2023 Subaru Ascent Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Ascent years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Subaru Ascent. That ranks 6th out of 8 Ascent model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (10 complaints, 22%). Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 45owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2023 Subaru Ascent problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 10 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 18% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 16% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 11% | 19,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2023 Subaru Ascent recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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 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.
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.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: 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.
Risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: 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.
Risk: Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Tires
Problem: 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.
Risk: A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Ascent equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: Ziex ZE001 A/S, Tire Size: 245/50/R20 102H, DOT Number: [XXX] Contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the front wheels turned outward, the contact became aware that there was severe inner-edge tire wear with…
2024 Subaru Ascent â Intermittent Electrical / Ignition-Control Malfunction Vehicle: 2024 Subaru Ascent Mileage: Approximately 29,000 miles Chronology of Events August 19 Vehicle had been operating normally. First occurrence â grocery store â¢Returned to vehicle after shopping. â¢Opened rear…
The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Ascent equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: ZIEX, Tire Size: 245/50/R20, DOT Number: 1R8KH DM2R 0323. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was rubber flying from the vehicle. The vehicle was driving to the shoulder of the road, and the…
I am reporting two issues with my vehicle that I believe require further attention and repair assistance. I am requesting that both issues be properly repaired without any charges to me. There are no warning lights, error messages, or other dashboard warnings related to either issue. However, both…
The vehicle exhibited transmission slippage but did not provide any warning lights or other symptoms . About 100 miles later, the Automatic Transmission Oil light came on (flashing YELLOW), and all other systems light up (both Yellow and Red) disabling front collision, auto vehicle hold, RAB, etc…
Other Subaru Ascent years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ascent | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Ascent | 15 | 1 |
| 2024 Ascent | 50 | 1 |
| 2023 | 45 | 4 |
| 2022 Ascent | 56 | 2 |
| 2021 Ascent | 103 | 2 |
| 2020 Ascent | 322 | 5 |
| 2019 Ascent | 442 | 9 |
See all Subaru Ascent problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
Embed this 2023 Subaru Ascent badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Subaru Ascent?
Owners most often report service brakes, unknown or other, forward collision avoidance problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2023 Subaru Ascent?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2023 Subaru Ascent a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Ascent model years, the 2023 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.