2020 Subaru Ascent Power Train

Replaced front multi plate transfer clutch at 96,987 miles.

The CVT transmission has failed and been replaced three times despite proper maintenance. Subaru has replaced the transmission multiple times under warranty, but the failure continues to recur. •First CVT replacement at 50,542 miles •Second CVT replacement at 88,175 miles •Third CVT replacement at 92,832 miles This shows repeat failure, not wear-and-tear. It is a safety risk: The vehicle hesitates and loses power intermittently, which creates a safety risk when accelerating or merging into traffic. The most recent replacement is incorrectly listed as pan replacement.

Ever since our car went in for re-programing CVT drive chain it progressively has been having a problem of something slipping in drive and in cruise control. feels like a loss of power and a feeling chatter from transmission. Now when you put it in drive it makes a jerking noise. the thing is that we never had this problem until it went in for this recall. it's been back twice and they claim they can't find any problem but continues to get worse. it happens every time we drive it . just returned a 700 mile trip and it's very annoying. Also we do have an extended warranty.

My 2020 Subaru Ascent experienced a sudden failure of critical safety systems due to CVT fluid leaking through the transmission pressure switch into multiple electrical components. This fluid leak damaged several wire harnesses and the Engine Control Module (ECM). The check engine light came on and all Eyesight safety features disabled. Subaru has confirmed this will cost over $9,400 to repair. This issue appears to be related to known Subaru Technical Service Bulletins, including TSB 16-103-16R and TSB 02-170-17R, and matches the description in NHTSA Campaign WUV-07. Subaru of America has refused to fully cover the repair, even though my car is well maintained, has only 54,000 miles, and is just 4 months outside the powertrain warranty. This is not normal wear—it’s a serious defect that causes electronic failure and disables safety systems while driving.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunctioned, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who serviced the rear differential but later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 106,100.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Bolt holding the driveshaft support bracket backed out causing driveshaft to come out. This is a known issue with the 2019 and 2022 Subaru Ascents and have active service advisories but Subaru of America does not recognize it for the 2020 models even know it is also happening in the 2020 vehicles. If the driveshaft would have came out at a high speed it could have caused a crash. Based on the research the bolts do not hold the torque from the factory due to a bolt manufacturing issue and slowly back out after time unknown to the driver. Subaru is not recognizing the problem, so they are not notifying the 2020 owners of the problem, instead they are offering a 50% payment on the repairs as a goodwill payment to offset the cost since it is not a warranty issue. I had had my car in for oil changes in the past and the dealership did not know to check for the tightness of the bolts as there were no service advisories. There should be a recall for this problem before someone dies in a crash caused by this problem.

When driving, Ascent sudders while under normal highway conditions. Has had all 4 recalls completed but this specific event has been consistently present even after each recall was completed. Now that Ascent is out of powertrain period, Subaru of America acknowledged transmission finally needs complete replacement but only offering portion as a one time offer.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the transmission was slipping, and there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while accelerating. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and left the vehicle for several hours. Upon return to the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle drove normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an unknown module was reprogrammed; however, the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and a diagnostic test was performed; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that if the failure could not be duplicated the vehicle could not be repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

For the past month, the engine revs up higher than normal at slow and highway speeds. It had the feeling of the engine skipping gears and staying at to high of an RPM even with the accelerator being eased off. Initially it was brought to Subaru service dealer in November and they could not replicate the issue. On 12/13/23, it began to constantly go into very high RPMS, much more frequently then it had been, and the check engine light came on as well as a warning light for the automatic transmission oil temperature light. We brought it into the dealer and the evaluated and said the transmission is failing and said it is not safe to drive. We were given a loaner and they are in the process of submitting paperwork for a new transmission under their powertrain warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, there was a delay while shifting gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train). The recall repair was performed; however, the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was repaired several times. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 30,000.

My car had a CVT drivetrain recall which has been labeled as "repaired" because I brought it to the dealer, however, the issue still exists and my car has been to the dealer 5 times already concerning this recall. The symptoms of the CVT drive train that I am experiencing are: shuddering (dealership vocabulary) at approximately 20 mph (approximately 1500-2000 rpm). The issue has gotten worse because now I experience the occasional shuddering at 40 mph and about 60 mph. In addition, occasionally at about 20 mph after slowing down and then accelerating there is a heavy vibration from the engine (which was heard over the phone by someone). Some things that the dealership have done included updating the computer, reflashing, reprogramming it, etc. However, as I mentioned the issue still exists and has gotten worse. I also personally contacted corporate Subaru to let them know that the issue has not been resolved. I wanted to report this issue to you because they have labeled my car as "repaired" based on the fact that I brought it in for the recall, however, the issue was not fixed and it has gotten worse.

Between October of 2021 and February of 2022): Shuddering (like driving on rumble strips) and sluggish transmission (slow to respond acceleration and sometimes jumping when depressing the gas pedal) - reported this multiple times to dealership but was told they couldn’t replicate what I was feeling/experiencing. I also reported that the CVT would not adjust to the lower RPM (remained between 2000-3000) after ascending a hill. I was told in a dismissive manner that it was throttle control, which it was not. Brought vehicle back in June 2022 reporting the same issues. Determined it was the WRK-21 service bulletin. WRK-21 repair was done in July/August of 2022. I was without my car from June through August 30th. Transfer case was replaced. By March of 2023, the exact same symptoms returned and got worse on a much shorter timeline than the first time this happened. On 5/31/23 I brought the car back in. Approx 2.5 weeks later it was determined that it was the WRK-21 issue again. Today 6/30/23, I was told that a regional service technician from Subaru of America has determined that the transfer case needs to be replaced again. I opened a case at Subaru of America (case #[XXX]), requesting that a new transmission be installed into the vehicle, citing major safety concerns about repairing/replacing a repair. No warning lights ever went on at anytime in this reported timeline. Car is not in my possession so it would only be accessible at the dealership. It has been there since 5/31/23. Ultimately, I feel like driving the vehicle is dangerous. I’ve wondered if it’s just going to die while driving at times when it shudders. I have a young child and need a safe vehicle. I do not feel safe in this vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Driver front wheel was making a noise when turning or slowing down. In Sep 2022, the dealership said they repaired it, but had we not brought it to them, where the front wheel meets the axel would have caused us problems. The noise did not go away, and when we took the vehicle to dealers again, they found front strut mount and bearing failure, and had to replace these (the car is just 3 years old).

Transmission is lurching and surging when driving. Pressing gas pedal from a stop the belt continues to slip. Took it to Paul Moak Subaru they claimed to do the inspection told me they don’t do test drives for malfunction checks. They said they completed the inspection for transmission recall. The Ascent continues lurch and slip with grinding noise and loss of speed. I told them about the issues for over a year and they continue to give run around I was having trouble while it was still under warranty. I’ve contacted Subaru Customer Care they would only provide me recall information and told me the trans inspection is all they have to do.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The manufacturer has known about this at least since December 2021. Their solution is to reprogram the transmission control unit. Waiting nine months or more for a reprogram seems excessive to me.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

2020 SUBARU ASCENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER HAS EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME DETERMINING A FIX FOR THE TRANSMISSION DRIVE SLIP TRAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT A NEIGHBOR SAID THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM, "THE TRANSMISSION FOR SUBARU ACCENT WAS DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED FOR THIS CAR AND UNDER SIZED CAUSING IT TO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY."

Recall on my 2020 Subaru Ascent was more than 7 months ago. The remedy is not available at my local dealership because SUBARU of America, Inc. has not sent them the remedy. This is my only vehicle and I must use it but is it safe?

On or around May 20, 2022, I was driving on a highway. I took an exit ramp to merge onto another highway. I accelerated and merged in front of a bus and was headed towards a toll plaza when I felt something and heard something. I took my foot off of the accelerator. My car stayed revving at 4500 RPMs with my foot off of the accelerator. I slammed my foot into the accelerator two times and the accelerator released so I could slow down for the toll plaza. I am concerned that my accelerator is going to stick again causing my car to break and be involved in a serious accident. My safety, my family's safety and others are at risk. The Subaru dealer has had the vehicle for multiple weeks and cannot recreate the issue. I was advised that the Subaru field technician inspected the vehicle and reset the programming for the torque converter. There is an open recall on the vehicle for a transmission issue with no fix yet available. There have been no warning lamps or any other messages. My car is available for inspection upon request.

Since last NOV 2021, I have had this Ascent into the shop several times due to a 'chirping' or 'speaking' sound that comes from the underside of the middle o/t vehicle. I have come to find out through the service department that the primary differential has a batch of defective parts, and the entire differential needs to be rebuilt (21 parts total are being replaced). It has taken about 3 months to get parts in. The squeak was an annoyance. HOWEVER the situation got SIGNIFICANTLY worse when the wheels would not synchronize when turning - which should be unheard of because there are supposed to be sophisticated traction controls and such in place to prevent that very condition.

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The 2020 Subaru Ascent has had a recall notice for nearly six months now (Manufacturer Recall NumberWRK21 NHTSA Recall Number21V955000). I experience a low frequency sound accompanied by rapid vibration lasting only a second when reapplying acceleration after a brief pause in acceleration. This occurs very inconsistently and not yet something replicable at the dealership. Subaru states they are working on a solution...The local service manager states they will do nothing unless a service light appears on the dash and that the remedy is likely replacement of transmission and they are not going to do that. We occasionally travel in mountain passes. This recall seems serious. Does NHTSA have any control over Subaru to force them to take the recall seriously? Do owners have to be injured or die for appropriate remedy?