2023 Subaru Ascent: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
40
Complaints
4
Recalls
4
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
4
Injuries
135.0
Severity index
Severity index 135.0 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 80 2023 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2023 Subaru Ascent ranks 10 of 80 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 88% of its model-year peers. See the full 2023 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 | 22.5% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 7 | 17.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 17.5% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 6 | 15.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 7.5% |
| ENGINE | 3 | 7.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 7.5% |
| AIR BAGS | 3 | 7.5% |
The single most-reported system is SERVICE BRAKES, cited in 9 of 40 complaints (22.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 4 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 35.0x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V258000 | 07/04/2023 | TIRES | Subaru 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. |
| 23V392000 | 01/06/2023 | SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM | Subaru 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. |
| 23V647000 | 21/09/2023 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | Subaru 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. |
| 26V436000 | 07/07/2026 | EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS | Subaru 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 |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.