Which Subaru Ascent years should I avoid?

NHTSA data points to 2019 and 2020 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83, the two highest of any Ascent model year, and 9 and 5 recall campaigns respectively.

What is the best Subaru Ascent year to buy?

2024 and 2025 are rated Best, with complaint indexes of 17 and 0, the lowest among all seven model years covered.

What is the most common problem with the Subaru Ascent?

Across all years, the Electrical System is the top problem area, accounting for 299 complaints, or 29% of the 1,030 total complaints logged.

Are 2021 and 2022 Ascent models risky?

2021 and 2022 are rated Caution, with complaint indexes of 67 and 50, sitting between the Avoid years and the Good/Best years, with Transmission & Powertrain as the top problem area for both.

Does the Subaru Ascent have recall problems?

Yes. NHTSA lists 13 total recall campaigns across all Ascent model years, with 2019 alone accounting for 9 of them.

Subaru Ascent Best and Worst Years (2019–2025)

The 2019 and 2020 Subaru Ascent are the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83 and 9 and 5 recall campaigns respectively, both led by electrical system problems. The 2024 and 2025 model years score best, with complaint indexes of 17 and 0.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Avoid 2019 Avoid 2020 Best 2024 Best 2025

Model years: 7; 2019–2025
NHTSA complaints: 1,030
Recall campaigns: 13
Crashes reported: 34
Fires reported: 12
Top problem area: Electrical System

Ascent Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Subaru Ascent problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2019	Avoid	100	441	10	6	9	Electrical System	22.5	5★
2020	Avoid	83	322	6	1	5	Electrical System	22.5	5★
2021	Caution	67	102	3	1	2	Transmission & Powertrain	22.5	5★
2022	Caution	50	55	6	2	2	Transmission & Powertrain	22.5	5★
2023	Good	33	45	4	1	4	Brakes	21.5	5★
2024	Best	17	50	3	0	1	Visibility & Wipers	21.5	5★
2025	Best	0	15	2	1	1	Visibility & Wipers	21.5	5★

Ascent years to avoid: what went wrong

2019 Subaru Ascent Index 100 · 441 complaints · 9 recalls

The 2019 Ascent has the highest complaint index (100) and the most recalls (9) of any model year. Electrical System complaints dominate, making up 37% of this year's total, with a median mileage at failure around 10,500 miles. Owners also reported Transmission & Powertrain issues (20% of complaints, median mileage 17,231) and Visibility & Wipers problems (18%). NHTSA recalls cover a Transmission Control Unit programming error that could let the clutch engage before the drive chain fully seats, and a ground bolt fault in the PTC heater that led to a park-outside advisory over fire risk. Sample complaints describe airbags failing to deploy in crashes and pre-collision braking systems that did not engage.

2019 electrical system problems →2019 transmission & powertrain problems →2019 visibility & wipers problems →

2020 Subaru Ascent Index 83 · 322 complaints · 5 recalls

The 2020 Ascent carries a complaint index of 83, the second-highest of any year, with 5 recall campaigns. Electrical System issues account for 33% of complaints, with a low median mileage at failure of 6,000 miles, suggesting problems appeared early. Visibility & Wipers issues follow at 19% (median mileage 8,000), and Transmission & Powertrain at 18%. This year shares the same PTC heater ground-bolt recall as 2019, which triggered a park-outside advisory, plus the TCU reprogramming recall. Sample complaints describe repeated battery replacements, a burning plastic smell with smoke from the floorboard, and airbags that failed to deploy in a head-on collision.

2020 electrical system problems →2020 visibility & wipers problems →2020 transmission & powertrain problems →

Most common Subaru Ascent problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Electrical System299 (29%)
Visibility & Wipers206 (20%)
Transmission & Powertrain185 (18%)
Other157 (15%)
Engine120 (12%)
Brakes87 (8%)
Collision Avoidance & Cameras49 (5%)
Suspension, Wheels & Tires48 (5%)
Structure & Body43 (4%)
Fuel System38 (4%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

Which Subaru Ascent years should I avoid?: NHTSA data points to 2019 and 2020 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83, the two highest of any Ascent model year, and 9 and 5 recall campaigns respectively.
What is the best Subaru Ascent year to buy?: 2024 and 2025 are rated Best, with complaint indexes of 17 and 0, the lowest among all seven model years covered.
What is the most common problem with the Subaru Ascent?: Across all years, the Electrical System is the top problem area, accounting for 299 complaints, or 29% of the 1,030 total complaints logged.
Are 2021 and 2022 Ascent models risky?: 2021 and 2022 are rated Caution, with complaint indexes of 67 and 50, sitting between the Avoid years and the Good/Best years, with Transmission & Powertrain as the top problem area for both.
Does the Subaru Ascent have recall problems?: Yes. NHTSA lists 13 total recall campaigns across all Ascent model years, with 2019 alone accounting for 9 of them.