2023 Subaru Ascent problems and recalls

Owners have filed 43 complaints on the 2023 Subaru Ascent, and NHTSA has issued 4 recalls. The most cited component is the Service Brakes (10 complaints).

43
Complaints
4
Recalls
4
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
4
Injuries
80.4
Severity index

Severity index 80.4 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 80.4p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 20 of 82 by severity index among 2023 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 76% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2023 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Service BrakesService Brakes: 10 complaints (23.3%)10 23%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 8 complaints (18.6%)8 19%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 7 complaints (16.3%)7 16%Visibility/WiperVisibility/Wiper: 6 complaints (14.0%)6 14%TiresTires: 4 complaints (9.3%)4 9%Power TrainPower Train: 3 complaints (7.0%)3 7%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 3 complaints (7.0%)3 7%EngineEngine: 3 complaints (7.0%)3 7%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
SERVICE BRAKES1023.3%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER818.6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE716.3%
VISIBILITY/WIPER614.0%
TIRES49.3%
POWER TRAIN37.0%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM37.0%
ENGINE37.0%

Complaints filed per year

08162022: 12023: 162024: 112025: 82026: 7 (partial year)222316242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20221
202316
202411
20258
2026 (year to date)7
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 35.0x those in 2022 to 2022 (35 against 1).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
23V25800007/04/2023TIRESSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles equipped with 20-inch wheels. The internal tire bead may have been damaged during the wheel mounting process.
23V39200001/06/2023SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARMSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles. The left or right front lower control arm may have an improperly tightened ball joint castle nut which can result in retention pin failure and separation of the ball joint from the lower control arm.
23V64700021/09/2023POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFTSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
26V43600007/07/2026EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles

Other Subaru Ascent model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 7 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-05. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.