2020 Subaru Ascent: CVT failure

Filed Aug 27, 2026 · Transmission · 145,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was skipping. The failure was recurrent. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V955000 (Power Train); however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair was completed on July 15, 2025. The contact was the vehicle owner on that date and stated that the vehicle was never taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with CVT failure and advised that the vehicle was outside warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Filed Mar 10, 2026 · Transmission · NV

Vehicle: 2020 Subaru Ascent (Build Date: March 2020) Component: Power Train – Automatic Transmission – Hydraulic Pressure Sensor / Wiring Harness The vehicle developed a flashing "Transmission Service" warning and check engine light. It was inspected by a certified technician at Lithia Reno Subaru. Diagnostic scan identified multiple transmission-related codes including P0137, P0700, P2096, P1867, P0867, P2723, and P0841. The technician documented the root cause as: "Found pressure sensor leaking oil through all harnesses." According to the dealership diagnosis, the transmission hydraulic pressure sensor failed and allowed transmission fluid to migrate into the vehicle's electrical wiring harness system. Fluid traveled through the transmission harness and continued into the bulkhead and engine harnesses, contaminating multiple electrical systems. Due to the extent of contamination, the dealership determined that all three harnesses must be replaced. The repair estimate is approximately $8,933. Transmission fluid entering the wiring harness can disrupt communication between the transmission control system and other powertrain components. This electrical contamination can cause erratic transmission operation or sudden loss of propulsion while the vehicle is in motion, increasing crash risk. Subaru has issued recalls and service bulletins involving CVT transmission and hydraulic pressure sensor failures in earlier Ascent vehicles using the same drivetrain. My March 2020 vehicle appears to have experienced the same failure pattern. Despite the documented component failure and extensive wiring contamination, the manufacturer declined to fully cover the repair. I request that the federal safety agency review this failure mode to determine whether hydraulic pressure sensor seal failures allowing transmission fluid to migrate into wiring harness systems represent a broader defect affecting Subaru Ascent vehicles.

Filed Jan 2, 2026 · Transmission · PA

The CVT transmission has failed and been replaced three times despite proper maintenance. Subaru has replaced the transmission multiple times under warranty, but the failure continues to recur. •First CVT replacement at 50,542 miles •Second CVT replacement at 88,175 miles •Third CVT replacement at 92,832 miles This shows repeat failure, not wear-and-tear. It is a safety risk: The vehicle hesitates and loses power intermittently, which creates a safety risk when accelerating or merging into traffic. The most recent replacement is incorrectly listed as pan replacement.

Filed Dec 12, 2025 · AK

Vehicle: 2020 Subaru Ascent Issue: Cold weather software glitch If you are operating an Ascent or possibly other Subarus with the CVT in temperatures below -20F be certain to have either a small wrench or the appropriate size socket to loosen the ground clamp on the battery ground cable with you so you can employ what I call the magic Windows fix wherin one completely de-powers the system and reboots it. With all the ridiculous interconnections, if the CVT temperature sensor thinks the tranny is too cold the cars operating system looses it mind and goes completely bonkers. Subaru obviously did no cold weather testing. We have had 2 failures in cold weather. It only happens at temperatures well below the-20F range. The first case happened last year while driving after being stopped for a couple of hours. Everything seemed normal and then suddenly several warning lights came on and all of the safety systems and the eyesight system shut down. The car ran and drove, but none of the associated systems would work. No traction control. No cruise control. Several other systems. The only solution was to disconnect the battery and get this rolling computer to reboot. This was a temporary fix as the condition repeated itself although the car was driveable but with none of the safety systems operational. This year we were out in cold weather, -25 to -32. We went to a place to have lunch and when I went to restart the car the app failed to do so. So I put on all my gear and went out to start it manually. It would not start and all the warning lights were on and the radiator fan was running full tilt at -25F with the car off. I tried twice to get it going by pulling the battery cable to get it to reboot. Evidently when this happens you must leave the battery disconnected long enough (about 5 minutes) for all the capacitors in the electronics to drain. Once restarted, the car drove normally but we did not shut it down for any reason for the rest of the day.

Filed May 2, 2025 · Transmission · UT

My 2020 Subaru Ascent experienced a sudden failure of critical safety systems due to CVT fluid leaking through the transmission pressure switch into multiple electrical components. This fluid leak damaged several wire harnesses and the Engine Control Module (ECM). The check engine light came on and all Eyesight safety features disabled. Subaru has confirmed this will cost over $9,400 to repair. This issue appears to be related to known Subaru Technical Service Bulletins, including TSB 16-103-16R and TSB 02-170-17R, and matches the description in the federal safety agency Campaign WUV-07. Subaru of America has refused to fully cover the repair, even though my car is well maintained, has only 54,000 miles, and is just 4 months outside the powertrain warranty. This is not normal wear—it’s a serious defect that causes electronic failure and disables safety systems while driving.

Filed Feb 19, 2025 · Transmission · OR

Ever since our car went in for re-programing CVT drive chain it progressively has been having a problem of something slipping in drive and in cruise control. feels like a loss of power and a feeling chatter from transmission. Now when you put it in drive it makes a jerking noise. the thing is that we never had this problem until it went in for this recall. it's been back twice and they claim they can't find any problem but continues to get worse. it happens every time we drive it . just returned a 700 mile trip and it's very annoying. Also we do have an extended warranty.

