2020 Subaru Ascent: recalls and complaints

NHTSA advisory: park outsideCampaign 22V907000. NHTSA received the report on 8 Dec 2022. 271,694 units. Electrical System / Wiring / Interior/Under Dash

Remedy of campaign 22V907000, in the NHTSA record

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.

Park-outside advisory: A mark on a recall campaign in the NHTSA recall file. This site shows the mark as NHTSA sets it.

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2020 Subaru Ascent. The newest campaign is 26V436000. NHTSA received the report on 7 Jul 2026. The NHTSA record gives the component Equipment / Other / Labels. NHTSA has no complaint on file for this model year.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 26V436000, in the NHTSA record

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 27, 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 VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

5 campaigns, newest first. 1,188,459 units in total.

26V4360007 Jul 2026Equipment / Other / Labels
22V9070008 Dec 2022Electrical System / Wiring / Interior/Under DashAdvisory
21V9550009 Dec 2021Power Train / Driveline / Chain/Belt
21V9540009 Dec 2021Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
21V58700029 Jul 2021Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump

26V436000Received 7 Jul 2026. 541,237 units.
Equipment / Other / Labels
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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 27, 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.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WRH-26.
22V907000Received 8 Dec 2022. 271,694 units.
Electrical System / Wiring / Interior/Under DashPark-outside advisory
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
A melting ground terminal increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WRL-22. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 25 Jan 2023.
21V955000Received 9 Dec 2021. 198,255 units.
Power Train / Driveline / Chain/Belt
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WRK-21. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 19 Aug 2022.
21V954000Received 9 Dec 2021. 1,305 units.
Steering / Linkages / Tie Rod Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
The tie rods may separate from the housing, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WRL-21. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 7 Feb 2022.
21V587000Received 29 Jul 2021. 175,968 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, in the NHTSA record
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Subaru of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number WRG-21. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 24 Sep 2021.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

The NHTSA complaint file has no complaint for this model year.

Investigations

The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

20199
20205
20212
20222
20234
20241
20251
20261

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2020 Subaru AscentThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2020 Subaru Ascent: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/subaru/ascent/2020/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: Subaru of America, Inc.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2020 Subaru Ascent?: 1,188,459 units in 5 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Subaru Ascent have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for the Subaru Ascent, model years 2019 to 2026. 5 of them name the 2020 model year.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2020 Subaru Ascent open?: The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.