2020 Subaru Ascent Electrical System

Several times my 2020 Subaru Ascent has failed to start and required a jump. I have taken my vehicle into the Subaru dealers 3 times for this problem. Every time they tell me something was left on that drained the battery when the vehicle was turned off. One time they replaced the battery but same issue occurred after the battery was replaced. Another time they replaced the radio but same problem occurred after replacing with a new radio. The last time they told me the WiFi was turned on. We don't even have a Wifi account for this vehicle which is needed to use the WiFi. Each time the dealers reset electrical components and computer chips they said needed to be reset. This vehicle is a daily driver so does not sit long between starts. I brought the vehicle in October of 2020 when it had 5K miles on it and to date only has 16K now. Now I have to purchase and carry a portable vehicle jump starter as this vehicle's battery is not reliable. I have read that other owner's have the same problem. Why can this not be fixed/resolved without costly repairs to the owner. I am worried that when the Dealer warranty runs out, I am going to face unnecessary costly repairs. Please assist and advise. Thanks.

The battery has died 2 times on me and the tech was unable to find a reason why the battery would die; I did not leave lights on or have any thing draining the battery. There is a well known issue with the electrical system in this car and it needs to be replaced.

MY BATTERY HAS FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME AFTER DRIVING FOR A SHORT DISTANCE AND PARKING AND USING ACCESSORY MODE X 10 MIN. THE SECOND AFTER SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR TWO DAYS. AT THAT POINT, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A "FAULTY CELL" IN MY ORIGINAL BATTER AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE THIRD TIME AFTER HAVING THE REAR GATE AND DOORS OPEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MIN TO VACUUM THE CAR. THE FORTH AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE GROCERY STORE AND WAITING WITH THE CAR IN ACCESSORY MODE FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES FOR MY GROCERIES TO BE BROUGHT OUT. THIS LAST TIME IT WAS BELOW FREEZING OUTDOORS. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE NEAR A STORE AND NOT HAVE MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I HAD CHOSEN TO DO GROCERY PICK-UP TO REDUCE MY PANDEMIC RISK, HOWEVER, I HAD TO WAIT INSIDE THE STORE FOR SOMEONE TO COME AND JUMP MY BATTERY.

My battery drains with only the slightest mistake in leaving the hatch open for an hour. It has happened so many times we had to replace the battery after 1 year. I was stranded somewhere because of it.

Leaving my lift gate open for even a short amount of time drains the battery. Even after charging the battery manually my battery went completely dead after one year and three months.

Bought vehicle new in October 2019, now has 20,000 miles. Started having issues a couple months ago with not starting and needing to jump start. I can tell it is getting harder to start on its own as time goes by. Its going to the dealer this week for a new battery. One or two times the hatch may have been open for a short period as described in some of these posts. For those reading this, there is a class action law suit pending right now out of New Jersey for this issue against Subaru.

MY CAR CONTINUES TO NOT START AFTER PERIODS OF NON USE. 2020 SUBARU ASCENT CANNOT JUMP CAR BATTERY ON OUR OWN.... RATHER WE HAVE TO RELY ON ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEIR BATTERY JUMPING TOOLS. CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALER 2 TIMES FOR REPAIR FOR THE ISSUE. AND WILL BE NEEDING TO BE SERVICED AGAIN THIS WEEK. FOR THE 1ST REPAIR... CAR WAS UNSTARTABLE AND DISABLED TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO BE TOWED ON A FLAT BED. DEALER REPLACED THE MAIN FUSE BLOWN. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCK CAR WHILE WAITING FOR SERVICE PUTTING INSIDE OF CAR AND CONTENTS AT RISK. WAS WITHOUT CAR FOR A WEEK. FOR THE 2ND REPAIR.... CAR WAS ABLE TO BE JUMPED BY ROADSIDE AND WE DROVE THE CAR FOR SERVICE AT THE DEALER. DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY SAME DAY. A WEEK AGO... I GOT STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT AT CLOSING TIME AT DUSK. NOW... NOW I'M STUCK AT HOME UNABLE TO START VEHICLE.... WITH A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. ROADSIDE HAS JUMPED MY CAR 6 TO 7 TIMES SINCE I STARTED MY LEASE. CAR HAS @2,100 MILES ON IT. LOOKS LIKE THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR OTHER OWNERS WHEN GOOGLED AND NO PERMANENT FIX IS BEING OFFERED. THIS MAKES THE CAR UNRELIABLE AND CREATES POTENTIAL FOR UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ME THE DRIVER AND MY PASSENGERS WHICH INCLUDES YOUTH UNDER THE AGE OF 18. PLUS... THIS IS 10+ INTERACTIONS FOR EXPOSURE TO COVID IN PUBLIC.

