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Horrible in a cross wind and a question on the rear hatch

15K views 61 replies 24 participants last post by  hokiefyd 
#1 · (Edited)
We've had the Ascent now for about 4,000 miles and one thing every driver has noticed is how affected this vehicle is by a cross wind. Anyone else have this? It's not uncommon for us to have 15-20mph crosswinds, especially in the winter. My wife was complaining the car felt like it was "skating" on dry pavement at highway speeds. I drove the car the other day and in a cross wind I felt what she was talking about---she identified it from the passenger seat. At 70mph with a 15mph crosswind the car literally moved across the centerline with no steering input--it spooked me. (also as the road turned and the wind became a headwind the hood shook so much I thought it was coming off---very scary). It was pretty unnerving. On the return trip of the same route, the car nearly moved into the center barrier, which indicated a move to the opposite direction as before, so it doesn't seem to be a directional steering issue or indicate anything wrong with the steering components. Lane assist is turned off (and has been since exactly 8 miles of ownership as we both hate it strongly). The tires are original and the PSI is set at factory 33psi. I've never had a car be so affected by wind, especially with this curb weight. It happens on all different road surfaces. I get that there is a fair amount of cross section, but come on-- We've had other SUVs of all sizes and none have ever done this. To be honest, I could see a novice driver not expecting that actually have an accident it moved so much. Without a crosswind, the car tracks straight and true and otherwise handles normally. There are a lot of quirks to this car and now 4k into it, my wife really doesn't like driving it and wants to go back to a Ford Edge, alas, we are stuck with it for 3 years (long story)....We both think unless something really changes, it will be our last...which is funny as we have multiple friends who are on their 3rd or 4th Subaru that swear by them.

Now, second question is probably user error, but going to ask. The hatch open button on the dash only seems to work if I have the car turned off and the drivers door open. If I try to open it with the door closed and engine running, it will only beep and me and not open. Is this normal? It's a PIA.

Finally, a quick update on mileage. The absolute best we have seen is 22.00 driving 90% highway at 60-65 mph. The best we have ever done is to get 372 miles out of a tank when the low fuel light comes on. Neither of us drives the car hard and and I don't every remember revving the engine over 32-3300 rpms. Apparently it's one of the ones that's simply a gas hog. One friend has an Ascent and he is an absolute lead foot and he has never gotten less than 26mph. Oh well.

Curious to hear any insights. I guess on the positive side, the car is nice to drive at less than 40mph!!!! LOL
 
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#2 ·
Hi! To the first question, yes, the car is big and you can feel crosswinds, but, no, it shouldn't feel like you're describing. I'd start with checking the tire inflation, and following that, check the alignment.

To the second, the hatch won't open unless the car is in park and the doors are unlocked.

And to the mpg, it will improve in the first thousand or two miles, especially if/when you get used to the twitchy gas pedal.
 
#9 ·
Hi! To the first question, yes, the car is big and you can feel crosswinds, but, no, it shouldn't feel like you're describing. I'd start with checking the tire inflation, and following that, check the alignment.

To the second, the hatch won't open unless the car is in park and the doors are unlocked.

And to the mpg, it will improve in the first thousand or two miles, especially if/when you get used to the twitchy gas pedal.
Thanks. I have driven full size SUVS as well as comparably sized SUVs for 20 years and even a few mini vans thrown in there. I have never experienced anything like this in any of those vehicles. Ever have an 18 wheeler blow by you at a much higher speed and you can feel the pressure wave? It's like that but literally 5-7 times worse. The only way I can describe it is the whole car literally shifts left or right. I can confirm tire inflation is at 33psi with 2 different digital gauges as well as the TPMS. I agree the steering is light, but my Sequoia steering is actually much lighter and I have never had it do that. I have verified the doors are unlocked for the rear hatch, but I'll try again. The car is a little over 4k and so far the gas mileage hasn't really improved.
 
