NHTSA Complaint #11382982 — 2019 SUBARU ASCENT

ON 4 OCCASSIONS THE LIFTGATE OF THIS SUV WAS LEFT UP FOR 45 MINUTES TO 1.5 HOURS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND STATIONARY. ON EACH TIME THE BATTERY DISCHARGED TO A POINT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. FORTUNATELY WE HAD CELL SERVICE AND COULD SUMMOND HELP, BUT THIS COULD OCCUR WHERE THERE IS NO CELL SERVICE AND LEAVE US COMPLETELY STRANDED. AFTER THE FIRST 3 TIMNES WHICH HAPPENED IN RAPID SUCCESSION I TOOK THE SUBARU ASCENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE BATTERY HAD A WEAK CELL AND THEY REPLACED IT WITHOUT CHARGE. THE REPAIR INVOICE IS ATTACHED. BUT THEY NEVER TOLD ME THAT LEAVING THE LIFTGATE UP MORE THAN 30 MINUTES WOULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM AND LEAVE ME STRANDED. THEN WHEN THE PROBLE OCCURRED AGAIN I WENT ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDELY-KNOWN DEFECT IN THE SUBARU ASCENT AND OTHER SUBARU MODELS THAT HAS STRANDED THOUSANDS OF OWNERS. OWNERS TAKE THEIR SUVS ON CAMPING OR FISHING TRIPS AND TAILGATING AT EVENTS WHERE THEY LEAVE THE LIFTGATE UP WITHOUT REALIZING THE CAR IS UNLIKELY TO START WHEN THEY WANT TO LEAVE. BUT SUBARU IS REFUSING TO CONSIDER A FIX AND RECALL THESE SUVS. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH THIS DEFECT OR PROBLEM. MANY OWNERS ARE SPENDING $250 OR MORE FOR AFTER-MARKET BATTERIES THAT ARE MUCH STRONGER THAN THE WEAK BATTERIES THAT SUBARU PROVIDES. WHILE THIS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND SUCH OWNERS CAN STILL BE STRANDED, AT LEAST WITH A STRONGER BATTERY THE CHANCES IT WILL START ARE MUCH BETTER. SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED IN NEW JERSEY AGAINST SUBARU OVER THIS ISSUE, BUT THAT WILL ONLY REWARD THE ATTORNEYS INVOLVED WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND PROBABLY NET ME $20 IN 5 YEARS. PLEASE CONSIDER FORCING SUBARU TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM AND RECALL AND FIX ALL SUBARU ASCENTS STILL ON THE ROAD.