Used 2019 Subaru Ascent Consumer Reviews
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Transmission issues
Melissa, 01/19/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
90 of 91 people found this review helpful
We preordered our Ascent (3rd generation) Subaru owners for our expanding family. We maxed out of ‘16 Forester and needed a bigger family vehicle. We have ‘11 legacy that we love and have had no issues. The Ascent started making noises that we now realize is a skipping chain around 3000 miles. We brought it in once it continued and was annoying around 5700 for the oil change. Since then, the vehicle has been in 3 more times (2 times the dash lights came on and was stuck in low gear). Our dealership is working with us through the problems. They contacted Subaru of America and we’re getting a new transmission. Until then, we have a loaner Ascent for the next week or 2. I’m hopeful that this will resolve the problem.
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Love the car but not the transmission
New Ascent Owner, 01/23/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
183 of 187 people found this review helpful
I ordered my Ascent in July 2018 and took delivery of it in mid-September. I love the car. It is comfortable, handles well and is great for my family of 4 plus friends/cargo/dogs or whatever else we need to drive around. Around mid-November, I started to notice the car shuttering at low speed in city traffic and within a few weeks after that, the shutter would be followed by a screeching that sounded like a cat. This happens nearly every time I drive, because I do mostly city driving. I took the car to the dealership in December, and they could not recreate the shutter/sound, so I took the car back and kept driving. Last week (mid-January 2019), we took the car back, and after nearly a week, they finally heard the sound and felt the shutter. Before that, the service department thought I was crazy. I'm not sure why it took them so long to discover that the problem was real. I believe they were just running diagnostics on the car, and this problem did not pop up in those computer diagnostics. I don't think they ever looked under the hood or checked any of the systems manually to see what the problem might be. Then, They called yesterday to tell me that, upon inspection after feeling the shutter and hearing the screeching, the entire transmission needs to be replaced. So that's great. My new car excitement definitely has worn off. This is our 3rd Subaru (plus my parents have had 4 or 5 of them), and the first time we've had any sort of mechanical problem. I was deciding between the Volkswagen Atlas and this car when we purchased, and I opted for the Ascent because of our excellent Subaru experiences to date. I'm starting to regret that decision. I hope the new transmission fixes the problem and that this doesn't recur.
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2019 Subaru Ascent for sale near you
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- Limited 4dr SUV w/7-PassengerMSRP: $18,34596 mi away
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Lots of Highs, a Few Lows
Douglas, 08/27/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
343 of 354 people found this review helpful
We considered 8 different vehicles, and test-drove 5 before settling on the Ascent. What we love about it: Quiet, smooth ride. When test-driving the Atlas, Highlander and Pilot, I noticed considerable low-frequency noise on the highway. The Ascent is as very quiet...easy to have conversations with everyone in the car. Driver's seat thigh-support extends, making it more comfortable for tall drivers like me. No one at the dealership I bought the car from knew it extended either. The windows are very quiet when going up and down...not a big deal, but something I noticed and appreciate. The second row seats can move forward, allowing you more room in the back if you put the third-row down to handle more cargo. I've tried out the X-Mode feature, and it worked quite well, keeping my speed going down a hill without having to ride the brake or gas. The 19.6 gallon tank will get me over 450 miles between fill-ups on road trips. The quality of the interior materials is very good, including the hand-stitched leather on the dash and steering wheel. I can fit my golf clubs in side to side, so I don't need to put the third row down when going golfing. And with the Cargo Net in place, I can put two sets in and not worry about them falling out when I open the rear hatch. The acceleration is quite good with the Turbo. I have no problem passing people, even when they are doing 70 MPH up hill. The Adaptive Cruise Control is fantastic...I use it in town and on the highway. What may bug you: Their Starlink Entertainment system is a joke. Its slow, with limited functionality. Carplay won't work over Bluetooth, only through one of the USB ports up front. The touch screen can be temperamental. I drove a Jeep rental a few months back, and really appreciated the control knob just in front of the driver's right arm rest that allowed me to navigate the screen without having to reach for it and try and touch a small spot on it while driving. There is no USB port in the console storage compartment, which would be great for simply charging something that you don't need access to. There are no front parking sensors!! This surprised the hell out of me. So, I back in as much as possible. The memory buttons only store the seat positions. I'm more than a foot taller than my wife, and I swore that the next car we got would have memory steering wheel and mirrors too... But I gave them up for this vehicle anyway. The Lane Assist doesn't function when the wipers are on high speed, because the Eye-site camera's are apparently confused by their movement. I would have thought this was something they would have anticipated and made corrections for. Cross-bars for the roof rack are additional, making the roof-rack pretty much useless unless you buy them.
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Lemon law candidate
Debbie , 07/16/2019
updated 01/21/2020
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
40 of 40 people found this review helpful
The car still has brake issues that the dealership will not address. This has been going on since I bought the car. Radio was fixed with recall. If I don’t hold the ignition button in long enough, the car won’t start, all the lights go in and I have to let the car sit at least 4 hours. This has happened 4 times now. The dealership says this is common. I think it’s nuts. The comfort of the car is great, I invested in snow tires and can go through any snow storm with ease. I still feel my car is a lemon. I spent $45,000 on a car that has never worked right and after owning it for a year and a half it still has the same issues. I won’t buy another ascent.
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Subaru overlooks the obvious
Grant, 07/12/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
226 of 234 people found this review helpful
We purchased the Subaru Ascent Touring. We’ve owned several Subaru Outbacks and have been happy with them. Though we looked in detail at competitive products prior to our purchase, the Ascent offered better safety, true AWD and value with a few exceptions. It seems Subaru Corp claims the Touring trim is fully equipped but coming from the Outback model you’ll be charged dearly for all weather floor mats, seat back protectors (you’ll need these as the material Subaru uses on the back of their seats is beyond cheap), cross bar set for the roof rack (came with the Outback) etc. I get profit, I get even the Outback had many of these as options, but it seems like Subaru has forgotten or doesn’t care about its base of loyal customers as many of those items came with the Outback. The old saying, “the devil is in the details” applies here. A few other issues for the price of the Touring Ascent trim the power passenger front seat is limited in settings. Not sure why. These issues weren’t enough to stop us from purchasing as the ride, handling and power from Subaru’s new turbo engine is outstanding. Once you drive it you’ll be hooked. Comfort and elbow room a plenty. The dash and electronics are intuitive and work extremely well. The radio is a bit odd doesn’t turn off? The third row is large enough for a short term ride for adults. It’s great for kids to teenage years. Lots of cup holders and power ports. Love the rear air con vents in headliner! We do agree with previous reviews the sun roof headliner cover is a joke. It’s awful!! Very poor design coming from Subaru. Its dangerous to drivers concentration with windows down! We didn’t notice this until after we purchased. So far we are happy with the Ascent with the exception of the horrible sun roof headliner cover. MPGs are good a bit better than expected.