Filed Dec 6, 2023 · Transmission · NC

CVT transmission skips in high gear and shudders randomly while driving down the road. Randy Marion in Hickory NC is where we purchased and replaced the rear transfer clutch and insists the problem has been corrected. It is not. Our regular mechanic and Moderna Subaru of Boone NC both agree the transmission is bad. It has been sitting at the dealership for 2 months while all parties argue over who is responsible for repair. (Original selling dealership, Subaru of America, 3rd party warranty) meanwhile I have no car but am expected to make payments. There are no warning lights or indicatator lamps to show an issue which is even more scary. I do not feel safe driving the vehicle without repair as the stutter and slipping between gears can cause hesitation that could cause an accident or worse. We did not test drive the vehicle at high gear and that was our mistake, but I drove it on a trip 2 days after purchasing and it had transmission issues the entire time. Dropped back off at dealership Monday morning and have been dealing with headaches since then.

Filed Nov 11, 2023 · Driver assistance, Transmission · VT

CVT jerks the vehicle and stutters when at certain rpms, making long car rides very uncomfortable. Feels like whiplash every so often. Very dangerous when trying to speed up to pass another vehicle because the vehicle doesn't respond and accelerate as it should. The dealer said its normal because of the CVT technology. They said they tried to reproduce it, but were only gone 5 minutes. The highway is 5 minutes away from dealership, one-way. I explained it happens after about 20 minutes of continously driving at speeds over 50 mph. The vehicle had only been inspected once for this issue. The dealer refuses to look at it again because they, "already explained it to [me]". There are no warnings or indicators prior to it happening.

Filed Jul 25, 2023 · Transmission · CT

My car had a CVT drivetrain recall which has been labeled as "repaired" because I brought it to the dealer, however, the issue still exists and my car has been to the dealer 5 times already concerning this recall. The symptoms of the CVT drive train that I am experiencing are: shuddering (dealership vocabulary) at approximately 20 mph (approximately 1500-2000 rpm). The issue has gotten worse because now I experience the occasional shuddering at 40 mph and about 60 mph. In addition, occasionally at about 20 mph after slowing down and then accelerating there is a heavy vibration from the engine (which was heard over the phone by someone). Some things that the dealership have done included updating the computer, reflashing, reprogramming it, etc. However, as I mentioned the issue still exists and has gotten worse. I also personally contacted corporate Subaru to let them know that the issue has not been resolved. I wanted to report this issue to you because they have labeled my car as "repaired" based on the fact that I brought it in for the recall, however, the issue was not fixed and it has gotten worse.

Filed Jun 30, 2023 · Transmission · NY

Between October of 2021 and February of 2022): Shuddering (like driving on rumble strips) and sluggish transmission (slow to respond acceleration and sometimes jumping when depressing the gas pedal) - reported this multiple times to dealership but was told they couldn’t replicate what I was feeling/experiencing. I also reported that the CVT would not adjust to the lower RPM (remained between 2000-3000) after ascending a hill. I was told in a dismissive manner that it was throttle control, which it was not. Brought vehicle back in June 2022 reporting the same issues. Determined it was the WRK-21 service bulletin. WRK-21 repair was done in July/August of 2022. I was without my car from June through August 30th. Transfer case was replaced. By March of 2023, the exact same symptoms returned and got worse on a much shorter timeline than the first time this happened. On 5/31/23 I brought the car back in. Approx 2.5 weeks later it was determined that it was the WRK-21 issue again. Today 6/30/23, I was told that a regional service technician from Subaru of America has determined that the transfer case needs to be replaced again. I opened a case at Subaru of America (case #[XXX]), requesting that a new transmission be installed into the vehicle, citing major safety concerns about repairing/replacing a repair. No warning lights ever went on at anytime in this reported timeline. Car is not in my possession so it would only be accessible at the dealership. It has been there since 5/31/23. Ultimately, I feel like driving the vehicle is dangerous. I’ve wondered if it’s just going to die while driving at times when it shudders. I have a young child and need a safe vehicle. I do not feel safe in this vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Filed Oct 2, 2022 · Transmission · NE

The manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for the vehicle in a timely manner. Subaru of America has failed to repair after (1) year. The consumer has/will incur costs to make vehicle available during the limited times for CVT recall issues. The consumer has/will incur negative depreciation in resale value of the vehicle due to CVT issues. Subaru of America has not actively made the recall a priority. The vehicle has had (3) oil changes/services at a Subaru dealer since the recall was announced and zero times Subaru has remedy the CVT.

Filed Sep 11, 2022 · Engine · VA

Since purchasing our 2020 Subaru Ascent, the transmission slips, resulting in a lengthy wait time until it revs to the next gear, and then there is a palpable "jolt" as the transmission appears to move into the next gear. In addition, when I press the gas pedal to accelerate, there is a definite hesitation before the car actually accelerates. Previously, we had brought the car in to the Subaru dealership for service regarding this issue, but Subaru indicated that there has not been a problem and they did not open the transmission to look at it. We are also concerned about transmission-related problems given the recent recall of the 2020 Subaru Ascent. We know this has a CVT transmission but in this case we know that this problem is not normal. (We have family members and friends with CVT transmissions.) We are bringing the 2020 Subaru Ascent in again this week, pointedly indicating these concerns with the transmission. Please advise.