to prevent sideswiping the truck, which could have resulted in a severe accident. We have noticed this behavior occurs nearly every time we are alongside a semi-truck on the highway.

Sep 15, 2025

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE

1 complaint

The warning lights on the car flashed and the car shut down. I was on the highway. I called 911 and they told me to quickly and safely exit the car. Less than a minute later, the engine combusted and the car was engulfed in flames.

Mar 19, 2025

Fire: 1

SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

The auto brakes are not accurate because it triggers them in unsafe situations.

Jan 28, 2024

LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

Subaru Eyesight will turn off randomly while driving or while parked (turn the vehicle off, unlock the door, sit for a minute or two and when restarting the vehicle, eyesight indicator is orange - off. Example - getting fuel at a full service gas station. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection. Our safety is put at risk. Once Eyesight is off it will not reset/restart, so you are driving without the number one Subaru safety feature. We can reproduce the error. The Dealer just looked at the codes and said it was normal operation. We reported the error to Subaru Customer care and we have a case number. Subaru Customer care is going to contact the Dealer. There is a small red "i" indicator light in the dash that will light up after Eyesight fails. There are no warnings of the failure. We understand rain, snow and fog will impact Eyesight. We had a 2020 Subaru that Eyesight only shutdown when expected (heavy rain, snow, fog) and would restart once we were in the clear, but now we are told that sunlight and windshield condensation affects Eyesight's functionality. We were also told by Customer care that the cameras where changed on the 2023 Ascent model.

Nov 29, 2023

AIR BAGS

1 complaint

(1) PASSENGER seat airbag status light has been and still is intermittent. This fact is documented with dated pics attached. (4/4/23 and 8/6/23) (2) When the passenger airbag light is off, the airbag will not deploy putting my wife at serious risk. (She is the usual occupant at 98 lbs and 5ft 3inch) (3) Problem/issue has been observed and confirmed by local dealer. (4) Manufacturer has been advised of the issue and three attempts at resolution. (calibrating, seat bottom replacement, and software updating), see attached last service report. Note comment: "V E H I C L E I S PERFORMING AS DESIGNED" (5) There are no other warnings, messages, or symptoms other than the light intermittency. (6) Additionally, we drove a loaner car from dealer while problem resolution was attempted. See pic dated June 5. This vehicle showed similar behavior with airbag light. Draw your own conclusions.

Jun 10, 2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

1 complaint

Only 3500 miles on new 2023 Subaru ASCENT and it won"t start. I have had to give it a boost four times already, anytime I need to use it. I check to make sure there are no lights left on. Just staying parked from one day to the next and it won"t start. I have an appointment at the dealer service dept. at 1:45 pm o June 5th, 2023, for them to hopefully resolve the problem. I'll have to give it boost to start the car and drive 125 miles to the dealer. Hope the car makes it there. On your website, the 2019, 2020and 2021 models had a recall for the battery draining because of faulty wiring. We would think the manufacture Sabaru would have taken care of this problem on the newer models.

Jun 03, 2023

2023 SUBARU Ascent Problems & Complaints

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