VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE
Subaru Ascent2019–2026
Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.
Best Years to Buy a Subaru Ascent
Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.
Subaru Ascent Years to Avoid
8 recalls · 430 complaints
7 reported injuries
Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4 recalls · 308 complaints
5 reported injuries
Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1 recall · 92 complaints
3 reported injuries
Top issue: VISIBILITY/WIPER
Subaru Ascent — Year-by-Year Comparison
Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Reliability | Value | Buyer Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 0 | — | 100 | 30 | 76 | Excellent |
| 2025 | 0 | 8 | — | 92 | 42 | 75 | Excellent |
| 2024 | 0 | 42 | — | 70 | 58 | 66 | Excellent |
| 2023 | 3 | 36 | 2 | 54 | 72 | 60 | Good |
| 2022 | 1 | 46 | 6 | 62 | 82 | 69 | Good |
| 2021 | 1 | 92 | 3 | 64 | 88 | 72 | Good |
| 2020 | 4 | 308 | 5 | 48 | 84 | 61 | Avoid |
| 2019 | 8 | 430 | 7 | 27 | 74 | 43 | Avoid |
Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.
Known Subaru Ascent Problems
Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.
Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.
Shopping by Era
How each generation of the Ascent compares — best year within each era shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year Ascent to buy?+
The 2026 Subaru Ascent scores highest on our Buyer Score (76/100) — combining a reliability score of 100/100 with a value score of 30/100. It has 0 recalls and 0 NHTSA complaints on record.
Which Ascent years have the most problems?+
The 2019, 2020, 2021 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2019 Ascent leads with 8 recalls and 430 owner complaints.
What is the Buyer Score?+
The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.
What are the most common Ascent problems?+
The most frequently reported Subaru Ascent issues involve: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.
Deep-Dive Research
A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.