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Very disappointing vehicle
Mel K, 03/16/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
167 of 173 people found this review helpful
We had 3 Outbacks prior to purchasing the Ascent. Before ordering we did the usual test drive but, unfortunately, not long enough to realize the issues with steering and CVT stutter. We picked up our Ascent and proceeded to do 2 road trips totalling 6,000 in 3 months. During that time it became clear that there is an issue with many reporting the same thing: stuttering CVT transmissions and no road feel. Your driving along at highway speed and you feel this random lurch. The other issue that became apparent is the lack of road feel due to the electronic steering. Tried turning off lane keeping assist which helped slightly however the steering would suddenly feel as though it was driving itself with the wheels moving independently of my control. I took it to 2 different dealers during our trips and our local dealer when we got home because the steering issue was getting worse. Each time got the usual "everything checks out, its within specs". I hesitated before buying the first generation of the Ascent. I reasoned that Subaru has always been such a great vehicle. Having bought a 2015 Outback Ltd which was the first model to have eyesight, lane keeping, blind spot technology. Because I never had one problem with it I figured I'd be safe. This will be a great model eventually but Subaru needs to pay attention to what the dealers and blogs are reporting. I was not the first Ascent owner to report steering or CVT issues based on my conversations with the repair people. The upshot is that I traded it in for a 2019 Outback touring. I miss the room of the Ascent but not the gas mileage, steering or stuttering CVT. An aside: why can't they make the passenger seat on the more expense models fully adjustable like the driver's seat.
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Transmission problems
Ab W, 04/06/2019
updated 04/12/2022
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
76 of 78 people found this review helpful
I really, really want to love this car, but, honestly, right now I don't. I have never bought a brand new car, but I decided to do so after I had been rear ended last year and needed a new car. Shopped around and almost bought an Acura MDX (hindsight I should have!). I wanted something very safe and very reliable that would last me many years like my Honda Pilot had, and still is (155,00 miles and not a lick of trouble!). Picked up my Ascent in September after I had ordered it in July. While driving I would notice that it shifted funny and that the RPM's would go really high going up hills sometimes. I figured it was how it was supposed to be and never gave it much thought until one day it started shifting gears back and fourth driving at the same speed on level road. Took it for an oil change and told them about it and, yeah, it needed a new transmission. It also had to have the passengers side seatbelt replaced because it wouldn't release after you buckled up. Then the entertainment center would go daffy when you'd try and make a call and radio would come on full blast when you were calling someone. So, they ordered a new transmission and new passenger side seatbelt and fixed everything which took 3 weeks. After having the car back for a month or so, and putting about 1000 miles on it, I'm now having transmission problems AGAIN! Seriously?? And, the seat belt does the same thing; not all the time, but it still does it. So, I just called service again and I am now waiting to hear back from them. Honestly, I don't ever think I'll buy another Subaru in my lifetime. I should have known better and just stayed with Honda. On a positive, I will say that the car is comfortable, has a nice ride and nice features, too. Sometimes the eye sight can be finicky, but it works. Other than that, Subaru has let me down and really disappointed me. UPDATE 4/8/2021 So, after contacting Subaru of America (in the Fall of 2019) and telling them what was going on with my 2019 Ascent they decided to replace it with a new car (obviously, at this point, it was falling under the lemon law), and I picked up my new Ascent in January of 2020. So, fast forward 15 months and I'm happy to report that I've not had any problems with the 2020 Ascent; well, once in awhile the radio will go daffy, but I do believe that they have an update that I need to do, so I can't be too mad about that. Subaru stepped up to the plate for me and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The new 2020 limited (both were limited) that I have runs great, is comfortable and handles very well. I'm hoping to get many years out of this Ascent. UPDATE 10/7/2020 After all of theproblems with my 2019 Ascent, I ended up calling corporate and complained to them and asked them what they could do to help me out. Long story short, they ended up replacing my 2019 Ascent with a new 2020 Ascent. The transition went very smoothly and I'm hear to report that I haven't had any issues with the 2020 (well - other than an a critter who decided to chew my transmission line and it had to be replaced, which was no fault of Subaru). Subaru (corporate) was easy to deal with and I'm happy with my new Ascent. Before I agreed to take the new Ascent I looked at lots of SUV's (Ford, Volvo, Acura, Kia, Hyundai, etc) and for the what Subaru offers in the Ascent you can't beat the price, or, more importantly, the safety. If all goes well for the next several years, I will definitely look to Subaru for a replacement. Also, I want to give Budd Baer in Washington PA a huge shout out because they are absolutely wonderful to work with, and I will never go to any other Subaru dealer other than them!! UPDATE 4-9-22 Ok, so I see my updates are out of order, but it's hard to see when you only have a small space to type in, lol! Hint, hint Edmunds make the space bigger so I can see what I've typed! I've now had my 2020 Subaru Ascent for a little over 2 years now and I'm still very happy with it. I now have about 25,500 miles on it and really haven't had any problems. Yes, the radio sometimes still goes daffy (blaring when I unplug my phone or sometimes change from maps to radio), but, honestly, with all the computer things in cars nowadays, that's not too bad to have go wrong; better that than something with the engine! Again, Budd Baer (along with my warranty) stepped up to the plate when I had it in for an oil change and tire rotation in June of 2021 and they noticed the tires were wearing funny and two of them were very bad on the inside. They told me it was out of alignment. I told them I never noticed it because it didn't pull or anything. Long story short, they replaced the tires for free!! They told me that replaced them because they couldn't prove it didn't come from the manufacture like that. Wow, really? How many dealerships are going to do that for a customer? Not very many that I know of. Honestly, I didn't expect that at all. I was very appreciative, surprised and thankful, too. Will I replace my Ascent down the road with another Ascent? Yes, I will at some point, as long as they don't go to an electric car. ;-)
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Lost the "Trust" in the Vehicle
Dean Cotlow, 04/06/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
73 of 75 people found this review helpful
Just over 5,000 miles and we are experiencing transmission troubles. Dealer has had the vehicle two times and the last time a full week with only response "everything is OK". The problem I have with that answer is they know they are having issues with the transmissions and will not acknowledge. No satisfactory results therefore if the transmission rumbles, jerks and/or slips the car is gone and no more Subaru's for me. Lost the love and trust.
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Nice idea but don’t buy too soon - transmission
Amy C, 12/31/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
133 of 138 people found this review helpful
Within 1,500 miles we had the transmission jump and the RAB light, no eyesight, check engine, check transmission, check at oil temp, check owner’s manual errors. The dealer said nothing was wrong, that it was an error and nothing is out of spec. I don’t feel safe driving this car waiting for the transmission to have another unexplained issue. Otherwise great features, but we definitely shouldn’t have bought a new model. Subaru and the dealer said they can’t do anything to help unfortunately, so we have to wait until lemon law or a recall happens.
