- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 5
- on record
- MPG
- 23
- combined
Open recalls on record
5 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2020 Subaru Ascent
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 317
- Complaints citing a crash
- 6
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
5 Recalls on Record
1 of these is high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.
Safety recalls
5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 21V955000high
Drivetrain issue
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 21V954000high
Steering issue
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 21V587000high
Fuel pump may fail
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 22V907000high
Electrical issue
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-22.
- 26V436000high
Incorrect or missing label
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2020 Subaru Ascent.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 17%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2020 Subaru Ascent 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 17% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2020 Subaru Ascent, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
21
City
27
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,650
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 386 g/mi
How this compares
At 23 MPG combined, the 2020 Subaru Ascent ranks 3rd of 5 standard SUVs (4WD) EPA rated for 2020 — exactly the 23 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little below the middle of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,650, $1,150 less than the $3,800 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $13,250, a $5,750 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 386 grams per mile — about 5.8 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
317 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 317
- Total
- 6
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ELECTRICAL90
- ENGINE73
- VISIBILITY57
- OTHER37
- BRAKES25
Notable Issues
317 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 5 reports involve injuries. 6 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2020 Subaru Ascent, newest first.
- Recall
An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.
- Recall
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- SUV
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
21
City
27
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,650
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.
- Recall
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.