#3 ·
Now, second question is probably user error, but going to ask. The hatch open button on the dash only seems to work if I have the car turned off and the drivers door open. If I try to open it with the door closed and engine running, it will only beep and me and not open. Is this normal? It's a PIA.
If the rear gate is "locked," it will not open and you get the beep. Try hitting the door unlock button first (hence why it works when your door is opened). You also need to be in Park, but I don't think that was the issue you were having.
 
#4 ·
Greetings,
I've never noticed any particular vulnerability to cross winds.
I did once have the hood shake on a freeway. I believe other threads exist about it. I haven't done anything about it or seen it again. But I assume I would in just the right situation.
For mileage, I'll just throw out that I see a big difference between summer and winter. At least 4 mpg.
 
#5 ·
The hood shake is actually a TSB you can have your dealer address. Apparently the two layers are not bonded together well and give an appearance like a loose hood latch. I've been meaning to have it done. Just haven't made it back to the dealer yet.

I get about 24 mpg on long highway trips with a roof box attached.
 
#6 ·
The steering on this car is pretty quick, and very light. I think this contributes to the difficulty in driving with a crosswind. I, too, experience something similar in ours. I have not had the alignment on ours checked, but our tires are wearing pretty consistently and pretty evenly, so it's not grossly out of whack. It often takes just a slight tweak here or there to make a big difference, though.

Our other two vehicles are also large 4,500 pound SUVs, but their steering is slower and more heavily weighted. They feel more lethargic to drive on the road, in terms of handling, but they're also more stable. The Ascent is a tremendously nimble vehicle for weighing north of 4,500 pounds, and it takes a very light touch to drive it. I think it's something to get used to, and I've come to prefer the way the Ascent drives to our other two SUVs. But that's totally user preference, and I respect opinions on both sides of the issue.
 
#8 ·
Now, second question is probably user error, but going to ask. The hatch open button on the dash only seems to work if I have the car turned off and the drivers door open. If I try to open it with the door closed and engine running, it will only beep and me and not open. Is this normal? It's a PIA.
The button will work if you click the unlock button on the driver's door first. Opening it does the same thing...unless a passenger opens their door first. Then you MUST click the unlock button on the driver door before using the hatch open button on the dash. (which is a "long push" as you may have noticed. There is an optional TSB to resolve the "passenger door opened first" issue if it's a problem for you.
 
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#11 ·
I'd definitely have the alignment checked. I'm over 70K miles all over the country, without the car ever doing anything I haven't told it to.

As for the gas mileage, what speeds do you drive at? Sadly, EPA testing is at 60 mph and less. The Ascent loses gas mileage quickly when driving over that speed, because, it's a big car that's not too aerodynamic.
 
#14 ·
Unless there's a hurricane, gusty winds are kind of rare around here. Last week, we had 20mph wind with gusts to 35. I was driving on an elevated stretch of interstate and experienced quite a bit of cross wind. It was certainly noticeable but not uncontrollable. I was surprised how noticeable it was compared to the much lighter mini-vans I have owned.
 
#16 ·
I did some interesting tests with the Outback and Lane Centering in high winds, and, the car handled them easily, while I was very slightly nudged by them, as most everyone in most cars are. I learned the reaction issue was mine.

I suspect, with LKA, it can be worse, because it's a "double-react", so to speak. A wind gust hits the car and nudges it, person starts to react, LKA reacts, "boosting" the person's reaction.
 
#18 · (Edited)
2020 Ascent Touring. At 4000 miles or so, I achieved 27 mpg on round trip from Fayetteville, PA to Fort Lauderdale and back. All highway. You have to keep your speed down to around 60 mph and keep the cruise on to achieve these numbers. No issues with cross winds here, and we get a lot in South Central PA.

The only issue I had with this car is that I pocket launched the tailgate while the vehicle was in the garage. Did not catch the situation till morning. Battery was dead. Jumped it and it started. After reading reviews on this sight, I just went out and bought an Optima Yellowtop Battery (at my own expense). Perhaps the Odyssey is the better battery, but not sure it would fit in the 2020. No issues since, but I keep a Noco Genius jump starter in the car at all times.
 