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Not Ready For Prime Time
No more Subies, 03/06/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
179 of 187 people found this review helpful
I waited a long time for the Ascent to arrive. It is my 3 Subaru, I’ve been driving Subaru’s for 20 years. Although the car is pricey, it’s price seems to be competitive with other SUV’s. But I bought it because it was a Subaru. In the first week I noticed the transmission didn’t seem to select the right range whenever climbing a hill. The longer the hill the worse the car would rev without a corresponding increase in application of torque. I ignored it at first, but it quickly became irritating. So much so that I bought the car in early for a oil change and mentioned it to the dealership. They said they couldn’t replicate the problem. I took a tech for a road test and replicated the problem in less than 1/4 mile. Within a week that transmission had a catastrophic failure and my new cat spent the next 3 weeks waiting for a new transmission. Now 3000 miles after replacing the first transmission, the car is doing the exact same thing. Again they said they couldn’t replicate it, again I took a tech for a drive and replicated the problem immediately. Then they said I would take a ride along with a Subaru Engineer. The day I was supposed to do that the Engineer wasn’t there, instead I took the same tech for a ride with a laptop data logging the cars actions. Now Subaru has returned my car to me stating the Engineer test drove my car and it is “within design parameters”. So they won’t fix anything or acknowledge there is a problem. Just FYI the replacement cost of the first CVT was over $9000. Now I have a car that I pay a lot of money for that I wouldn’t trust to drive my family to Grandma’s house in.
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CVT transmission failure
Chris, 12/01/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
213 of 223 people found this review helpful
As a follow up to my prior review the car is getting a new transmission. We have been told that there are 30 transmissions coming from Japan. Estimated arrival is not until at least December 22nd and it is estimated to take at least a week to install the new transmission. Car has been out of service for three weeks. Car has 5,000 miles on it. Unless Subaru has addressed the issue with the slipping CVT chain, installing a new transmission is a band-aid approach and risks having the transmission fail again at 10,000 miles.
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Transmission Issues
Alexa, 12/09/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
140 of 148 people found this review helpful
We have had the vehicle for 2 months and have had I serviced for the transmission twice already. On several occasions when turning on the vehicle, there is the RAB light, no eyesight, check engine, check transmission, check at oil temp, check owner’s manual. On the first visit, we received the vehicle within 2 days and they said they could not locate the issue and they believed it was a bug. On the second occasion, they kept my vehicle for 2 weeks stating the part needed to be replaced was the “bell-body” and the part was back ordered. We have since received the vehicle back and within one week we have had a reoccurrence of the issue THREE times. I now have to take the car back in for a third time in 2 months.
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Ignition and Lights issue
snig, 11/30/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
74 of 78 people found this review helpful
The ignition has been cranking up like an old car. It happened twice for now. The second time it happened the engine did not start and it showed check engine light. The service said they cant replicate the problem so they had to do nothing. Is this happening to anyone else with the new ascent? The headlights are staying on for the whole time of the ride. The setting is in auto. I tried to change the settings but its the same. Before this happened I witnessed a "malfunction" kind of situation. Like the headlights turning on and off several times in just a few minutes. (Even though I was driving I witnessed it because the console lights have also changed its intensity. - the console lights are less intense when the lights are on and vice-versa). In the picture you can see the sun is opposite the car (shadow) and yet the lights are turned on! This is really annoying facing problems with the brand new car.
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Subaru has some work to do - transmission is junk
N. Smith, 06/12/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
I have to say that I am very disappointed with this car. I purchased a Subaru for its safety, reliability and known to "last a LONG time". I'll give them credit for the roominess and power but that CVT transmission sucks! It's currently in the shop being looked at for the 2nd time. The transmission didn't seem to know how to react to hills. It would shift down really low when it wasn't necessary, but the time it would get to the top of a hill the RPM would be on 3-3.5 and made the car sound like it was going to blow up or something. The first time it tore up I just started it up and all the dash lights were lighting up like a Christmas tree and beeping like crazy. Got it towed in, the tech found that the wiring harness that goes from the engine to the transmission connector had been broken during assembly so they replaced the whole harness. 2 days after getting it home, it done the same exact thing again! So now they're saying they don't know what's going on with it but they will keep working on it. I'm seriously thinking about trading it in for something more reliable. Brand new car shouldn't be giving this much trouble and it just hit 11,000 miles. Would be great if Subaru had a comparable vehicle with the Ascent! Until things get figured out, I will be driving a loner car 😞.
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Picked up in Oct 2018 and having issues already
Laura C., 01/25/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
80 of 85 people found this review helpful
I am a Lexus RX owner and albeit I had issues with Lexus never when the car was just out of the dealer as I had with this Ascent. I was weary of buying a first model car, but I thought it was Subaru how bad can it be. Mind you I received the car in Oct 2018 and I had it parked in the garage for almost two months as we were out of the country often so the car was stored. However, just a couple of weeks ago on our return we started to use our new almost $50,000 vehicle. We noticed the freeze alert was coming on. Ok we looked up the reason and read it was triggered by outside temperature well it dropped below 37F. Mind you the roads were dry and no precipitation. We were now on the highway, within the speed limit and the car started jerking and the wheel locking. I looked over at my husband and he asked what was that. We continued to drive no reducing speed changing lanes and this continued. At this point in time this became a clear safety issue and decided to turn back and return home, with caution, to park the car and call the dealer to take it in. Car went into the shop 16 Jan 2019 and crickets. They have no idea what is going on, the service told me their mechanics have not yet been trained on the Ascent all they know is the number of USBs and that they downloaded all the computer information and sent it to Subaru for analysis. So now I wait while my $50,000 lemon sits in the dealers service. I have looked into the NYS Lemon Law for new vehicles and will be filing a complaint with Subarau of America and also the NHTSA. I have read some similar postings on this forum and unfortunately I think some of us ended up with costly lemons. TBC.
