- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 22
- combined
Open recalls on record
4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2023 Subaru Ascent
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 40
- Complaints citing a crash
- 4
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 23V258000high
Tire/wheel issue
TIRES
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.
Consequence
A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V392000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
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.
Consequence
Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 23V647000high
Driveshaft bolt issue
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
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.
Consequence
Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 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 2023 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 2023 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 2023 Subaru Ascent, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
20
City
26
Hwy
22
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,800
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 398 g/mi
How this compares
At 22 MPG combined, the 2023 Subaru Ascent ranks 3rd of 5 standard SUVs (4WD) EPA rated for 2023 — exactly the 22 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 $2,800, $800 less than the $3,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $14,000, a $4,000 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 398 grams per mile — about 6 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
40 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 40
- Total
- 4
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
Most reported components
- OTHER10
- BRAKES7
- VISIBILITY6
- WHEELS/TIRES5
- ENGINE4
Notable Issues
40 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 4 reports involve injuries. 4 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2023 Subaru Ascent, newest first.
- Recall
An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, 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
20
City
26
Hwy
22
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,800
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Ball joint separation while the vehicle is in motion can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A damaged tire may experience a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.