The 2023 drew 36 owner complaints in its first three years, against 62 for a typical Ascent year. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2019 and 2020; best year: 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."
Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles.
The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
Risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza 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.
Risk: Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the lower control arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 30, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRJ-23.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles.
The internal tire bead may have been damaged during the wheel mounting process.
Risk: A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace all four tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 6, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-23.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Ascent vehicles equipped with 20-inch wheels.
NHTSA listing: ASCENT. Subaru campaign WRH-23.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2023 Subaru Ascent.
What owners report
Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Ascent. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Most named: automatic emergency braking (4); warnings (4)
Visibility/wiper6 · 13%
Tires5 · 11%
Electrical system4 · 9%
Air bags3 · 6%
Engine3 · 6%
Unknown or other8 · 17%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Subaru Ascent recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2023 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Ascent drew the most (281) and the 2023 drew 36.
Owner complaints
2023: 47 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Ascent
Model year
Complaints
2019
443
2020
325
2021
106
2022
56
2023
47
2024
51
2025
15
2026
5
Safety recalls
2023: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Ascent
Model year
Recalls
2019
9
2020
5
2021
2
2022
2
2023
4
2024
1
2025
1
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: brakes (10), forward collision avoidance (7), visibility/wiper (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2023 Subaru Ascent safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2023 Subaru Ascent earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2023 Subaru Ascent?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2023 Subaru Ascent.
How do I check if my Ascent has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: ASCENT.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.