THE CAR EXPERIENCED BATTERY DRAIN WITHIN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THE FIRST SIGN OF A PROBLEM WAS THE ABSENCE OF SOUND FROM THE STEREO WHILE THE CAR WAS OPERATING. THE VERY NEXT MORNING THE CAR DID NOT POWER ON, WITH REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY RESOLVING ALL ISSUES. THE CAR IS KEPT LOCKED AND POWERED OFF IN A GARAGE AT ALL TIMES.

While parked, for no reason, the battery discharged to the point the car would not start and I could not open the tail gate. The car had been driven for 2 hours the day before. The car was parked at a campground with the tail gate open for a few hours but the other doors were not open. In the evening I closed the tail gate. The next morning about 10:00 am I tried to drive off and the battery was dead and other electronic devises would not work (door locks, electric tailgate etc.) This could have been very serious as I had a hard time locating help to jump start the car. If I had needed to drive for an emergency as if my wife had a medical issue the car's malfunction would have been very serious! This problem has been reported on the internet for Subaru Ascents and I feel it is a safety defect and Subaru should be required to fix it. I do not trust this car. It is a 2020 Ascent with about 10,000 miles.

THE VEHICLE STARTED BEEPING WHILE IT WAS OFF AND SITTING IN THE CARPORT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE BEEPING WAS COMING FROM THE REAR LIFT GATE. WE TRIED TO UNLOCK THE CAR WITH THE FOB, BUT IT WOULD NOT UNLOCK LEADING US TO ASSUME THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. WE USED THE KEY HIDDEN INSIDE THE FOB AND OPENED THE CAR DOOR AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. WE WERE ABLE TO JUMP THE CAR OFF AND THE BEEPING STOPPED. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY INSPECTED THE BATTERY AND REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE BECAUSE THE CURRENT ONE WAS "BAD". OF NOTE, THE BATTERY HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED 2 MONTHS PRIOR DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION THAT REVEALED ANOTHER "BAD" BATTERY. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE OCT 2019 AND THIS IS THE THIRD BATTERY THAT I HAVE HAD IN THE CAR.

AFTER BEING PARKED IN THE GARAGE FOR SEVERAL DAYS THE CAR FAILED TO START. UPON INSPECTION FOUND THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DEAD. NOTHING HAD BEEN LEFT ON THAT WOULD HAVE DRAINED THE BATTERY, AND HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS ISSUES. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CHARGE THE BATTERY, AND THE BATTERY CONTINUES TO FAIL TO HOLD CHARGE. CONTACTED DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND SUBARU OF AMERICA. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE BATTERY SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS OF THE ISSUES. TRAVEL TIME TO THE DEALERSHIPS ARE BETWEEN 1 1/2-2 HOURS.

I AM DOING SHORT HAUL DRIVING AND MY BATTERY DRAINS AND EVENTUALLY GOES DEAD. I DO A LONGER DRIVE WHEN I EXPERIENCE SLOW ENGINE TURNOVER WHICH INDICATES A DRAINED BATTERY.

THE BATTERY IN OUR 2020 SUBARU ASCENT DISCHARGED COMPLETELY ON 4/15/21 REQUIRING A JUMP CHARGE. SUBARU TOLD US THAT WITH MODERN VEHICLE ELECTRONICS, THERE IS CONTINOUS ELECTRICAL DRAW EVEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF, THUS FREQUNT DRIVING IS NECESSARY TO KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED. WE DRIVE OUR VEHICLE REGULARLY AND ARE CAREFUL THAT NO ACCESSORIES ARE LEFT ON. WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT THE BATTERY DISCHARGED IN OUR GARAGE.

BATTERY GOES DEAD AFTER SITTING A FEW DAYS. IT HAS DIED TWICE IN 2 WEEKS. HAVE TO CARRY A EMERGENCY JUMP SYSTEM DEALER REPLACED BATTERY

I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WHEN TRYING TO TURN THE CAR ON - IT WOULD APPEAR THE BATTERY WAS DEAD DESPITE NO REASON FOR IT TO BE. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR A WEEK. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS AND THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP SAID THE BATTERY WAS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS BARELY A YEAR OLD WITH ONLY 11,000 MILES ON IT.

