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2021 Subaru Ascent

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Subaru Ascent do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 52.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Compare all Ascent years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 20 of 102 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Lane Departure. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Visibility/wiper complaints

14 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane DepartureVisibility/wiper

I have a 2021 Subaru Ascent that falls under an extended warranty regarding the windshield due to a faulty windshield. My windshield has cracked, reduce visibility, and does not allow the forward collision warning to work properly. Subaru recognizes the faulty windshield and refuses to remedy the issue. I question the safety and…

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I have a 2021 Subaru Ascent that falls under an extended warranty regarding the windshield due to a faulty windshield. My windshield has cracked, reduce visibility, and does not allow the forward collision warning to work properly. Subaru recognizes the faulty windshield and refuses to remedy the issue. I question the safety and integrity of this windshield to protect from normal road debris strikes, allow normal visibility, and the integrity of the lamination of the from windshield in the event of a collision.

NHTSA ODI #11665178

Mileage unknown · May 8, 2024
Visibility/wiper

Second time windshield has cracked, not due to rock or debris chip, but from edge of windshield and either out or up. Crack continues to spread until replaced. It is dangerous to drive 1st Incident - December 2022 , crack in middle of windshield, spreading two directions 2nd Incident - May 3, 2024, crack from left side and out…

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Second time windshield has cracked, not due to rock or debris chip, but from edge of windshield and either out or up. Crack continues to spread until replaced. It is dangerous to drive 1st Incident - December 2022 , crack in middle of windshield, spreading two directions 2nd Incident - May 3, 2024, crack from left side and out, contiunes to spead Pictures attached

NHTSA ODI #11587744

Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2023
Visibility/wiper

Windshield randomly became extremely hazy in one section to the point where Eyesight forward facing obstacle detection turned off. Cerium oxide rubbing compound was required to clear the haze enough for Eyesight to work again. Other sections have less significant haze. It appears to be hairline cracks in the outer layer of the w…

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Windshield randomly became extremely hazy in one section to the point where Eyesight forward facing obstacle detection turned off. Cerium oxide rubbing compound was required to clear the haze enough for Eyesight to work again. Other sections have less significant haze. It appears to be hairline cracks in the outer layer of the windshield or the windshield scratches extremely easily without any obvious debris impacting it.

NHTSA ODI #11525262

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2023
Visibility/wiper

Windshield started cracking and crack doubled in size within a few hours, we did not hear a rock chip the window and don't know where the crack came from. Car is available for inspection. This is a safety issue as it can impede the drivers clear view of the road. Will call dealer Monday to have windshield replaced. The windshiel…

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Windshield started cracking and crack doubled in size within a few hours, we did not hear a rock chip the window and don't know where the crack came from. Car is available for inspection. This is a safety issue as it can impede the drivers clear view of the road. Will call dealer Monday to have windshield replaced. The windshield has not been inspected by manufacture or insurance. Did not see any warnings prior to failure.

NHTSA ODI #11523043

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2022
Visibility/wiper

I noticed the windshield of my Ascent premium has thousands of millions of glaring specks/dots when facing the sunlight in early morning or late afternoon. The windshield becomes so blurry and extremely annoying. This happens only in early morning when facing the sun or late afternoon.

NHTSA ODI #11489236

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2022
Visibility/wiper

Without anything noticeable hitting the windshield, it was fine on July 2nd 2022 and when I went to get in to drive the next morning there was a crack in the windshield.

NHTSA ODI #11472510

Mileage unknown · Nov 14, 2021
Visibility/wiper

At 1 month old with 1,661 miles - the driver's side window started showing a cracked line that began to grow throughout the course of driving on a Saturday afternoon.

NHTSA ODI #11440376

Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2021
Visibility/wiper

Three chips have showed up on my windshield. I called the dealer when I saw it. They said all customers pay out of pocket. Then I recently saw that there is an issue with the windshields. That Subaru corporate is now taking care of the issue. I am looking for information to move forward with getting my windshield fixed. It happ…

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Three chips have showed up on my windshield. I called the dealer when I saw it. They said all customers pay out of pocket. Then I recently saw that there is an issue with the windshields. That Subaru corporate is now taking care of the issue. I am looking for information to move forward with getting my windshield fixed. It happened a few months ago.

NHTSA ODI #11428229

Mileage unknown · Jun 23, 2021
Visibility/wiper

On our first road trip in our new Ascent the windshield cracked. It rapidly spread about 18 inches. We heard no impact, saw no rock - just an ever spreading crack. We called a local Subaru dealer in Lexington, Kentucky who assured us the car was safe to drive home to Savannah. On the trip home we encountered a heavy rainstor…

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On our first road trip in our new Ascent the windshield cracked. It rapidly spread about 18 inches. We heard no impact, saw no rock - just an ever spreading crack. We called a local Subaru dealer in Lexington, Kentucky who assured us the car was safe to drive home to Savannah. On the trip home we encountered a heavy rainstorm and noticed leakage at the crack. I am filing this after seeing the large number of Subaru owners reporting similar occurrences. We had just experienced another cracked windshield on a 2019 Subaru outback that we had repaired on 11 May 2021! There is something not quite right about this windshield in the Subarus.

NHTSA ODI #11421951

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2021
Visibility/wiper

I purchased the vehicle Oct 2020. Since then the windshield has sustained 6 chips/cracks in the windshield. I found this to be unusual since I maybe have gotten 2 cracked windshields in 20+ years. I stared researching and found out this is an ongoing problem with Subaru windshields. I went to the dealer and was told they can…

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I purchased the vehicle Oct 2020. Since then the windshield has sustained 6 chips/cracks in the windshield. I found this to be unusual since I maybe have gotten 2 cracked windshields in 20+ years. I stared researching and found out this is an ongoing problem with Subaru windshields. I went to the dealer and was told they can do nothing about it. Appreciate any help.

NHTSA ODI #11420130

Official recalls

2

26V436000 · Equipment:other:labels

Jul 7, 2026

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 & remedy

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 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.

22V907000 · Electrical System:wiring:interior/under Dash

Dec 8, 2022

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 & remedy

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 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-22.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.