10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,356 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Subaru Ascent electrical problems

electrical problem

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2019 Subaru Ascent Owner Comments (Page 5 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #71

Jan 192021

Ascent

  • 32,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle started off with the radio not saving channels. It would reset the radio every few days. A message would come on the dashboard which would say the car will be restarted in a few hours. And a light not working. Took in and they said it was battery. Replaced. Then got back. Within week or so. Car had all lights coming on and off on dashboard. Started jumping. Even drove backwards when put in drive. Took in and they replaced transmission. Within the week after getting back, the car was skipping gears. Another transmission. Then back in for radio not shutting off when car off and locked. Would run for hours. Also the trunk door would not lock. Took and they said it was a switch. Radio again still resetting. Radio will randomly shut off and then turn back on. The rear trunk will lock and then not unlock. Car is still driving rough. Clearly the car has electrical issues. It is back in now.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #70

Jan 162021

Ascent

  • 55,000 miles
At 2 years and 5 months old (55K miles, mostly highway driven) the battery dies and I was stranded when I had stopped and parked. Would not start anymore. Had to jump start car and drive to dealership. Subaru dealership (gillman Subaru southwest, houston, tx) did a load test and determined battery is dead. Would not replace battery. Wanted to charge $500 to replace battery!! went to auto zone and had it replaced and installed for under $200!

- Sugar Land, TX, USA

problem #69

Dec 242020

Ascent

  • 19,330 miles
On 24th December vehicle in motion on a highway whining noise observed and transmission disengages, RPM increased. In a few seconds transmission error message flashed in console, in addition check engine light comes on and all driver aids disabled, struggled to take control and pull off highway safely. Vehicle 20 months old less than 20,000 miles. Second instance of transmission failing after wuv07 recall completed in January 2020. !St instance of transmission failure in city streets @35mph similar behavior transmission light, check engine light and drivers aids disabled, incorrectly diagnosed by master technician as valve body failure after the wuv07 recall the fuel efficiency also dropped. A couple of days prior to 24th December contacted Subaru of America about a shudder noticed observed while driving. Enclosed image has repairs related to transmission, in addition during the 2nd repair the starter also failed and starter was also replaced. In conclusion two unsafe transmission failures in motion after wuv07 recall.

- Lithia, FL, USA

problem #68

Jan 122021

Ascent

  • 34,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Wife was driving home from work approximately 09:10 pm(25901 riverwoods rd, mettawa, il 60045) no one was seriously injured in automobile fire I-94 1 mile South of route 176(exit 16(/rockland road). After no more than a minute on the interstate, I noticed some smoke and pulled immediately off to side of road as soon as possible (around 1.5-2.0 miles from work) and around 5 min into drive from departure from address listed above. Was fortunate that officer M zawierowski was driving by and able to assist and called fire department. When officer stated went back to car noticed that car locked up all doors and stated how fortunate you (wife) were able to escape. The only warning was smell and smoke, minute later car was burning and within short time heat and smoke was severe that state police called fire department

- Hainseville, IL, USA

problem #67

Jan 112021

Ascent

  • 50 miles
Battery has died at least 3-4 times since purchasing the car. Also ongoing issues with the radio- radio has stopped working completely before two instances when the radio died. Amplifier has been changed in car and serviced multiple times. Once while driving, the car died while driving it and steering locked.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #66

Jan 052021

Ascent

  • miles
Car just doesnt start and needs to be jumped randomly, yet dealership service dept could find no probelms. Also wierd lags, noises occuring while driving. This car is too new and has 18,000 miles on it, shouldnt be having these types of problems. Happened numerous times since purchase 2019 and 2020, most recent Jan 2021 brought into dealership service larry miller Subaru bosie id.

- Boise, ID, USA

problem #65

Jan 092021

Ascent

  • 10,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My battery drains surprisingly quickly from simple activities like using the rear hatch door a few times between starts, having the front lights on for as little as 15 minutes between starts, and having the dome lights on for as little as 1 hour between starts. This has left me stranded multiple times including at a forest campground without cell coverage. I have used aaa assist multiple times, and the help of strangers. I have also had to purchase a jump start battery to keep in my car. I have asked Subaru to fix the problem, and been told simply that my battery and electrical systems are working normally.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #64

Jan 022021

Ascent

  • 15,177 miles
The battery does not stay charged nor can I get it to charge above 80%. I store her in a garage. In the last two weeks, the battery has been dead (and required a jump) 3 times in 2 weeks. I get up and go into the garage to start the vehicle and the battery is just dead. I took it to the dealer to test the battery and was told that there is nothing wrong with it. My conclusion is that it must be an electrical problem.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

problem #63

Dec 212020

Ascent

  • 20,000 miles
Has a defective electrical system causing the battery to drain prematurely. Just had the new Subaru battery tested and charged at advance auto parts and it was brought up to almost a full charge. After 4 days of short trips, battery is dead again.