#19 ·
2020 Ascent Touring. At 4000 miles or so, I achieved 27 mpg on round trip from Fayetteville, PA to Fort Lauderdale and back. All highway. You have to keep your speed down to around 60 mph and keep the cruise on to achieve these numbers. No issues with cross winds here, and we get a lot in South Central PA.

The only issue I had with this car is that I pocket launched the tailgate while the vehicle was in the garage. Did not catch the situation till morning. Battery was dead. Jumped it and it started. After reading reviews on this sight, I just went out and bought an Optima Yellowtop Battery (at my own expense). Perhaps the Odyssey is the better battery, but not sure it would fit in the 2020. No issues since, but I keep a Noco Genius jump starter in the car at all times.

Hiya! I'd also let the dealership know about your liftgate drain problems, and see if the relevant TSB applies to your car. It does apply to some 2020's that did not get the most recent liftgate controller (because the most recent liftgate controller wasn't available when the cars were built).
 
#23 ·
to add 2 cent on my 2019 Ascent.
I agree, It handles not so well at cross-wind and on road bumps. Similar to a minivan ( I compare with my Odyssey)
i believe, it is a suspension design issue. Well-designed suspensions (like some Mercedes or BMW and some Toyotas) would always converge to a straight line and stay stable at this position.
Ascent does not have this. So any wind or bumps would easily destabilise it from straight line and it keeps swinging left and right - There is no stable center....
(there were lots of reviews highlighting this problem with Ascent)
To be fair, my Odyssey or Sorento had similar behaviour, but handled a bit better.
 
#24 ·
Apples and Oranges. Front wheel drive vehicles have inherent straight line stability because they are getting pulled. The rest is up to the alignment settings. The alignment settings have a wide range which will be acceptable and in spec.

The engineers decide how "quick" the handling will be. If you want slower handling and more straight line stability, bring your car to a shop that handles performance cars instead of a tire shop or Subaru who will only use the alignment specs in the book.

My other cars have been set for fast handling. The Ascent feels like it's on rails by comparison (no it wanders off straight line but my other cars change lanes just at the thought of changing lanes)
 
#25 ·
Most of the rest are also lower, with less ground clearance. That makes a difference too.
 
#28 ·
I drove my new '21 Ltd over to Jackson from Central Wa about 6 weeks ago. We have a big roof box on with our ski gear. We had cross winds. Using the "Lane Centering" function was crazy, the car see sawed back and forth across the lane. Without Lane Centering, the car drove beautifully.
 
#29 ·
...At 70mph with a 15mph crosswind the car literally moved across the centerline with no steering input...
Without a crosswind, the car tracks straight and true and otherwise handles normally.
emphasis mine

This is how our 2021 Limited behaved in high winds on highway driving. I made sure that I kept my hands and the wheel perfectly still and watched gusts and traffic approach or pass and the car would move and track away from the gust. I had then corrected by steering into the wind to get the car back in the center of the lane. Then I had to steer back to center again until the next gust. Seemed a bit excessive to me.

I'm going to have the dealership check the alignment next time I go in.

I've read elsewhere that this kind of behavior may exacerbated a bit by the low profile 20" wheels and tires that are stock on the car. I'm wondering if swapping them out for 18" rims and tires with a traditional profile would help? Thoughts?
 
#31 ·
I'm having the same issue on a 2021 Premium with 18" rims, so I don't think that will help. We drove to the outer banks last weekend and the car was making us nauseous. We were all over the lane with lane centering on and lane keeping or off at 70mph and ~20mph winds. Didn't notice other cars or semi's having the same problem. I traded in a 20 year old full size Ford van (RWD) that didn't have anywhere close to this problem. I also have had a Honda with lane centering for 5 years, so I'm very used to that.
Later, got a rock in the windshield, lower corner passenger side. The chip grew to about 8" wide in 30 miles. Also had to replace tire 70 miles after purchase (550 miles total so far). Not having any luck with this car at all.
 
