2020 Subaru Ascent Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 101about this part
- Share
- 31%of 324 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 5,900miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 101 complaints about the electrical system of the 2020 Subaru Ascent, 31% of the 324 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 5,900 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I started having issues when trying to turn the car on - it would appear the battery was dead despite no reason for it to be. This happened multiple times for a week. I brought my car in to see what the issue was and the auto repair shop said the battery was bad and needs to be replaced. The vehicle is barely a year old with only 11,000 miles on it.”
NHTSA complaint #11408441, filed 2021-04, 11,000 miles“Tried starting my car on march 5 and would not start. Tried to jump start but it did not work. Had it towed to the dealer and was told battery is dead. Dealer could not explain why battery died. Dealer replaced old battery with the same oem battery. This is a temporary fix and I told them I'm not confident this will not happen again.”
NHTSA complaint #11403179, filed 2021-03, 8,300 miles“The battery is dying prematurely this is the second time.I took it in the first time and they told me it was a bad battery now it happened to me again the morning of my trip I had to remove the battery of my other car and install it to go in my trip once I got to my destination I parked it and removed the ground cable because I didn't want to stay stranded I will call Subaru today and see what they tell me.”
NHTSA complaint #11396260, filed 2021-02, 18,100 miles“The battery in our 2020 Subaru Ascent discharged completely on 4/15/21 requiring a jump charge. Subaru told us that with modern vehicle electronics, there is continous electrical draw even the vehicle is off, thus frequnt driving is necessary to keep the battery charged. We drive our vehicle regularly and are careful that no accessories are left on. We are fortunate that the battery discharged in our garage.”
NHTSA complaint #11408610, filed 2021-04, 8,000 miles“The audio died two days prior to the entire car dying completely. We charged the battery, and most of the car began working except for a few random electrical areas. Seems to be a short somewhere. I have under 10,000 miles and a dead battery... Highly problematic.”
NHTSA complaint #11406930, filed 2021-04, 9,700 milesRelated recalls
- 22V907000Dec 8, 2022Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ascent vehicles. The ground bolt that secures the ground terminal of the Positive Temperature…Covers: Subaru Ascent 2019–2022
Related service bulletins
- 11037943Oct 5, 2026This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
- 11037946Sep 29, 2026This Bulletin provides a diagnostic procedure for customer concerns about hesitation, reduced acceleration, or lack of power when driving uphill or under heavy engine load.
- 11037945Sep 29, 2026This Bulletin provides a repair procedure for increased dark current and unintended battery discharge that occurs in a small number of unique cases.
- 11037942Sep 28, 2026This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application.
- 11037929Sep 14, 2026This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the…
- 11037928Sep 14, 2026In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen 3.1 Head Unit used in the listed…
- 11037927Sep 14, 2026This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the…
- 11037925Sep 4, 2026This bulletin provides additional examples, diagnostics tips and installation tips as helpful aids to be used when working with sunroof seals and sunroof frame assemblies on…
- 11036821Aug 31, 2026This bulletin announces the availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0014…
- 11036804Aug 21, 2026This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
Electrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 2020 Subaru Ascent
60 complaintsOther or unknown
59 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
59 complaintsEngine
29 complaintsBrakes
26 complaintsFuel system
14 complaintsForward collision avoidance
12 complaintsBody and structure
10 complaintsSuspension
8 complaintsExterior lighting
5 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsLane departure
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2020 Subaru Ascent
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology