2021 Subaru Ascent Brakes Problems

On May 14, 2026, while driving a 2021 Subaru Ascent (approx. 94,291 miles) on a Texas expressway at highway speed during rush hour, I experienced a sudden and significant loss of engine power. There were no warning lights, no safety system activation, and no advance indication of the failure. The vehicle decelerated abruptly with traffic behind it. Live OBD-II data was being logged during the drive and was provided to the service advisor at the authorized Subaru retailer. This incident occurred only 3 days and approximately 125 miles after the vehicle was returned following a major engine repair performed at an authorized Subaru retailer in Texas under active powertrain warranty. That repair was supervised by a Subaru of America District Quality Manager and Field Technical Specialist, who conducted a 110-mile validation drive prior to release. Prior to the highway failure, visible fluid leaks were documented across the intake ducting, residue on lower engine components, a sweet and burning odor after driving, and milky sludge returning to the coolant reservoir — all within 125 miles of pickup. These are consistent with ongoing oil and coolant cross-contamination, which was the original diagnosis documented in the dealership's digital service portal. The vehicle has now undergone three major engine teardowns since March 17, 2026 — over 100 days out of service — for the same underlying powertrain issue on the FA24 engine. The current repair involves cylinder heads sent to a third-party machine shop. Vehicle telematics confirm the vehicle has not been started since May 27, 2026. This report is filed to establish a federal safety record of the highway power loss incident and the recurring nature of this powertrain failure. An active Subaru of America customer advocacy case is on file regarding this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11746580

Incident

May 14, 2026

Oil leak from engine constantly from FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, rec cvt pump reseal with new trans seal, pump is leaking causing drips ; drain plug is also leaking. Need to Replace Front and rear Pads & Rotors at 35k miles which is unheard of. Accessed by suberu dealership.

NHTSA ID

11689564

Incident

Sep 3, 2025

Brakes shudder and fade when slowing down from highway speeds. Subaru has issued many "fixes" but it keeps happening. See most recent "Ascent Front Brake Warranty Extension Coverage" it still has not fixed the problem!

NHTSA ID

11616364

Incident

Sep 13, 2024

I was driving along with no traffic in front of me and no oncoming traffic when the automatic braking system engaged with no vehicles in front of me, this was at 7:42 AM on Monday August 12, 2024. This was not the first time it had done this, but the first time I had the time and no traffic anywhere around to confuse the system. My concern is that if another car was following too closely they would have hit me since there was no reason for the emergency breaking system to engage.

NHTSA ID

11608140

Incident

Aug 12, 2024

Brake rotors, front and back warp. Rotors have been replaced and resurfaced multiple times. The vehicle is over-sized for the braking hardware included with the vehicle. I have spoken to the dealer multiple times and they are aware of the undersized brake component issue across this model line. Although promised, Subaru has not addressed the issue and it is a safety hazard in hilly terrain.

NHTSA ID

11597256

Incident

Feb 26, 2022

Started having problems with the brand new car shaking and brakes making grinding noises when stopping around 20K miles. Brought the car to the dealership and they ended up replacing the brake pads and rotors. It’s been just over a year and less than 15K miles since the replacement and the car started shaking and brakes are making a grinding noise again. Again took the car to the dealership and the rotors are bad. After further research, this is a constant and known issue and has yet to be resolved by Subaru. Instead they wait for the new car warranty to wear off and let their customers pay out of pocket to have this fixed. Some owners have had to replace up to 4 times in less than 40K miles.

NHTSA ID

11588273

Incident

Apr 20, 2023

Front brakes (pads and rotors) had to replaced 2 times. The dealer said that Subaru used undersized pads and rotors on the bigger Ascent model. The brakes were not designed for such a big vehicle, and it has been a known issue. The brakes were replaced under warranty, but my warranty will expire soon. I'm stuck replacing and poorly designed braking system, that is a known issue.

NHTSA ID

11581308

Incident

Apr 5, 2024

Vehicle braking reduced to about 10%. Brakes was making lots of noise and couldn’t stop for almost 1/4 mile. Managed to stop vehicle was taken to dealer. Calipers were changed and rotors serviced. After several trips to dealership for repairs to brakes vehicle still having braking noise and reduced stopping power which gets worst with time.

NHTSA ID

11522285

Incident

Feb 8, 2023

Car purchased in August 2021. Front brake rotors and pads were replaced around 7,600 miles and May 2022. They could not "cut" the rotors as they were pitted beyond being able to be cut. At 10,764 miles (August 8, 2022), the front rotors and pads were replaced again. The dealer stated the front pads had tiny chips in them and the R/F outer pad had a crack in it. The rotors also had excessive heat spots on them and small pits. The last few days the brakes have been pulsating lightly on hills and today have begun pulsating at every stop. Car now has approximately 11,700 miles on it. Subaru has been notified and I will be making an appointment with dealer on Monday.

NHTSA ID

11483829

Incident

Sep 10, 2022