Powertrain complaints and recalls from NHTSA
Summary
The 2020 Subaru ascent has 52 NHTSA powertrain complaints and 1 powertrain-related recall.
52
Complaints
1
Recalls
0
Injuries Reported
Data source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) · Last updated April 9, 2026
21V955000
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 Con...
| Date ↓ | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle: 2020 Subaru Ascent (Build Date: March 2020) Component: Power Train – Automatic Transmission... |
| Jul 17, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Replaced front multi plate transfer clutch at 96,987 miles. |
| Jun 12, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator ped... |
| May 1, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My 2020 Subaru Ascent experienced a sudden failure of critical safety systems due to CVT fluid leaki... |
| Feb 16, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Ever since our car went in for re-programing CVT drive chain it progressively has been having a prob... |
| Jan 29, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | While driving the vehicle between 30 - 40 mph, the vehicle will intermittently studder. I have menti... |
| Dec 20, 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the tran... |
| Sep 22, 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 55 MPH,... |
| Aug 11, 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Bolt holding the driveshaft support bracket backed out causing driveshaft to come out. This is a kn... |
| Apr 28, 2024 | POWER TRAIN | When driving, Ascent sudders while under normal highway conditions. Has had all 4 recalls completed ... |
| Feb 21, 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission was... |
| Feb 1, 2024 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The vehicle hesitates like it doesn’t want to get up to speed, despite pressing the gas pedal to acc... |
| Dec 13, 2023 | POWER TRAIN | For the past month, the engine revs up higher than normal at slow and highway speeds. It had the fee... |
| Nov 11, 2023 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | CVT jerks the vehicle and stutters when at certain rpms, making long car rides very uncomfortable. F... |
| Sep 27, 2023 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | CVT transmission skips in high gear and shudders randomly while driving down the road. Randy Marion... |
| Jun 30, 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Between October of 2021 and February of 2022): Shuddering (like driving on rumble strips) and sluggi... |
| Jan 1, 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The CVT transmission has failed and been replaced three times despite proper maintenance. Subaru ha... |
| Dec 17, 2022 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission is lurching and surging when driving. Pressing gas pedal from a stop the belt continues... |
| Nov 22, 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Transmission still slipping when accelerating between 20-30mph. Brought car in for recall but it con... |
| Oct 2, 2022 | POWER TRAIN | The manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for the vehicle in a timely ma... |