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Problems right out of the Lot
James1234, 04/06/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
90 of 96 people found this review helpful
Waited a year to buy this vehicle. I was debating between the Subaru Ascent and Honda Pilot, and I chose the former because of how it drove and the 3rd row space. Right out of the Lot I drove to my brothers house to show him the vehicle. I pull up and he tells me he hears a little squeak from the brakes. I figure the car just needs to be driven a little bit more and broken in. After a week I had driven 500 miles and the squeak was significantly louder. I was also experiencing a drag on the vehicle. When I took my foot off the accelerator the car felt like it immediately had drag. So I checked the average mpg and it was 15mpg! I drive like a senior citizen so this was a shock because the advertisement said the vehicle does 26/highway and 22/city. I even took the car on a trip for 250miles all highway on cruise control at 75 miles per hour and the car only averaged 21.9mpg. I called my Subaru service and they told me to bring the vehicle in and they kept it for a day and a half. When they got back to me they said there’s nothing wrong with the car. I asked about the mpg and they said I have to let it break in a little bit more. I’ve also been using all premium gas just in case it was the problem. Now the car has 1800 miles and I’m averaging 18mpg city and the squeaky brakes are still there. I also used the xmode for the first time yesterday and that’s kind of funky as well. The car has clicking noises when trying to go downhill with the mode on and I can’t seem to get the car moving. Gotta set another damn car appointment! It’s a brand new car that I’ve finally spent money on to get the works like leather seats, moonroof and a nice trim and this is my luck.
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Transmission needs replacement at 5500 mls. Update
Unhappy on the Coast, 07/16/2019
updated 07/19/2021
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
18 of 18 people found this review helpful
Like others, we bought a new 2019 Ascent in the fall. Had a great 6 months with the car. Then, the engine started to squeal. Though complaints are all over the web, subaru corporate apparently denies to the dealers' service teams any information, so they couldn't replicate the issue and put us back on the ro ad. A few days later, the car died at highway speed, and now needs an entirely new transmission. Subaru needs to get its QA in hand, and quickly Update: years later, more problems. Fuel pump replaced. Drivers window mechanism broken. .
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Do Not Buy The ASCENT!!!!!
A.P., 05/01/2019
updated 11/04/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
64 of 68 people found this review helpful
I have now owned the nascent for 52 weeks. It has had to go back to the dealer 25 times. Which means on average I have to take it in every other week. This is the worst vehicle I’ve ever owned. Please save yourselves the trouble and get something else.
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Impressive test drive
Fergie, 06/15/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
133 of 143 people found this review helpful
As the mother of five, I attempted to down grade to a sedan last year. I realize now that I’m not able to downsize yet, & need a three row AWD SUV with fuel efficiency to haul me & my tall children. After doing my research I narrowed it down to the Ascent & Atlas. After test driving the Ascent today I think am sold. Acceleration & steering was responsive & enjoyable. The height of the vehicle was nice without feeling like I was driving a truck. My 5’11” daughter & I assessed the second & third rows as well. The headroom in the third row was tight; in six foot & my head touched the ceiling in the third row. Second row was ample. The legroom in the third row was fine with adjustments to the second row’s position. Reclining the second row was a nice surprise. Although I wouldn’t recommend it with any tall occupants in the third row, it was really comfortable, nice looking out the panoramic moon roof. I was very comfortable in the driver’s seat, and really liked the seat extension for my long legs. I felt the dash & dials were well placed. I really liked the local speed limits posted on the center dash next to the actual speed. It seems as if Subaru really paid attention to detail, right down to the double USB Ports for each row of seating. I’m going to return to test drive again & place my order. Kudos Subaru for creating a family cruiser that pleases everyone in it.
Subaru Ascent still climbing to the summit
Paul, 07/11/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
97 of 104 people found this review helpful
Own the 2019 Subaru Ascent Touring, blue in color, for about a week now. Pre-ordered and after a 90 mile test drive upon arrival, did the paperwork. Overall the Ascent is an excellent re-do of the Tribeca to be market competitive and a class leader NOT a redo for the Subaru loyal. This is good and bad. First the head scratchers: no struts to hold up the hood-this is a big hood to the engine compartment. Is this a weight issue or just cheap? Back of the leather seats you can see zippers! Uh? For a car this expensive JC Whitney sells better seat-covers than this. Subaru markets the Ascent with the Barkley family (dogs). But if you fold down the third seat no dog cover to protect the very cheap back cover of the seats. Dog claws we’ll tear this up. Oh, and forget about folding down the captains chairs. They are uneven in addition to the cheap covering on the backs. Subaru provides a panoramic sun roof! Don’t open your windows if you keep the sun roof closed. The air coming through the windows will cause the sun- protection covering on the sun roof to buffet/flap and scare the poo-poo out of you. In fact it’s so loud you can’t talk and with such a poor design the cover will rip off overtime. The engineer who designed this should be let go. There are likely reasons why this was done but it’s cheap, very cheap. If your tall you’ll be very pleased the drivers seat as it provides you leg room and many adjustments. However, you’ll be upset that the telescoping wheel doesn’t extend far enough. It’s about two inches shy of comfort. Love the driver power adjustable seat but if you’re a front passenger the power seat is limited in adjustment. Subaru in all their models and trim levels forgets about the front passenger. Come on Subaru - think! As a family hauler, this is a major mistake for Subaru to make. Make sure you can live with this. All of the above we decided we could live with. Overtime my opinion may change. The vehicle itself drives beautifully. Very quite. Luxury competitive. Concerned about power? Don’t be. Plenty of torque pull this big Subie up the mountains with power at highway speeds. Mileage as advertised on regular fuel. We compared this Ascent to Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Ford, Mazda, etc. and feature for feature and Subaru AWD record for safety —the Subaru even with the flaws above won out. Third row will manage a young teenager for medium length drives. But a bit short on head room. As mentioned overall an excellent vehicle especially compared to other makes. But if you’ve owned many Subaru’s as I have, you’ll pay to accessorize your Subie Ascent for adventures in soft roading before you can “just go”.
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Potential buyers Edmunds review is spot on - read
Radman8, 07/11/2019
updated 07/12/2021
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
The Edmunds review and ratings in the numerous categories are very accurate. Read them carefully before you buy. The CVT is terrible. Can shift hard, hesitate, and whine. The cabin noise from road bumps is terrible. If you test drive one take it on a bumpy patched road if possible. Engine noise especially during acceleration can be loud.Subaru brags about the 19 cup holders but the two in the front console are very limited in what size cup they can hold. Front seat is uncomfortable. Make sure you really test it. If do an outdoor activity that requires you to leave a door or the rare hatch open forget this car. Numerous reports of people having the battery drain when the hatch is left open because it keeps things such as the computer system on w no way of shutting it off. Try it look at the dash w car off and hatch open. You will see the system is still on. This car does have great technology, room, and some other nice features. Just really test it before you buy it.
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Very Disappointed!
DisAscO, 09/20/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
We were very excited top purchase a New Ascent for reliability & safety. Less then 5,000 miles, when driving at moderate speeds & at highway speeds we've repeatedly heard a brief screeching noise coupled with a vehicle pause & then lunge forward. The Transmission is flawed! Back to dealer & we were unable to reproduce the problem; the dealer service checked & performed a programming software upgrade they said may solve the problem. It did not & we're experiencing the same Transmission issue. Also our driving is not challenging for a vehicle; no fast starts & stops, and although we have the tow package we have towed nothing to date. No acknowledgement from dealer that the Ascent has reported Transmission issues, however we've heard from other owners whose dealer has clearly agreed that there is an issue. All else really doesn't matter much if the transmission is flawed and IT IS. Do NOT purchase an Ascent until Subaru has corrected the Transmission problems. We had another problem that the dealer addressed; but things aren't going to be perfect & that's fine, but a flawed transmission is unacceptable.
