2019 Subaru Ascent transmission problems

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · Transmission · 108,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where diagnostic trouble codes were identified, and a vehicle reprogramming was performed. While driving, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and required replacement. Warranty coverage was not available; however, a loaner vehicle was provided. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train). The manufacturer advocacy center was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Filed Oct 7, 2026 · Transmission · VA

Cvt is slipping and failing internally, CVT assembly requires replacement.

Filed Sep 6, 2026 · Suspension, Transmission · OR

Subaru of America has a Bulletin out that changes the front suspension arms for both front ends. The dealership made this correction and now the front end rattles like there are loose parts. Dealership says they don’t hear it. Won’t investigate more unless I pay them a diagnostic fee. If Subaru of America knows this vehicle has a faulty part that causes the calipers to clamp down too hard thus warping the rotors! Dealership & SOA need to advertise this Bulletin as a recall.

Filed Aug 14, 2026 · Transmission · OH

The vehicle has 178k miles on it currently. I had to have a transmission and transfer case replaced at 68k miles. Done by Subaru. At 168k miles I had to have a new front pump in the transmission case replaced. Repair done by Subaru. Now at 178k miles the second replacement transmission has completely failed and needs replaced.

Filed Aug 6, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · NY

All the safety systems become disabled and check Engine light goes on because transmission fluid is being pumped Out of a faulty secondary pressure sensor part 31878aa020,( defective and replaced with 31878aa021), into the engines wiring at the car computer, transmission computer, and bulkhead connector in fuse box causing all sorts of engine codes. The setting of the engine code closes all the vehicles driver safety systems and changes the dynamic of the drivers driving experience. As the problem gets worse, it can render the car powerless on roads and highways making operation dangerous. I have my car parked in front of the house with the battery and electrical connectors unplugged. This problem is covered by one or more recalls and safety campaigns, but subaru refuses to fix mine and other peoples that I found on Facebook. Someone online listed a $6500.00 repair estimate. They just had it repossessed instead. This part causes the pressure differences that cause the jerky ride and is specifically alluded to in the recall, plus subaru even changed the part because it was defective.

Filed Aug 3, 2026 · Transmission · TX

My 2019 Subaru Ascent Limited had a safety recall that was related to a CVT transmission issue. That safety recall was addressed by Sewell Subaru (Dallas, TX) in January of 2025. This past Wednesday, July 29, I was driving on a state highway on my way to work from my residence. Not even two miles away from my residence, I felt a jerk and a loud "thud". That was followed by loss of power in that the vehicle just was rolling, but no power from the gas. I was able to safely maneuver onto a the shoulder and stop the vehicle. Within minutes, I noticed a puddling of a large amount of fluid that I could easily recognize was not oil. The vehicle was towed back to Sewell Subaru this past Saturday and I was notified today that the CVT belt snapped and it caused a hold in the transmission case, which caused the fluid to leak. The service advisor also mentioned that Subaru is not wanting to cover the replacement and that they are citing that the reason is that Subaru records are showing irregular servicing done by a Subaru service center. This issue has nothing to do with routine maintenance, or where I get those, and has everything to do with the catastrophic failure of the very same component that was at the heart of their known safety recall issue.

Filed Jul 27, 2026 · Transmission · NE

Transmission was recalled and supposedly fixed. The fix has now failed and dealer and Subaru are not willing to fix again.

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Transmission · PA

Noticed my car shifting incorrectly since 66,000 miles. At approximately 68,800 miles transmission begin to fail. At a stop sign I pulled out before oncoming traffic with what should have been plenty of time, but transmission failed. It seemed to have had chain slip; completely stopping the car when I was in oncoming traffic. I put the pedal to the floor it caught, and whipped me around the corner. After that it was doing the same thing consistently until I parked it at my residence.

Filed Mar 5, 2026 · Transmission · CO

We have been dealing with issues with this vehicle since 2024. We had 3 open recalls which we took into the closest dealership to us and things were okay for a few months and then started having issues again. We live in a small town and it is hard to get to the dealership so we had a few local mechanics take a look and one had found that the exhuast recall was not installed properly and so he addressed that issue. Things were then okay for a little bit after that and then we started having bigger issues the car would not exceed 30 MPH in the middle of us driving and then the car would jerk back and forth. After advice from Subaru of America we got it checked out at a dealership who put a part into the vehicle and then we got it back and less than a week later the car was doing the same things. We took it back and they kept the car for 2 weeks but told us they could not duplicate the problem so we got the car back and right away had the same issues when taking it home. The CVT is for sure messing up we believe and now the car does not drive at all. After some back and forth we found out that the 1st owners took it in for the CVT recall so I reached out to the dealership who did that and was told that they did look at it but at the time the CVT was not an issue but the mileage was fairly low at that time. Personally I am not in a place to afford to get it replaced on my own but I do not believe that the recall should have been closed out knowing that the part would eventually go out since it is a known issue on that car I have tried to go back and forth to get this resolved but I am not getting anywhere and I am not sure what to do at this point to try and get the problems address and made right.

Filed Feb 23, 2026 · Transmission · TX

Component/System Failed: The vehicle’s CVT transmission and related transmission components. The transmission and associated components have been replaced multiple times by authorized Subaru dealerships. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description of the Failure and Safety Risk: The vehicle has experienced repeated, intermittent transmission malfunctions, including warning lights, loss of power during acceleration, and sudden harsh re-engagement. Most recently, while accelerating through an intersection from a stop, the vehicle briefly lost power and then abruptly surged forward, causing a pronounced lurch strong enough to chirp the tires. This created a serious safety concern. A hesitation or loss of motive power in an active intersection exposes me to potential cross-traffic collisions, while the sudden re-engagement creates unpredictable acceleration and possible loss of control. The intermittent nature of the malfunction makes it impossible to anticipate when it will occur. Dealer/Manufacturer Involvement: The issue has been reported to and inspected by authorized Subaru dealerships multiple times. Because the malfunction is intermittent, dealers have stated they cannot fully diagnose the issue unless warning lights are active at the time of inspection. Subaru corporate customer advocacy has been involved in reviewing the case. Warning Lamps / Prior Symptoms: Intermittent transmission and check engine warning lights have appeared repeatedly over several months. The lights often illuminate while driving and then turn off after restarting the vehicle, despite the underlying issue not being resolved.