2020 Subaru Ascent: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2020 Subaru Ascent
On the 2020 Subaru Ascent, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, and the reports cluster around 5,000 miles. The earliest to appear is windshield cracking, reported by a median of 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 79 out of 100, severe risk for a 2020.
Severe risk for a 2020 — 54th riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. 403 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 56 named failure modes on the 2020 Subaru Ascent, and the three most-reported carry 32% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other electrical problem leads with 63 reports, about 0.9 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 2k to 10,000 miles.
Other visibility problem follows with 37 reports, usually reported between 3k to 15,000 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 30 reports, usually reported between 3k to 30,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (78), glass (64) and transmission (58).
At what mileage it happens
164 of the reports on the 2020 Subaru Ascent came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 6,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 95% by 50,000 miles and 99% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 68% of the dated reports.
94% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
In the order they tend to show up: windshield cracking around 4k, other electrical problem around 5k, no-start or intermittent start failure around 7k and other visibility problem around 8k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 56. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 12 mention a crash, 1 a fire and 6 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.53, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other visibility problem at $150–$1,400, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500 and windshield cracking at $300–$1,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
26% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 63 | 30 | 2k | 5k | 10k | 0.9 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 37 | 28 | 3k | 8k | 14k | 0.5 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 30 | 9 | 3k | 12k | 30k | 0.4 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Windshield cracking | glass | 27 | 17 | 1k | 4k | 12k | 0.4 | $300–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 19 | 5 | — | 42k | — | 0.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 16 | 9 | 5k | 7k | 8k | 0.2 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| CVT failure | transmission | 16 | 3 | — | 600 | — | 0.2 | $3,000–$8,500 | Critical |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 15 | 4 | — | 8k | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 10 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.1 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 8 | 2 | — | 1k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 8 | 4 | — | 15k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 8 | 2 | — | 10k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Audio or connectivity failure | infotainment | 7 | 3 | — | 6k | — | 0.1 | $150–$900 | Low |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 6 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 6 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 0.1 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 5 | 2 | — | 10k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 5 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 5 | 2 | — | 3k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Parasitic battery drain | electrical | 4 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 4 | 2 | — | 3k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Strut, shock or spring failure | suspension | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 4 | 1 | — | 300 | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 3 | 2 | — | 14k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 3 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 3 | 1 | — | 40k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 2 | 1 | — | 106k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 4k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 1k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 82k | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 2 | 2 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Engine knock or bearing noise | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $2,500–$9,000 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Cooling fan failure | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Torque converter failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,100–$3,200 | High |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.0 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Automatic braking for no reason | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $0–$1,500 | Critical |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 4k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Wheel, stud or lug nut failure | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,500 | Critical |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 39 | 16 | 1k | 4k | 10k | 0.6 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2020 Subaru Ascent draws about 5.9 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 87th percentile of complaint rates among 2020 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 67,923 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2020 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other electrical problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 subaru ascent. The contact stated after dropping her daughter off at daycare, the contact entered the vehicle, pushed the push to start button, shifted the vehicle into reverse however, the vehicle failed to respond. While the engine was still running, the battery terminals were disconnected and the vehicle turned off. After approximately one minute, the positive and negative battery terminals were reconnected and the vehicle started up independently. Roadside service was contacted and the vehicle was scheduled to be towed hyman bros subaru, 11960 midlothian turnpike, midlothian, va 23113, (804) 893-8900, to be diagnosed which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.
Purchased new 30 dec 2019. Owned 5+ weeks no issues - drove 07 feb 2020 no drive-ability issues or warning lights, parked as usual in heated garage at home. Went to start 08 feb 2020, when start button pushed, no starting but all the vehicle lights (interior and exterior) flashed brightly and rapidly (3-4 times a second) for about 30 seconds then all electrical inoperative (no lights anywhere, no horn, no starlink activation... Subaru road assistance called & they summoned anderson towing (a local towing company); when jumper cable attached to battery immediately all lights came on brightly and a loud electrical arcing noise occurred and it started. If this total electrical failure had happened during vehicle operation it could have result in catastrophic injury and damage. Took vehicle to local subaru dealership 10 feb 2020 who checked battery and computer trouble codes and found nothing unusual. How is that possible? It was a total electrical failure - jumping the vehicle reminded me of paramedics successfully applying aed paddles to defibrillate a stopped heart. This situation is similar to other complaints noted for this…
Other visibility problem
I purchased my ascent on november 29, 2019. By december 8, I had two cracks in the windshield. I live in a small town, and was driving less than 45mph when both of these chips occurred. One was (according to safelite) too small to repair. The other one was repaired on 12/10. By january 2, the crack that was repaired has reappeared. Safelite does not guarantee their work, and now I will have to spend a fortune and use my deductible to replace the windshield on a brand new vehicle.