OK, not great
BlueGreen, 03/29/2019
updated 04/17/2020
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
48 of 51 people found this review helpful
I really wanted to like this car. It has decent features, it roomy, and looks anonymous but attractive at the same time. Like many SUV's in this segment, it offers a lot of safety and features for the price, and is like a Honda in that it doesn't appear to be large on the outside, but it's really roomy on the inside. Three 10 year olds fit comfortably in the third row. It has decent power, it handles acceptably well, and is quiet when traveling at a steady rate of speed ( but is noisy under any type of acceleration), and besides the terrible MPG, it is a great highway cruiser. Around town, the CVT is fine, you wouldn't notice the difference from a geared transmission. Lane keep and adaptive cruise work well. Front seats are hard, but that's fine for me, and on the Touring at least, there is a thigh extender to make the seat more comfortable. Materials are good, not great quality, the feeling is more durable than lux in my opinion. Visibility and low speed maneuverability are excellent. Instrumentation and controls are functional, but not fancy or attractive in their layout, but most things are easy to access/figure out. The things that are not so great- gas mileage, still only at 16.7 mpg at 3000 mostly easy miles, although we did once get 23mpg on a highway trip traveling slightly downhill at 67mph with the CC on). At idle, the engine is buzzier and more coarse than some diesels I have been in. Engine is loud under anything more than moderate acceleration. CVT gets flummoxed under medium to hard acceleration. When cold, the CVT tends to buck at low speeds until the car warms up ( this is apparently a common issue). The high end HK stereo sounds like an AM radio with most music (not all, but most). Controls have a plasticky feel to them ( although the layout of controls, as mentioned above, is generally very good) . Seat coolers are loud. Had an exterior trim piece work loose at 1200 miles!! The front suspension sounds like it's going to break when going over moderate to severe bumps (but the impacts are well dampened). There is no retained power for moonroof or windows when you turn the car off, and the sunroof only closes to tilt when you try to close it, you have to hit the button a second time to shut it completely. We, at the last minute, chose the Ascent over several competitors we liked slightly better, thinking it was the practical choice/compromise (vs the Atlas- cheap interior and reliability, CX9- smaller but gorgeous interior and fantastic handling, Traverse- nice but AWD is no longer automatic, and handling issues), and because we got a loaded Touring with tons of extras for $41.5k, but if we had to do it over, we'd go with the Mazda ( we are considering taking the hit and trading for one). We are not becoming part of the cult of Subaru, at least not with this purchase. Update 15 Apr 2020, 16 months and 12000 Mi...... We all still pretty much feel the same way about the car. The good news is that for the past 4 months I haven't had any major problems with the car, which is the longest stretch I've ever gone. But of course we have three cars, and I haven't used the Ascent in a month given the stay-at-home recommendations due -to cv-19. The mileage crept up to about 18 MPG overall at one point, but has dropped back down to mid-low 17's, and that is with a very light foot. I did get a Best highway mileage of over 25 round trip once after a transmission recall update was performed, but since dropped back to low 20s on the highway. We actually bought a high performance European SUV to drive for fun when we don't need the three rows of the Ascent, because it was just such a bore to drive, and oddly enough it gets considerably better mileage than the Ascent, despite the fact we get on that one when we drive it. Now, with competitors like the telluride, palisade, and some recently updated models, you would do well to test all the options. There's nothing really wrong with the car itself, we just had a whole bunch of issues with ours, the mileage was and is subpar, and it just isn't fun to drive, but it is comfortable. Even after the update, it still seems like the engine and cvt don't communicate well with each other. Ride and handling is fine for loping around town and highway, and even having come from a turbo V8 SUV, the ascent has plenty of power even with four or five passengers. Even with a two-hour extended test drive before we purchased it, these are things you won't know until you had the car longer than that. I still have a hard time recommending the car to anybody but the most die-hard Subaru loyalist. We usually keep our cars 4 or 5 yrs. Depending on what kind of deals we can get once these stay-at-home recommendations are over, we may look to replace the Ascent much sooner than that.
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Troubled future for the ascent
Travis, 03/07/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
37 of 39 people found this review helpful
The SUV runs great and has the power but lacks safety from my personal experience. I purchased my car in August of 2018 and have been to the dealer services 6 times for safety issues. I have had the rear hatch come open while driving on the interstate, the differential fluid go bad after 2500 miles on a brand new car and the front axel locked up while I was driving. The dealerships lack the knowledge to work on the car and want you to pay for most of the issues when the car is covered under there extend warranty. I’ve went back for the same issues multiple times but the issues are still present. The dealers always try to take short cuts when conducting services.
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This sucks
Amy , 10/17/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
This is our first Subaru purchase and my biggest regret is we didn't purchase a Honda. The vehicle started having transmission problems after a few months. I took it in twice-only to be turned away with the dealership saying nothing was wrong. I finally recorded it and told them I didn't want the vehicle back until it was fixed. So they did. Finally admitting there was a problem with the transmission and replaced it. Well, here we are a month later and the new transmission is having problems and I have an appointment to take it in. Purchasing a brand new vehicle for over $40k-there should be no issues! This sucks and I want a refund so I can go purchase another Honda!!!
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Avoid Subaru Ascent.. Not worth any penny.
