The Lemon Index
Subscribe

All cars · Subaru · SUV

Subaru Ascent.

The best Subaru Ascent years are 2022, 2021, 2019. Years to avoid: 2020, 2019, 2021. Across 2019-2022, it has a Lemon Index of 233, where 100 is the average car and lower is better.

Reliability by year, 2019 to 2025.

233Lemon Index · 100 = average car

Lemon alert. Whole model, 2019-2022: 2.3× the average car's complaints.

Best year 2022 · Worst year 2020

Subaru Ascent
Photo shows a 2019 Subaru Ascent. Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.

20192993× the complaints20203483.5× the complaints20211271.3× the complaints2022591.7× fewer complaints202360early read · 1.7× fewer complaints2024100early read · about average2025–few complaints

Best years to buy

2022.

2022591.7× fewer complaints than average20211271.3× the average car's complaints20192993× the average car's complaints

Years to avoid

2020.

20203483.5× the average car's complaints20192993× the average car's complaints20211271.3× the average car's complaints

Quick answers.

Is the Subaru Ascent a good car?

Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2019-2022: Lemon Index 233; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: the best is 2022 and the worst is 2020.

What are the best Subaru Ascent years to buy?

By owner complaints per car sold: 2022, 2021, 2019.

What Subaru Ascent years should you stay away from?

The years with the most complaints per car sold: 2020, 2019, 2021.

How many recalls does the Subaru Ascent have?

24 safety recalls across the 7 model years we track. Most: 2019 (9), 2020 (5), 2023 (4). Each year's page lists them.

What are the most common Subaru Ascent problems?

Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, wipers & visibility and transmission & drivetrain most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.

Every year in one table
YearIndexCompared with averageComplaintsTop complaintRecallsCrash testMPG
20192993× the average car's complaints360electrical (39%)9★★★★★22–23
20203483.5× the average car's complaints262electrical (37%)5★★★★★22–23
20211271.3× the average car's complaints77lane assist (19%)2★★★★★22–23
2022591.7× fewer complaints than average46transmission & drivetrain (24%)2★★★★★22–23
2023601.7× fewer complaints than average45brakes (22%)4★★★★★21–22
2024100about average50visibility (46%)1★★★★★21–22
2025–too few complaints to score15visibility (13%)1★★★★★21–22

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the government within 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average, lower is better. How it works

Subaru Ascent transmission problems by year →

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data