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2021 Subaru Ascent

Gas Midsize / large SUV

202720262025202420232022202120202019
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
B
Safety Signal
82 / 100
BSafety Signal · 82 / 100
2Recalls · 1 critical
102Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
23 mpgFuel economy · best combined
⚠️
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2021 Subaru Ascent is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Ascent, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 102 complaints, most often about power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
AscentGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo212723$2,700
Ascent Limited/TouringGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo202622$2,850

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

The 2021 Subaru Ascent is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (2)

Equipment

minor
541,237 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 26V436000 · reported Jul 7, 2026 · Subaru of America, Inc.

Electrical System

critical
Park outside271,694 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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 m

NHTSA campaign 22V907000 · reported Dec 8, 2022 · Subaru of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

102 complaints filed

3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2021: 26 · 2022: 22 · 2023: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 12 · 2026: 13

Most-cited components

  • Power Train — 19
  • Electrical System — 18
  • Lane Departure — 17
  • Unknown Or Other — 16
  • Visibility/Wiper — 14
“LANE ASSIST WITH CRUISE CONTROL OVER CORRECTS. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHILE ON THE FREEWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL THE LANE ASSIST PULLED ME INTO THE OTHER LANE INTO OTHER VEHICLES. I HAVE ALMOST HIT OTHER VEHICLES. THE PULL IS TOO STRONG AND CROSSES LANES. IF NOT FIXED BY SUBARU, ACCIDENTS WILL OCCUR.”May 14, 2021 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“CRACK APPEARED SPIDERED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD JUST WITHIN THE 60 MINUTES OF US LEAVING OUR CAR IN MAMMOTH CAVE STATE PARK INFORMATION CENTER PARKING LOT ON SATURDAY. SUCH A TINY CRACK SPIDERING LIKE THAT IS CONCERNING TO ME ESPECIALLY COMING FROM A 2015 SUBARU LEGACY THAT HAD THE NEW WINDSHIELD CLASS ACTION. WE DID NOT…”May 3, 2021 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report
“LANE ASSIST WITH CRUISE CONTROL OVER CORRECTS. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHILE ON THE FREEWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL THE LANE ASSIST PULLED ME INTO THE OTHER LANE INTO OTHER VEHICLES. I HAVE ALMOST HIT TWO OTHER VEHICLES. THE PULL IS TOO STRONG AND CROSSES LANES. I HAVE TO KEEP IT OFF. FORWARD COLLISION DOES NOT ENGAGE.”Apr 18, 2021 · Forward Collision Avoidance · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Ascent model years

A

2027 Ascent

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Ascent

1 recalls · 1 complaints

A

2025 Ascent

1 recalls · 14 complaints

A

2024 Ascent

1 recalls · 50 complaints

C

2023 Ascent

4 recalls · 44 complaints

B

2022 Ascent

2 recalls · 55 complaints

F

2020 Ascent

5 recalls · 321 complaints

F

2019 Ascent

9 recalls · 441 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 42567, 42568). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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