Joons, 06/10/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
26 of 27 people found this review helpful
I gave options including GLS 450, Volvo, Audi Q7 and BMW X5 to my wife for birth day give , My wife refused all of them, and wanted to try Subaru since it seemed most reliable and practical for our camping need. We purchased it on Oct 16 of 2018 and now we put just over 5k miles. Crappy TRANSMISSION started acting up with squealing noise and poor gear engagement in free way speed when pushing acceleration pedal. Dealer said we already have 6 ASCENT fixed and service staff said I am not the only one after watched my video I took as evidence. Now They refused to fix it since they can not duplicate the symptoms. Holy crap.. I felt it in my every ride after 5k. Evern Subaru of America stands that there is nothing they can do unless it is replicating during test drive. My first Subaru and will be the Last Subaru. as soon as transmission is fixed, it will be gone out of my garage. BE AWARE Subaru Ambassador, not sure if they are fully volunteering, try to defend this issues stating that only few number of ascent drivers experience this issues. Never listen those biased opinions since it is not objective to deal with issues we are experiencing. Good luck Subaru praisers.. you will regret sooner or later
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CVT transmission failure
Chris, 11/03/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
121 of 132 people found this review helpful
CVT transmission failed at a stoplight. Dealer does not know what caused the problem and since they can't reproduce the issue, they basically told us to cross our fingers and pray to the Subaru gods that it doesn't happen again, like when we are on vacation or in the middle of a snowstorm in January. The issue happened at a stoplight. The dashboard lit up and my wife had to gun the engine just to get the car to creep along to get it into a parking lot. Clearly an issue with the CVT (likely a slipping chain) that Subaru refuses to recognize. We have been talking to Subaru corporate and their position is that if the dealer cannot reproduce the problem, there is nothing they can do. I asked what if this happens 10 more times, then what? The answer was if the dealer can't reproduce it, there is nothing they can do. The dealer checked the CVT fluid level and the connections on the transmission and that's it. Didn't even replace the CVT fluid. Dealer now says they were following instructions from the regional engineer. They gave us a print out of the trouble codes and it goes on for 4 pages, including startability malfunction, pre-ignition detected, transmission control system (MIL request), incorrect gear ratio, ECM, AT, and multiple codes for the Eyesight system and combination meter (along with XM/satellite digital audio radio service antenna faults). Car has 5,000 miles on it. Avoid this car.
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Gas mileage unexpectedly low
Kate, 11/16/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
32 of 34 people found this review helpful
The gas consumption is less than expected. I have been driving a Nissan with great mieage. I was willing to accept 18-20 in the city. Im not a fast start speedy driver and Im only getting 15 mile per gallon. I have not had a lot of freeway yet but perhaps that will impress.
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Finally an owner!
joe, 07/20/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
39 of 42 people found this review helpful
Picked up my new ascent and have only driven about 800 miles so far but it’s been a dream. So many safety features for the price and the ability to get 7 or 8 seats without up charge was big truly I was all set on the new Honda Pilot seeing how the touring level has options for captains chair this year (of course an up charge)I’m sure I paid a little over by getting the ascent so new to market but even with paying a premium it was thousands less than the Pilot the highlander was also nice just a little to small for what I needed the ascent has more than enough room for my family of 5 and all our stuff obviously I can’t comment on reliability yet but I did buy the extended warranty since it is the first run for this car and I have come to find out every car has issues so it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you are worried about the 4 cylinder engine don’t be go test drive it you will be as amazed as I was great pickup and low end toque for a crossover and I have driven everyone of them prior to getting the ascent and owned both an explorer and a pilot of earlier models if you look at the numbers it puts out V6 type production very pleased with how it drives so far The only thing I would have done differently is waited a bit longer till more were on the market so I could have had more negotiating power but everyone’s situation is different timing is everything. If your in the market I would definitely give it a drive before signing on anything.
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2019 Ascent disappoints!
Marco Polo , 10/11/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
After looking forward to purchasing our 7th Subaru in 7 years a 2019 Touring Ascent. It's been a nightmare with the transmission! Not happy with Subaru. Dealership has had the vehicle over 2 weeks. We are still waiting for a transmission!!! Not happy with Subaru. we should have gotten a Volvo xc90.
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After the bugs are fixed it is an average SUV
Will, 12/07/2018
updated 06/09/2021
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
86 of 96 people found this review helpful
I will be honest and say I was afraid after I purchased my Ascent. Within a few months I had to have the transmission replaced but once that was done it has been a great vehicle for me. Good power and very comfortable ride. After 2 years of ownership I will not buy another Ascent. Transmission problems galore and poor gas mileage
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Needs better transmission
Milan, 04/17/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
After owning the car for six months and driving close to 3,000 miles, generally I can say I am happy with the Ascent. It's roomy, comfortable, rides great on the highway, has plenty of power, full of technology and ,what's most important for me, has an abundance of safety applications. However, there are a couple of downsides. The biggest complaint I have is its CVT transmission. It's not smooth at low speeds, below 35 mph or so (and most of my drive is in the city at 20-30 mph). The ride is jerky, and what bothers me the most is the upshifting: you start from stop, and it immediately upshifts to 2nd or 3rd, and you suddenly loose all power (unless you really step on the accelerator). Looks like it's programmed to keep the RPM at around 1,500 to be optimal, which is not always the best option in city driving. One thing I'm using is the paddle shifter, it actually works even when you're in the Drive mode for a quick shift. Often I opt to use the Manual mode and I have much more control over it's power and shifting. But for some reason it seems that the noise coming from the engine/transmission is louder than in D mode, even at the same RPMs. I think that Subaru had to tweak the CVT to match the engine power and the size of the car, but looks like they didn't finish the job completely. I had a Forester with a CVT transmission, and it was super smooth all the time. The other thing is the fuel consumption. In city driving I barely get to 15 mpg, even though its rated at 21. It performs much better on the highway, and that's where this car really shines. It's very smooth at higher speeds, no transmission problems, and the ride is comfortable. The only thing is the noise at high speeds, but I still don't think this to be a problem. Even though you can customize a lot of settings, I could never make the setting that unlocks all doors with just one press of the button work. Not a big deal, but for a $40k car you should expect things like this to be worked out. Overall I would rate the Ascent at 7.5/10.
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We love it!
Ry, 02/13/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
We made the switch from our 2017 3.6R legacy which we had a hate and love relationship with that car. We enjoyed the speed and acceleration but the overall drive on the highway was garbage. The Driver and Passengers seats are horrendous to the point where realized we needed an upgrade.With that said onto the Ascent. We purchased the Limited with the KCC-23 package Moonroof/Navi etc. The driver and passenger seating is SO much better than our limited 3.6r . There is plenty of room for our 2 kids and our dog. I'm 5'9 and I can sit in the 3rd row with plenty of room. The navigation/entertainment system is great. Though, laggy at times but this is to expected with a new system. We love Android Auto its nice and intuitive. One thing I would speak to is some of the reviews about the cars "crash avoidance" system. I highly recomend that you read the manual. Some of the post talk about the car "taking control" and applying the breaks etc. First off if you have all the systems on and don't know how to use them then don't blame a car for doing whats its programmed to do...99% of the time it's user error. With that said we did experience an odd glitch with the RAB coming on after android auto crashed. I pulled over and restarted the car and haven't had the glitch since. My thoughts around this is that the system must shut do a hard reset and the RAB and other systems are tied into the just one HD for security reason. I'm hoping an update will fix this. The car in the snow is great which is nothing new for Subaru. The X-mode is nice and we put it to use on the first day we drove to work we received 12 inches of icy snow here in the NorthEast. So far we can't find any complaints with this car. As time goes on I will update the review but I will leave the review with this. We test drove every single car within the segment. e.g. Highlander/Pilot/CX-9/Durango and I will say though the Subi doesn't have the "power" of the Durango or the look of the CX-9 it is a far superior car in many ways.