#30 ·
I'm still having crosswind issues (2019 touring), and wandering at speeds above 45mph, even with my Winter wheels and tires, which are -2" from the OE wheels ( I have alignments done 2x/yr when I swap out, so that's not the issue).

But I've driven newer ascent loaners ( lower trim levels), that don't move in crosswinds or wander as much, so I wonder if they made any changes. I've inadvertently set off the "hands on wheel," warning multiple times on my loaners, and only once ( after intentionally trying) on my '19- I wasn't even sure my '19 had this since it had never gone off..
 
#35 ·
I have a '21 and I wouldn't say it's horrible in the crosswinds. I find the steering a little sensitive/twitchy at times, but it's not bad which makes the crosswinds a little annoying to deal with. It's quite a bit different than the Cayenne we had previously, but that's to be expected.

I have driven larger vehicles, most recently an Expedition Max, that felt a little more stable in crosswinds than the Ascent so I don't know that size/height is always the determining factor. Overall though, we aren't in many high wind areas where it's a real concern for us.
 
#39 ·
I suspect that something about the Ascent's aerodynamics make it particularly sensitive to crosswinds. I don't know what that is. Even at more moderate speeds on fresh pavement (so I don't think tramlining is to blame), I can drive a perfectly straight and smooth path and still get a feeling that something (wind I guess) is pushing the front of the car back and forth. It feels like something's tugging the front end left and right.

Though I haven't had the alignment checked, I'm pretty certain it's not related to that. My tires are wearing very well and I don't get this feeling on truly calm days. It's just on windy days.

I'm used to driving trucks and other vehicles with large cross sections. We've owned two minivans before. Our other cars right now are a Honda Ridgeline (brick) and an Acura MDX (similar in shape and size to the Ascent). Neither one of them feels near as sensitive to the wind as the Ascent does.

I drove last Friday with a very stiff (15-20 mph) wind on I-81. It was nearly a direct headwind for the out leg and nearly a direct tail wind on the return leg. The out leg was a pretty jittery ride. At 70 mph, the car was all over the lane. I mean, it wasn't jumping left and right by 5 feet or anything, but it required continual steering input to keep it lined up correctly. It didn't feel much different from my old 2,800 pound Corolla -- it didn't feel very "planted" at all. On the way back, the ride was super serene and the steering felt completely different -- it felt much more solid and stable. It felt like a 4,500 pound SUV, and it felt like our other two SUVs feel all the time...windy or calm.

Again, I don't know what it is about the Ascent, but I feel like there's something creating this byproduct, aerodynamically.
 
#40 ·
I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that we've got ram air for the intercooler essentially pushing up on the underside of the hood skin...pressurizing the area under the hood. I wouldn't think that would have near enough effect to lighten the front of the car enough for it to feel this way, but that's certainly an aerodynamic difference between the Ascent and pretty much every other large vehicle out there.
 
#42 ·
I agree the Ascent as well as the ‘16 OB I had previously don’t like cross winds. Ever since I had the front coils (springs) replaced (under warranty) recently on the Ascent it handles a lot better in windy conditions. I can actually drive the thing one handed now with very little effort and not be hanging on for dear life.My back totally approves of the fix done 😷
 
#45 ·
Thinking further about this, I guess my theory about the ram air for the intercooler could be verified in the Outback world. 2.5L Outbacks would not have this ram air scoop system built-in to the hood, but 2.4L Outbacks would. I don't know if Outback owners tend to note the same concerns that we have regarding crosswinds. I don't recall the two loaner Outbacks (2.5L) I've had to be as sensitive as the Ascent, but I also don't remember the wind conditions on those particular days, either.

@Luis Padilla was it you who recently bought new Conti CrossContact LX25s or was that a different member? If it was you, did you note any difference in the way the car drives in crosswinds? I wouldn't expect it to be any different, but I'm just curious. I suppose, in theory, newer tires would only make it worse due to the deeper tread (more tread squirm).
 
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