There are so my small pits and chips in my windshield. I have less than 6000 miles on the car, and owned if for less than 6 months. I noticed the first chip in the first week of ownership but thought it was bad luck. Since then I am facing well over a dozen, and they are incredibly distracting. There is no way this is normal wear and tear. I've never had a rock hit the car. Its just the fine granules that come with driving. This is horrible!
Other powertrain problem
Driving down the road the entire car started vibrating and felt wobbly when I got above 20mph. Pulled over to check tires and under the car, no obvious issues found. Turned off then back on the car, same issue above 20mph. The car was struggling to get up the tow ramp and smelled an acrid odor that both I and the tow truck driver noticed. Made terrible sound when shifting from p through r to d. This all happened on paved roads going back home. The car now has 150 miles on it, bought it 3 days prior new.
The transmission occasionally slips, resulting in a momentary rise in engine revs and a slight lurch. I assume that this is related to the known transmission issue for earlier ascents, but mine is not included in the affected VIN number group. Other people traveling in the vehicle with me have noticed the issue and remarked on it, so I am not imagining it! Subaru have not yet diagnosed it but will do so at the next oil change. This behavior has been a feature of the vehicle from new and it has now done about 12,000 miles. The event occurs maybe once a week or so.
Recalls on the 2020 model year
NHTSA has issued 5 recall campaigns covering the 2020 Subaru Ascent, affecting an estimated 170,200 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover equipment:other:labels, electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash, steering:linkages:tie rod assembly and power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/t. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
541,237 vehicles 2026-07-07- Defect
- 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."
- Consequence
- An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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 are expected to be mailed August 25, 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
271,694 vehicles 2022-12-08- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ascent vehicles. The ground bolt that secures the ground terminal of the Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater may have been improperly fastened, which could result in melting of the ground terminal and surrounding components.
- Consequence
- A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park their vehicle away from structures and to avoid leaving the vehicle unattended while the engine is running. An owner who notices or smells smoke coming from the dash or driver's footwell area should immediately stop operating the vehicle and turn the ignition switch to the "Off" position. Dealers will replace the PTC heater ground bolts and if necessary, replace the ground wire and the connector holder, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 6, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at…
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
1,305 vehicles 2021-12-09- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Ascent vehicles. Due to an incorrect tapered hole in the housing, the front tie rod ends may not fit properly. The improper fit can result in the tie rods and housings being deformed during assembly and service replacement if excessive torque is applied.
- Consequence
- The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left and right front tie rod ends and housings, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 7, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-21.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
198,255 vehicles 2021-12-09- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
- Consequence
- An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 19, 2022. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 19V-855. Vehicles previously recalled under 19V-855 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall once available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-21.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
175,968 vehicles 2021-07-29- Defect
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
- Consequence
- Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2020 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2020 — 54th riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 7 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2025 comes out best at 54 and 2019 worst at 81, with 2020 itself at 79.
If the model year is negotiable, 2025, 2023, 2022, 2024 and 2021 score lower than 2020 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2019–2026 generation specifically, 2025 is the strongest year at 54 and 2019 the weakest at 81.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2019-2026 generation, 2025 Subaru Ascent scores best at 54 and 2019 Subaru Ascent worst at 81.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: windshield cracking from about 1k, other electrical problem from about 2k, other powertrain problem from about 3k and other visibility problem from about 3k.
On a 2020 Subaru Ascent with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether windshield cracking has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
What this page cannot tell you
403 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 403 reports, 164 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 41% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Subaru Ascent?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (63 reports, median 5,000 miles), other visibility problem (37 reports, median 7,500 miles) and other powertrain problem (30 reports, median 10,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2020 Subaru Ascent problems start?
Windshield cracking is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 5,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 1,300 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 6,000 miles.
Is the 2020 Subaru Ascent reliable?
It scores 79 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 54th riskiest of the 235 2020 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2020 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Subaru Ascent is best?
Within the 2019–2026 generation, 2025 scores best at 54 out of 100 and 2019 worst at 81. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed