{"id":"2020_subaru_ascent","make":"Subaru","make_slug":"subaru","model":"Ascent","model_slug":"ascent","year":2020,"url":"/subaru/ascent/2020/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":41430,"model":"Ascent","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AV-S8)","cyl":4,"displ":2.4,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":21,"hwy":27,"comb":23,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":386,"fe_score":5,"ghg_score":5,"fuel_cost":2700,"save_spend":-2250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FJX","modified":"Fri Nov 08 00:00:00 EST 2019"},{"id":41431,"model":"Ascent Limited/Touring","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AV-S8)","cyl":4,"displ":2.4,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":20,"hwy":26,"comb":22,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":401,"fe_score":4,"ghg_score":4,"fuel_cost":2850,"save_spend":-3000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FJX","modified":"Fri Nov 08 00:00:00 EST 2019"}],"vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","segment":"Midsize / large SUV","recalls":[{"campaign":"26V436000","component":"EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS","mfr":"Subaru of America, Inc.","reported":"2026-07-07","owner_notified":"","units":541237,"summary":"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":"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 24, 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.","notes":"","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"WRH-26","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"minor"},{"campaign":"22V907000","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH","mfr":"Subaru of America, Inc.","reported":"2022-12-08","owner_notified":"2023-01-25","units":271694,"summary":"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":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":true,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"WRL-22","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"critical"},{"campaign":"21V954000","component":"STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY","mfr":"Subaru of America, Inc.","reported":"2021-12-09","owner_notified":"2022-02-07","units":1305,"summary":"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.","consequence":"The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"WRL-21","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"21V955000","component":"POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)","mfr":"Subaru of America, Inc.","reported":"2021-12-09","owner_notified":"2022-08-19","units":198255,"summary":"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.","consequence":"An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"WRK-21","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"21V587000","component":"FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP","mfr":"Subaru of America, Inc.","reported":"2021-07-29","owner_notified":"2021-09-24","units":175968,"summary":"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.","consequence":"Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.","remedy":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"WRG-21","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":5,"critical_count":1,"park_outside":true,"do_not_drive":false,"score":58,"grade":"F","complaints":{"count":321,"crash":6,"fire":1,"injured":5,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Electrical System",101],["Power Train",58],["Unspecified",56],["Visibility/Wiper",49],["Engine",29],["Service Brakes",26]],"by_year":{"2019":4,"2020":82,"2021":85,"2022":69,"2023":22,"2024":25,"2025":13,"2026":21},"excerpts":[["2021-10-06","Electrical System","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 s\u2026"],["2021-09-13","Visibility/Wiper","I recently bought my Subaru and I noticed the transmission would stall when going in to gear or changing gears and the rpm would be high, also last night I de fogged my windows and drove to my destination and noticed a crack in my windshield from the top where my eyesight is, I did not hear or see anything hit my car w\u2026"],["2021-09-04","Electrical System","We purchased our 2020 Subaru Accent on 8/9/2020. On 6/9/2021, our family took a day trip to Petaluma and stopped at a park to let our toddlers play. When we returned to our vehicle in the parking lot, the ignition would not turn on the vehicle. AAA Roadside Assistance was called to the scene and the technician found no\u2026"]]},"investigations":[],"ncap":[{"desc":"SUV AWD","overall":5,"frontal":5,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.17,"seats":null,"fcw":"Standard","ldw":"Standard","aeb":"Standard","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":999,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":23,"ncap":5,"complaints":321},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}