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Transmission Trouble Ruins Car experience
Nicole, 10/08/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I wanted to love this car so much. There are so many good things to say about the comfort, some good bells and whistles. But ultimately, if a car isnt safe and able to be driven consistently nothing else should matter. Im going on my third week with a car at the dealer needing a new transmission. We noticed a shuddering while driving in the car on the freeway and took it in to get checked out and found out the entire transmission needed be replaced. The car is 9 months old and has 10,000 miles on it. it was leased brand new off the lot. To add insult to injury, apparently so many ascents are having this problem that the transmissions are backordered and there is currently no ETA for the repair. When we brought our car in there were 7 other Ascents at our dealership alone awaiting the repair. Luckily we're just in a lease. After this, I cant wait to hand them back the keys and take my business elsewhere. Not only is this incredibly inconvenient, but this is a family car and the biggest reason for us purchasing this car was to keep our small children safe -- which they definitely are not with a transmission that starts to fail out of nowhere on the freeway.
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Mechanical issues!
Noelle, 09/25/2019
updated 09/29/2023
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
I bought the Subaru Ascent brand new in January after driving it and reading great reviews. It was my first time getting a Subaru but had heard nothing but good things so I took a chance. Well 7 month in and electrical malfunction they say is triggered by my insurance sensor. This morning squeaking sputtering and took to shop. They are having to replace the TRANSMISSION and I’ve only had the car 7months. I was very happy with the car until I have had these issues. Having to take time off work for repairs on your brand new car is extremely frustrating to say the least! Updated review: My new 2019 ascent had to have the transmission worked on, electrical issues, fuel pump replaced, then transmission replaced all by 40k miles. After talking with Subaru they made it right with me. Transferred me into the 2020 subaru ascent for a good deal. I was assured all the issues were fixed. Well same situation. My car started skipping when I drove it. Took it in and had to have the transmission worked on. Same problem happened so they had to replace the transmission completely. Had to have a window motor replaced. After getting my car back (which btw took 2 months of me in a rental due to parts delayed). I get a recall notice. Spent 6 months calling till they finally had a solution. Had to have my car back in the shop. Have had to replace the window seal on the drivers side. Had the covering to my fog light just fall off so they replaced that as well. I have been extremely disappointed in the quality of car subaru made with the ascent. My advice to all is DO NOT BUY a subaru ascent. It has cost me sooo much time and effort going back and forth to the dealership, rental cars, hours on hold with service department and I'm just now at 50k miles. 2 different brand new ascents and the same problems. Ironically I bought subaru because of the safety ratings and I wanted the best since having a new baby. I will never buy subaru again. Updated Review: Still give it a 1 star and will never buy Subaru again. They swapped me into the 2020 Subaru Ascent and I was hopeful to not have any issues with the new car. Well I have had many issues. First was my window would not go up and that had to be repaired. Then I had the transmission repaired and replaced. Have had 3 or 4 recalls that I've had to take it back into the shop for a few times. This all happed over 70k miles.
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I hate my Subaru Ascent
Nicole P., 05/02/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
28 of 31 people found this review helpful
The CVT is terrible. It has been in and out of the shop for months now. I tried to sell it back to the dealership. They offered me $24,000. I bought it 4 months ago for $45,000.... I have never regretted a vehicle purchase more in my life.
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2 Year update
R Fleishmann, 08/07/2018
updated 08/16/2021
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
55 of 63 people found this review helpful
I have now have had the car for 24 months and it has about 30,000 miles on the odometer. The entire drive train is weak. Missing a six cylinder engine. Considerable turbo lag. The transmission slips creating a jerking startup in cold weather. The dealer says this is normal or they cannot repeat the problem. The turbo seals are failing as noted by white smoke on startup. I do like the all wheel drive that just reinforced that the next car I buy will have all wheel drive. Once the current lack of vehicle supply improves, I will be shopping for a new car and it will not be a Subaru.
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Broke Down After 21 Days
DJ, 08/18/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
137 of 162 people found this review helpful
Don't believe Subaru's hype about the safety features possibly protecting you and your family for something terrible. While driving 45 mph and without any kind of provoking OR warning... my Ascent started severely jerking back and forth so hard that it caused the tires to screech with each jerk.. Car started losing power as I'm in the middle of the road without a shoulder to pull over on. When I lightly tap the brake to completely stop it.. the brakes lock right along with the steering wheel locking as I slide across the lane. Scared me almost to death! Tow truck is called and the car is still at the dealership after this incident which was 3 weeks ago now. Subaru is admitting no fault and refuses to take responsibility for these problems which clearly deem it unsafe in my eyes. Service Department allegedly finds no problems. Huh?! This couldn't have even been a malfunction the EyeSight Assist either as there was nothing in the lane with me..no other vehicle or obstacle for as far as I could see ahead. Many many regrets about this purchase and signing a contract with this manufacturer that clearly doesn't back its product or admit fault. Report with the NHTSA has been filed.
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Unreliable
William Collins, 07/15/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
We recently purchased a 2019 Subaru Ascent (one month ago), and it has failed to start twice. We had to have it towed to the dealership, all before the first oil change.
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lane assist is too sensitive and tires are noisy
Reeb Zee, 04/15/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
I like new cars and have had 2 Subaru cars BUT read on... Test drove Ascent this week. Steering wheel kept pulling left and right when riding on interstate during test drive. Turned off the lane assist features and the pulling ceased. Second row seats do not fold flat. MPG from highway drive was 16 mpg which is way less than the purported 27 mpg. Falken tires are not quiet and have low treadwear number. Would think Michelins would be quieter. So if you do not need all wheel drive get a FWD Pilot!
Subaru Ascent Touring
William Kuk, 11/05/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
I like my Subaru Ascent It’s a good SUV with plenty of power and safety features Also a ride quality is pretty good Comfortable and a roomy inside. Turbo engine has a good torque and acceleration. MPG needs to be checked out and tested as my car has only 500 miles but hopefully it’ll show good results. It’s showing 19.5 ave. currently
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Great car, but don't get into an accident
Steve G, 12/12/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
27 of 31 people found this review helpful
Overall we loved this SUV. Subaru is critically guilty however by not making sure they have stock of spare parts for repair. My wife got into a small accident and we have been waiting for 2 months for the collission shop to get parts. Seems everything is on back log. Buying a brand new model may not have been a smart thing to do or Subaru didn't plan well for providing spare parts.
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waiting to go mileage to go up
paul j sawyer, 09/16/2018
updated 09/24/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
26 of 30 people found this review helpful
I have owned the ascent touring since July 6th we have 2600 miles now and we are still only getting 16.8 to 18 miles per gallon ,the dealers say it will go up but no luck there I read because the touring version is heavier it may be a mile or two less . I had a 2016 Crosstrek before much smaller but great on handling great gas . I have had this vehicle over a year now ,many problems with the gas mileage and the computer output ,spoke to the service department about inaccurate mileage and computer readings ,not so interested, but this is Daytona beach. also the seats are the most uncomfortable I have had for a $46000.00 vehicle very disappointing.
