2019 Subaru Ascent

The two map lights and the part referred to as the front overhead console has a defective design which at the least stops the lights from working properly, but at the worst, can start a fire. Subaru must be aware of the problem because it routinely change them. My vehicle listed above was ready for the installation of the third console when I said to myself, this one is not under warranty so let me call Subaru. They agreed to cover part of the cost- now we are sure that Subaru knows there is a fire hazard, didn’t report it, do a voluntary recall, or notify you. Am I eligible for money for whistleblowing? So I have pictures of the melted condition, and the repair. I also made a video of the repair. You can search re-engineering Subaru ascent map light console if you want to see it. I figured the cause, developed a solution, and re-engineered it. I can, most can’t. I definitely shouldn’t have to get out a solder gun and repair the electrical components because they are defective. The problem is the design. The direction you push the light cover switch pushes the socket away from its contact. This creates a gap that causes heat that both melts the plastic, and also cracking and melting around the plate of metal that makes contact with the socket. I just soldered them together and have a light that works perfect, but i do have degraded cracked plastic around the socket, so I condenser it perhaps temporary, but better than hearing the light sizzle while arcing. Plus the lights work every time. You can search Subaru ascent maplight and will find a bunch of people asking about the problem. For some it just stops working which is the best thing. For others you get sizzleing and a dim light. The resulting arcing also causes the light to turn off improperly and results in sizzling also. That’s should not be able to happen. Off is off. Let’s get this taken care of. We dont want injuries, or accident s because the light started smoking and distracted someone.

Steering is so sensitive that it exhausted driver. Lane control is exhausting. Transmission looses power, but mechanics say nothing registering. The car smokes on cold start and white exhaust smells terrible. This is worse in summer when transmission is hot. Hatch can’t be left open when camping because it ran my battery dead. There is no lighting at the back of car and front interior lights, LED, time out.

PREMATURE BATTERY DRAIN. IVE REPLACED THE BATTERY IN MY ASCENT 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE. FIRST INSTANCE OCCURED WHEN TALIGATE HADNT CLOSED ALL THE WAY AND DRIANED BATTERY. SECOND INSTANCE CAR DOORS WERE OPEN FOR APPROX 2 HOURS TO CLEAN AND DETAIL MY CAR WHEN BATTERY DIED. THIRD INSTANCE WAS LISTENING TO MUSIC IN THE CAR FOR 40 MIN WHILE WAITING FOR HUSBAND TO GO TO STORE AND I WAITED IN THE CAR AND BATTER DIED YET AGAIN.

VEHICLE STARTED OFF WITH THE RADIO NOT SAVING CHANNELS. IT WOULD RESET THE RADIO EVERY FEW DAYS. A MESSAGE WOULD COME ON THE DASHBOARD WHICH WOULD SAY THE CAR WILL BE RESTARTED IN A FEW HOURS. AND A LIGHT NOT WORKING. TOOK IN AND THEY SAID IT WAS BATTERY. REPLACED. THEN GOT BACK. WITHIN WEEK OR SO. CAR HAD ALL LIGHTS COMING ON AND OFF ON DASHBOARD. STARTED JUMPING. EVEN DROVE BACKWARDS WHEN PUT IN DRIVE. TOOK IN AND THEY REPLACED TRANSMISSION. WITHIN THE WEEK AFTER GETTING BACK, THE CAR WAS SKIPPING GEARS. ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. THEN BACK IN FOR RADIO NOT SHUTTING OFF WHEN CAR OFF AND LOCKED. WOULD RUN FOR HOURS. ALSO THE TRUNK DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK. TOOK AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SWITCH. RADIO AGAIN STILL RESETTING. RADIO WILL RANDOMLY SHUT OFF AND THEN TURN BACK ON. THE REAR TRUNK WILL LOCK AND THEN NOT UNLOCK. CAR IS STILL DRIVING ROUGH. CLEARLY THE CAR HAS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. IT IS BACK IN NOW.

WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK APPROXIMATELY 09:10 PM(25901 RIVERWOODS RD, METTAWA, IL 60045) NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN AUTOMOBILE FIRE I-94 1 MILE SOUTH OF ROUTE 176(EXIT 16(/ROCKLAND ROAD). AFTER NO MORE THAN A MINUTE ON THE INTERSTATE, I NOTICED SOME SMOKE AND PULLED IMMEDIATELY OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (AROUND 1.5-2.0 MILES FROM WORK) AND AROUND 5 MIN INTO DRIVE FROM DEPARTURE FROM ADDRESS LISTED ABOVE. WAS FORTUNATE THAT OFFICER M ZAWIEROWSKI WAS DRIVING BY AND ABLE TO ASSIST AND CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEN OFFICER STATED WENT BACK TO CAR NOTICED THAT CAR LOCKED UP ALL DOORS AND STATED HOW FORTUNATE YOU (WIFE) WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE. THE ONLY WARNING WAS SMELL AND SMOKE, MINUTE LATER CAR WAS BURNING AND WITHIN SHORT TIME HEAT AND SMOKE WAS SEVERE THAT STATE POLICE CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT

AT ONLY 17.6K MILES, THE BATTERY IN MY 2019 SUBARU ASCENT WAS COMPLETELY DRAINED OVERNIGHT, FOR NO LOGICAL REASON. I CALLED SUBARU ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO GIVE ME A JUMP AND I LET IT RUN FOR 33 MINUTES THEN TOOK IT FOR A 10 MIN DRIVE. THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY OVERNIGHT AND UNTIL THE 10 MIN DRIVE. DURING THIS TIME THE TAILGATE WOULD PERSISTENTLY BEEP, TRYING TO OPEN.

WE TOOK POSSESSION OF THIS VEHICLE OCTOBER 2019, BRAND NEW ORDER. EVER SINCE WE HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE WE HAVE QUESTIONED SEVERAL DEALERS REGARDING THE HEADLIGHTS PLACEMENT. WHEN YOU DRIVE ON NON LIT ROADS YOU CAN ONLY SEE ABOUT 6 FEET IN FRONT OF YOU. ANYONE WALKING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AN ANIMAL, BROKEN DOWN VEHICLE, THE STREET YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO TURN ON; YOU DO NOT SEE UNTIL YOU ARE RIGHT ON TOP OF THE OBJECT. WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ON IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT IS AHEAD OF US. THE LOW BEAMS ENGAGED SEEM TO HAVE A WALL ABOUT 6 FEET OUT THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE BEYOND THAT AREA. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED PROPERLY AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN OR WILL DO ABOUT IT. WHEN DRIVING IN A LIGHTED AREA IT IS NOT AS BAD; WHEN DRIVING DOWN BACK UNLIT ROADS WITH TRAFFIC COMING AT YOU OR TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF YOU THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TERRIBLE. WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA WITH VERY LITTLE STREET LIGHTING AND I AM REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HITTING SOMETHING BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHT DO NOT ILLUMINATE ENOUGH TO SEE OBJECTS IN THE ROAD. WE ASKED OUR SALES PERSON ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS AND HE WENT OUT AND TESTED OUR CONCERN, HE TOLD US TO SAY SOMETHING TO THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WHEN WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR ITS FIRST INSPECTION. WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE ASKED AT THE NEXT DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I AM AT A LOSS ON HOW TO CORRECT THIS.