Is the Subaru Ascent high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Somewhat. The Subaru Ascent is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark, it costs about $1,769 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $113 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average.
Verdict
Somewhat
somewhat above average to maintain
Per year
$1,769
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,845
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
—
Ascent maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,769 | AAA medium SUV (4WD), 11.79¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,845 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,690+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark: 11.79¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Ascent-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
Ascent service schedule highlights
From Subaru's documents for the Ascent:
- Covered by the 2025 all-vehicle schedule (CVT)
Oil changes
Normal service: 6,000 miles or 6 months
Severe or special conditions: 3,000 miles or 3 months (repeated short trips, extremely cold weather, repeated towing)
One schedule covers all 2025 Subaru models. It repeats after 120,000 miles/120 months.
Included maintenance
No complimentary scheduled maintenance confirmed for new Subaru vehicles. The 2025 booklet describes no complimentary maintenance program. It only mentions Added Security, Subaru's paid extended service agreement.
Subaru factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 6,000 miles or 6 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Every 12,000 miles or 12 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Every 30,000 miles or 30 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| 36,000 miles, then every 30,000 (66k, 96k, 126k) |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Every 60,000 miles or 60 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| 72,000 miles or 72 months |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| 137,500 miles or 11 years (first) |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
| Severe-condition notes |
| 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) |
How the Ascent compares in its AAA category (medium SUV (4WD))
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Ascent | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Toyota Highlander | $1,769 | 0.393 Above average | About average |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | $1,769 | 0.517 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | $1,769 | 0.552 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | $1,769 | 0.592 Below average | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Explorer | $1,769 | 0.918 Below average | Yes — higher than most |
| Honda Pilot | $1,769 | 1.07 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Jeep Wrangler | $1,769 | 1.12 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Kia Sorento | $1,769 | 1.29 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Toyota 4Runner | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Honda Odyssey | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Palisade | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Kia Telluride | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Bronco | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Chevrolet Traverse | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Volkswagen Atlas | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Porsche Cayenne | $2,168 | — | Yes — higher than most |
| Lexus RX | Not priced | 0.202 Best | Not priced |
| Acura MDX | Not priced | 1.21 Worst | Not priced |
| BMW X5 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Audi Q7 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Land Rover Range Rover | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Land Rover Range Rover Sport | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Volvo XC90 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Genesis GV80 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Cadillac Escalade | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Aviator | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Nautilus | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Navigator | Not priced | — | Not priced |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ascent high maintenance?
Somewhat. The Subaru Ascent is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark, it costs about $1,769 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $113 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average.
Is the Ascent expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,769 a year, $8,845 over 5 years. AAA 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark: 11.79¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Ascent-specific quote.
How much does a Ascent cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,690 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the Ascent need an oil change?
Subaru's published oil-change interval: 6,000 miles or 6 months. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Subaru to maintain?
Of the 4 Subaru models we cover, the Crosstrek has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,619 a year (AAA 2025 subcompact SUV benchmark).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Subaru's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- 2025 Subaru Warranty & Maintenance Booklet — 2025 MY All Vehicles, Federal/California (techinfo.subaru.com) — Subaru (opened 2026-11-06)