What 432 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru Ascent

The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Ascent. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 75 MPH, a deer ran across the highway and hit the left driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. A grayish smoke began to emit from the vehicle as the contact's wife immediately pulled off to the side of the road. Due to the damaged cause by the impact of the deer, the contact's wife had difficulty exiting the vehicle. The contact's wife used excessive force to open a crack in the door, which was enough to slide herself out of the vehicle. The vehicle became engulfed in flames soon after exiting the vehicle, and the authorities were called to the scene. The fire department arrived at the scene and managed to extinguish the fire. The contact's wife sustained bruising to her left shoulder, left leg, and left arm but did not seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard and was later towed to an insurance holding facility. The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed as a result of the fire, but the insurance adjuster had yet to determine a final ruling on the vehicle. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had yet been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11726659

Over the course of 5 years, a lot has been mechanically wrong with our vehicle. Each service appointment yielded a 'cannot duplicate' response. Recently, my car has been in the service department a few times. My car had recall work performed on a ground bolt, and my husband advised them that the car had a 'rich fuel' smell when starting with the hood open. I've complained since 2021 of a smell when pulling up the mountain. The smell is what I described as a perm solution smell. Each time, the response was 'cannot duplicate.' In February, I took the car in to have the exhaust inspected because it was getting louder each passing day. I was advised that the entire exhaust needed to be replaced, and I would be responsible for costs. I brought my car home, unrepaired, and called Subaru of America to file a claim through them. I had repeatedly expressed concerns, and nothing was done, yet I'm expected to foot the bill now. Since February 12th, I have been back and forth with Subaru and just made the appointment to get the exhaust work completed, with a small contribution from Subaru. However, this past Saturday, [XXX] my vehicle caught on fire while driving. I am fine, but my vehicle has now been deemed a total loss. As I was descending the mountain, I smelled the same 'perm solution' smell, and shortly after, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The smoke entered the cabin as I pulled off the road. Upon exiting the vehicle, flames and smoke were visible from the hood. I grabbed my purse and ran, called 911, and watched my vehicle engulfed in flames. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11583533