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2020 Subaru Ascent Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

403 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.19 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical21V587000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Critical22V907000 Park outside

Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash

melting ground terminal raises the risk of a fire.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious21V955000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)

improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious21V954000

Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly

The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious26V436000

Equipment:Other:Labels

incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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."

Complaint volume

403 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

14Crashes
2Fires
11Injuries
0Deaths

Across 403 complaints. Severity Index 0.19.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Electrical System101 · 25%Unknown Or Other56 · 14%Power Train55 · 14%Visibility/Wiper49 · 12%Engine29 · 7%Service Brakes26 · 6%Fuel/Propulsion System14 · 3%Visibility · Windshield11 · 3%
  1. Electrical System — 101 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 56 reports
  3. Power Train — 55 reports
  4. Visibility/Wiper — 49 reports
  5. Engine — 29 reports
  6. Service Brakes — 26 reports
  7. Fuel/Propulsion System — 14 reports
  8. Visibility:Windshield — 11 reports
  9. Structure:Body — 9 reports
  10. Suspension — 8 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2019 (9) · 2020 · 2021 (2) · 2022 (2) · 2023 (4) · 2024 (1) · 2025 (1) · 2026 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.