- Lawrenceville, GA, USA

problem #62

May 222020

Ascent

  • 11,338 miles
Dead battery multiple times, dealer ship has replaced the battery but continues to have issues and left stranded each time this occurs, one time on 12-17-2020 in the mountains in freezing cold weather with a child, no heat because of dead battery. This issue cann occuring when the back tailgate is open for 10 minutes. Subaru is not going to look into the problem even thou they are aware of this occuring on Subaru outbacks and the Ascent models. This is a real safety concern since my wife drives this car mainly and has had to call for help to get the car started. I will be bringing it back to the dealer once again. They will end up replacing the battery again but the fact that if your car is turned off and doors are open for a short period of time the draw coming off the battery is not enough to start the car again leaving you once again stranded.

- Lakewood, WA, USA

problem #61

Nov 092020

Ascent

  • 19,848 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car caught fire while sitting in the driveway (stationary). The car was having electrical/battery issues in the morning. I charged the battery, then started the car and left it running in the driveway, when I came out of the house, the engine of the car was on fire. I called the fire department to put the fire. The fire marshal determined that an electrical issue ignited the engine. After posting the photos of the fire on facebook, we received multiple comments that other people's Subaru's have had battery/electrical issues. The insurance company stated that they would have a specialist examine the vehicle to help determine the cause of the fire.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #60

Dec 122020

Ascent

  • 40,000 miles
Several times, when trying to close the driver side window, the front passenger window and the sunroof, the window did not close completely and subsequently re-opened. It happened when the vehicle was in motion as well as stationary.

- Silverton, CO, USA

problem #59

Dec 122020

Ascent

  • 17,600 miles
At only 17.6K miles, the battery in my 2019 Subaru Ascent was completely drained overnight, for no logical reason. I called Subaru roadside assistance to give me a jump and I let it run for 33 minutes then took it for a 10 min drive. The battery was dead again the next morning. Vehicle was stationary overnight and until the 10 min drive. During this time the tailgate would persistently beep, trying to open.

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #58

Dec 042020

Ascent

  • 16,542 miles
On 4 occassions the liftgate of this SUV was left up for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours while the vehicle was turned off and stationary. On each time the battery discharged to a point the car would not start. Fortunately we had cell service and could summond help, but this could occur where there is no cell service and leave us completely stranded. After the first 3 timnes which happened in rapid succession I took the Subaru Ascent to the dealer and was told the battery had a weak cell and they replaced it without charge. The repair invoice is attached. But they never told me that leaving the liftgate up more than 30 minutes would cause this problem and leave me stranded. Then when the proble occurred again I went online and discovered this is a widely-known defect in the Subaru Ascent and other Subaru models that has stranded thousands of owners. Owners take their SUVS on camping or fishing trips and tailgating at events where they leave the liftgate up without realizing the car is unlikely to start when they want to leave. But Subaru is refusing to consider a fix and recall these SUVS. I have never heard of another vehicle with this defect or problem. Many owners are spending $250 or more for after-market batteries that are much stronger than the weak batteries that Subaru provides. While this does not correct the problem and such owners can still be stranded, at least with a stronger battery the chances it will start are much better. Supposedly there is a class action lawsuit filed in New Jersey against Subaru over this issue, but that will only reward the attorneys involved with millions of dollars and probably net me $20 in 5 years. Please consider forcing Subaru to find a solution to this problem and recall and fix all Subaru Ascents still on the road.

- Altamonte Springs, FL, USA

problem #57

Dec 042020

Ascent

  • 10,500 miles
The vehicle has had a dead battery on at least two occasions in the past year including this morning (12/04/2020), and the vehicle is still less than two years old, and only has approximately 10,000 miles.

- Sheboygan, WI, USA

problem #56

Dec 032020

Ascent

  • 20,000 miles
Car died and would not start at one year old, diagnosed as faulty battery 11/2019; almost exactly one year later at md office would not start and lights flickered and no control, would not start again! ; now sitting in parking lot waiting tow; believe fault is related to battery drain in one year and electrical drain; left stranded with two kids getting covid tested with a brand new 2 year old car with 20,000 miles only!!!!!!!

- West Suffield, CT, USA

problem #55

Sep 042020

Ascent

  • 19,000 miles
We bought a used 2019 Subaru Ascent touring (ca. 18,000 miles) in July of this year. The dealership replaced the battery when we bought it. Since then, this new battery has died five times on us, the first time on September 4 2020 and most recently on November 28. It has always died while the vehicle was stationary. After it died the third time on November 22, we brought it into the local Subaru dealership. They held the car for two nights and were unable find anything wrong with it. It is currently at the dealership again.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

problem #54

Nov 242020

Ascent

  • 18,000 miles
Battery drains and unexpectedly. Happened twice while liftgate was up; happed 3X for no obvious reason.

- Hoboken, NJ, USA

problem #53

Jul 022020

Ascent

  • 9,119 miles
At 9119 miles on my vehicle I had to continually jump start the vehicle in order to start the engine. The dealership replaced the battery once for this same issue at 680 miles.

- Arnold, MD, USA

problem #52

Nov 192018

Ascent

  • 680 miles
After having my vehicle for less than two months and under 680 miles I had to continually jump start the battery in order to start the vehicle. I called my local dealership and was informed there was an electrical sync issue with the batteries in the new Ascent. They replaced the battery and told me they fixed the sync issue.

- Arnold, MD, USA

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