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Subaru Ascent Does Not Disappoint!
Tricia, 10/23/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
25 of 29 people found this review helpful
We are almost a month in from taking ownership of our Ascent Touring model and couldn’t be happier. Great drive - comfort, handling and zip. Not to mention a great look with tons of room and road visibility. So happy we ‘held out’ and didn’t pursue the Toyota Highlander. And still finding cool and helpful features. Eyesight technology is AMAZING!! Just a few things for Subaru to consider for next gen improvements... —Second row fans are loud when they are on. —CarPlay quirkiness. When you plug it in it takes over navigation without asking preference to stay on something else like Waze. Same thing for music - if you’re listening to Sirius it will get bumped for what’s on your phone. —More direction would be great with front passenger seat (up/down for example if you like to sit lower). Overall not game changers! Thrilled to join the Subaru family.
Problems!
Driver1, 07/13/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
We had an overwhelming gas smell coming from the Ascent at 1500 miles. Would be in the cabin while driving and fill up the garage when parked. Dealer had to replace the oil at 2000 miles because of gas:oil mixture. Dealer told me it’s a know problem with the engine and SOA was no help. Read the forums, lots of similar complaints!
Heartbroken
D, 09/15/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I purchased my 2019 Ascent in March. Took it in for my first oil change and mentioned the squeaking brakes. I was told this was a problem with the Ascents. It took two months for the special grease and it wasn’t the Subaru’s grease but they were giving it a try because they had so many waiting on a fix. I told them about the stuttering transmission and after two days in the shop, they said nothing was wrong. Three days later every light on the dashboard was lit up - check engine, oil temp, eye sight, brakes - I was told it was probably a circuit to drive it to the dealership. Once there - diagnostic said it was the transmission. I was also told that I probably shouldn’t have driven it in. The part for the transmission was once again, on back order. Car was in the shop almost two weeks. During this time, they noticed my air conditioner was right and found a leak - another problem that they were seeing in the Ascents. But, part was on backorder. When I finally got my car back, air conditioner is worse than it was before. This was the prettiest car and it was love at first sight. Now, I’m totally heartbroken over such a disappointment. Never imagined this experience. Subaru was consulted and after 10 days of receiving the notification from the dealership over these problem, they made contact - more smoke being blown trying to convenience me that this is still a good vehicle. I’m sick that I didn’t go back to either the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander as I drove both of these over 150,000 miles and never had any problem. Looks definitely deceived me. Don’t make the same mistake.
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Chasing My Land Cruiser...And Closing
DJ Wilson, 08/08/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
32 of 38 people found this review helpful
Our new Ascent reminds me of our 2006 Land Cruiser in so many ways. Ride is outstanding on 20” wheels, mpg is averaging 24 thus far. So many details like passenger window screens, even a wind screen on the sunroof. It’s the little things that make Subaru a Subaru ( pardon the cliche), but it’s true. Sure, there may be some things that need tweaking as we explore all this SUV has to offer, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Here's one...with 19 cup holders, you'd think there would be one to fit my coffee mug or my 64 oz water bottle. Nope. I just spent 7 bucks on a 32 oz. bottle and now I'm gonna need to carry a cooler to hold the difference. Taking the Ascent on it’s first road trip this weekend and in two weeks, another. I’ll let you know more...later. HERE’S LATER. Two trips now and 2500 miles in the rear view. So here goes.. I’ve discovered an annoying glare in the rear view mirrors on sunny days. It’s a diagonal line, reflecting off the chrome trim on the AC vents. Guessing Subaru needs to tone down the silver or eliminate altogether. Thinking of black tape but that’s tacky. Eyesight works scary great. Yep...the devil is in the details. MPG is spot on. We cruised 400 miles on a tank at 80 mph. Backroads driving averaged 28 mpg. We live on a mountain. Elevation around 2700. Manually downshifting helps tremendously on the brakes. However, the Ascent shifts continuously on the climb. Gonna need to work on shifting uphill. Still waiting on an Apple upgrade to make Waze work on CarPlay. It continually cuts off music and I have to reset. Map system is antiquated. Needs updated to Google Maps and or Waze. I love Waze. Noticed after driving a long distance nonstop, when I fill up there’s a hesitation initially when I start off. Almost think it’s a vacuum sealing the tank. It stops almost immediately, so that’s my take unless the dealer says otherwise. So there you have it...None of these aforementioned items are deal breakers. Just observations I’ve discovered on my rides. Oh, and if you live within 250 miles of my voice...buying from Earl Duff Subaru in Harriman, Tenn is what a dealership should be. Small town dealer, with a personalized experience. Average salesman has been there between 15 and 20 years, and I'm guessing there is only 4. That being said...see Brandon, and or any of the others on staff. You won't be disappointed.
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Vancouver Washington
Robert Moon, 01/18/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful
My complaint is something that has to do with an accident in my Ascent where while driving on a busy Street in Portland OR a delivery van backed from a private driveway into the right side of my car. Since 1992 this Ascent Limited was number 12 in my ownership of Subaru vehicles and for the most part I have been exceptionally please with all of them. My complaint here is that since I took delivery of this Ascent on July 10th 2018 and my accident occurred on Dec. 21st, 2018 the 2 doors needed to repair my car will not be available until late January 2019. I can't believe that since this vehicle was released for sale in July that there are not parts more readilly available 6 months after the car was put out to the public. Come on Subaru I'm sure you can do better.
- Performance
Poor Gas Mileage
mike, 12/17/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
19 of 22 people found this review helpful
Overall satisfied but gas mileage is not 20 around town as advertised. Try 16 at best. Haven't seen 20 yet on highway ... maybe one day. Also have had message errors with regard to RAB, check engine light .... remains to be seen if it becomes recurring issue like I've been reading about
My Ascent experience
P Mock, 09/09/2018
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
33 of 40 people found this review helpful
Vehicle is very nice. Smart looking, comfortable, handles well, not too large & it's a 4 cylinder. The interior is interesting. Dash & doors have a cream colored area no matter what color interior. Very upset that I can't get a navigation system unless I order the package that includes the moon roof. I don't want a moon roof & even tho the brochure states the navigational system is optional; it isn't without the moon roof. If I use a cargo carrier or carry a kayak, how much am I going to see thru the moon roof & I'm also afraid it would freak my dogs out. So for me, it's totally useless. But if I want the navigation system, I'm forced to take it. Will have to buy a Garmin & save thousands if I get this vehicle minus nav system & moon roof.
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