Diagsheet

2020 Subaru Ascent · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 26owner reports
  • 9,500median miles
  • $10,000median quote
  • 2involved a crash

Newest report May 29, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

26 of the 321 complaints on this car describe brake wear.

Tick what matches of 26 reports

14
14
10
7
1

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (10 reports) and the caliper (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the brakes covers the 2020 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

What owners paid

6 of the 26 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $600 to $10,000.

$600$10,000$10,000
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 6,000 and 18,000 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.

220
1121
522
323
324
226

What owners wrote

“Transmission failure, chugging while driving on the road then slowed down in middle of the intersection, won’t accelerate which is a unsafe situation. It says “check engine”, “break, “eyesight disabled”, “at oil temp” and “transmission”. The speed was stuck to 20mph and engine eas loud. Smelled like something was burning too”

Filed Aug 14, 2024

“The brakes are insufficient for the weight of the vehicle. This has been recognized by the Dealer who sold the vehicle. Rotors warp quickly. Stopping power of the system is insufficient.”

Filed Apr 13, 2023

“Bought in December 2021 had dealership fix breaks before bought then again after 3000 miles then again after 5 000 miles. Brakes still shudder and emit loud noises. Have only had 6 months and breaks are bad again. Car shakes with acceleration and hesitates to accelerate .”

Filed Jun 19, 2022 · 3,000 miles

“16000 miles. Front brakes vibrate hard when you press the brake. The whole front of the car vibrates it feels the same when the ABS system vibrates. Really scary sound and vibration.”

Filed Aug 17, 2021 · 16,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 26 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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