2026 Subaru Ascent Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 25, 2026 · Filed: October 28, 2026

This happened three individual times, all traveling at highway speed under similar conditions. The panel began flashing in red claiming that no driver was responsive and threw on the ABS breaks. I was able to regain control after disengaging the adaptive cruise control system. At the time the the daytime road conditions were clear, I was clearly visible to the driver monitoring system infrared camera, and both hands were at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel. The dealer has been made aware of this but have been reluctant to address it, claiming that this happens to everyone. This could easily have resulted in a rear-end collision had there been more traffic on the highway.

Incident: August 25, 2026 · Filed: October 21, 2026

My company FANCY S owns this 2026 Subaru Ascent, purchased new on XXX from Subaru of Glendale. The vehicle is under Safety Recall 26V-436 (Subaru WRH-26) for an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label, a non-compliance with FMVSS No. 110. Subaru's interim letter in XXX said the corrective label is "not yet available," and Subaru does not plan to mail remedy labels to owners until January 2027. Nearly three months have passed and there is still no remedy for our vehicle. This is a company vehicle that cannot be placed in commercial service while this safety recall remains open: our commercial insurer has flagged the open safety recall, and Subaru itself warns that loading based on the incorrect GAWR could overload the vehicle and increase crash risk. We continue to pay financing and insurance on a vehicle we cannot use. The remedy is a simple corrective label overlay. Subaru's own bulletin WRH-26R already publishes the procedure and the exact part for this vehicle: Part No. 99095XC000 (ID "H"). Furthermore, Subaru's official recall lookup shows the second 2026 Ascent our company purchased in October 2026 (VIN [XXX]) under the very same WRH-26 recall with the status COMPLETED - the corrective label was obtained and installed for that vehicle - while our XXX vehicle remains "Open - Remedy not yet available." On XXX we wrote to Subaru of America and to three Subaru retailers requesting expedited release of the label for this VIN. No remedy has been provided yet. I am asking NHTSA to press Subaru of America to provide a timely remedy for this vehicle instead of making owners wait until January 2027 for a paper label that already exists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 19, 2026 · Filed: September 30, 2026

What failed: The rear seat belt (belt, buckle, and/or retractor) in the right rear seat of a 2026 Subaru Ascent, VIN [XXX]. It was securing a rear-facing child car seat carrying my [XXX] grandson. The vehicle was a loaner from [dealer name] and was returned to the dealer on [return date]. It is available for inspection through the dealer, and I have asked them in writing to preserve the belt assembly. How safety was put at risk: On XXX, after about 40 minutes of stop-and-go traffic on [XXX] in [XXX], we stopped on a closed exit ramp. My grandson began screaming. The seat belt securing his car seat had come loose, and the car seat had tipped forward. He was upside down with his face wedged under the front passenger seat. I injured my lower back freeing him and am under medical care. He appears uninjured. My husband re-secured the belt, and we continued. Had we been moving at highway speed, the child could have been seriously injured, and we would have had to stop and exit the vehicle in live traffic to reach him. Reproduced or confirmed: Not yet. I have asked the dealer in writing to inspect the belt, buckle, and retractor, and to provide the results in writing. Inspected by others: No inspection by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives has taken place to date. Warnings: None. No seat belt warning chime, light, or message appeared before or during the failure. The only warning was my grandson screaming and crying. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: April 5, 2026 · Filed: September 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and independently came to an abrupt stop. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000.

Incident: March 20, 2026 · Filed: March 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Subaru Accent. The contact stated that there was a failure related to the brake pedal design. The contact stated that there was an approximate one-inch difference in spacing between the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal in previous model vehicles. The contact stated that there was an approximate four-inch gap between the brake and accelerator pedals, while previous models had an approximate three-inch space. The contact stated that the difference created a hazardous driving condition and increased the risk of unintended pedal application. Additionally, there were several instances where a crash could have occurred due to the pedal spacing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that several complaints were received with the same issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,040.