THE BATTERY ON MY 2020 ASCENT DIES UNEXPECTANTLY AND FREQUENTLY. IT'S HAPPENED SIX TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THREE TIMES ON EACH OF THE BATTERIES IT'S HAD. PERIODICALLY THE CAR JUST WON'T START.

BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DISCHARGING. I MAKE SURE I'M DRIVING IT REGULARLY BECAUSE I'M AWARE THAT A CAR LEFT SITTING CAN DISCHARGE A BATTERY.

DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN PREMATURELY

TRIED STARTING MY CAR ON MARCH 5 AND WOULD NOT START. TRIED TO JUMP START BUT IT DID NOT WORK. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD BATTERY IS DEAD. DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY BATTERY DIED. DEALER REPLACED OLD BATTERY WITH THE SAME OEM BATTERY. THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX AND I TOLD THEM I'M NOT CONFIDENT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU ASCENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWICE UPON LEAVING THE LIFTGATE OPEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START-UP AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ALSO FAILED TO OPERATE AS NEEDED. THE FIRST TIME THE CONTACT JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO JUMP START AFTER THE SECOND FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO SUBURBAN SUBARU (14 HARTFORD TURNPIKE, VERNON, CT 06066) WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. A SECOND APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED WITH THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

THE BATTERY IS DYING PREMATURELY THIS IS THE SECOND TIME.I TOOK IT IN THE FIRST TIME AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A BAD BATTERY NOW IT HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN THE MORNING OF MY TRIP I HAD TO REMOVE THE BATTERY OF MY OTHER CAR AND INSTALL IT TO GO IN MY TRIP ONCE I GOT TO MY DESTINATION I PARKED IT AND REMOVED THE GROUND CABLE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO STAY STRANDED I WILL CALL SUBARU TODAY AND SEE WHAT THEY TELL ME.

VEHICLE HAS BEEN STARTING NORMALLY WITH NO PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASE. PARKED VEHICLE IN GARAGE ON 2/12/2021 AT 6:30PM. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE THE NEXT MORNING (2/13/2021) AT 8:30AM, IT STARTED SLOWLY. DROVE FOR 20 MINUTES AND TURNED VEHICLE OFF. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE 15 MINUTES LATER AND IT WOULD NOT START (JUST BUZZED). CALLED AAA FOR A JUMP START. WAS INFORMED THE BATTERY WAS AT 10.2V AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ALTERNATOR. JUMP START WAS SUCCESSFUL.

THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY CONSTANTLY DIES DESPITE GETTING A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED, EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECENTLY DRIVEN AND EVERYTHING WAS TURNED OFF WHEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE.

MY 2020 SUBARU ASCENT TOURING HAS 8500 MILES ON IT. I PURCHASED IT IN NOVEMBER 2019. THE BATTERY HAS "DIED" ABOUT 5-6 TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I DRIVE MY SUBARU USUALLY ON SHORT TRIPS AND ONE LONG TRIP PER YEAR. I HAVE REPORTED THE DEAD BATTERY ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY ALWAYS SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH MY BATTERY. I COULD DRIVE MY CAR ON A SHORT TRIP ONE DAY AND THEN THE NEXT DAY WHEN I TRY TO START MY CAR, THE BATTERY IS DEAD.

I WAS PARKED CURBSIDE WAITING FOR A FOOD ORDER WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE BACK. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF THE CAR BEING TURNED OFF WHILE WE WERE IN THE CAR, AND ONCE WE GOT OUR FOOD. I WENT TO START UP THE CAR AND IT WOULD NO LONGER START. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM STAYED ON SINCE WE WERE STILL IN THE CAR. AND EVEN WITH THE PUSH BUTTON, EVEN WHEN I TRIED TO COMPLETELY POWER DOWN THE CAR, THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THEN WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN WITH THE PUSH BUTTON START, IT WOULD NO LONGER START. BUT THE CAR HAD PLENTY OF VOLTAGE. I ALSO COULDN'T GET THE DOME LIGHTS TO TURN OFF AND THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM WAS STILL ON. I COULDN'T POWER EVERYTHING DOWN SO I COULD DO A CLEAN START FROM ZERO. WHEN THE PARKING LOT SECURITY BROUGHT A BOOSTER PACK, SINCE THE TERMINALS AND CABLES HAD NO INDICATION OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WE DIDN'T TRY TO JUMP THE CAR. WE PRESSED THE PUSH BUTTON TO TRY TO START THE CAR ON IT'S OWN AGAIN AND THE LIGHTS WOULD FLASH AND THERE WAS A RAPID TICKING SOUND. WE LEFT IT ALONE FOR ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP.