[shmoo]

Yikes, just saw an article about J.D. Power Initial Quality Study and Subaru ranks near the bottom of the study. This is my first Subaru, hopefully the Ascent won't have too many issues.

https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2018/06/worst-10-automakers-initial-quality-2018.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...-critical-j-d-power-quality-survey/716842002/

 

[FoRealz]

Ugh, that's a bit concerning...

 

[gobears157]

Interesting article - thanks for sharing. I wished they provided more details beyond the headline grabber though. Anyone have access to the actual JD Power report with hopefully more details?

This doesn't deter any of us from being excited about the Ascent though... I'm sure.

 

[lassetjus]

The study examines problems experienced by original vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership. A vehicle’s ‘initial quality’ is then determined by recording the number of problems a certain model experiences per 100 vehicles

I wouldn't put too much stock in this. I go by what real people are saying. And most are saying nothing but good things about Subaru.

 

[gobears157]

I wouldn't put too much stock in this. I go by what real people are saying. And most are saying nothing but good things about Subaru.

That's a good point. What are some of the "known issues" that other Subarus have had? There are lots of Subie owners here... want to give us some insight into what might be leading to the JD Power results?

 

[Rgashton]

Yikes, just saw an article about J.D. Power Initial Quality Study and Subaru ranks near the bottom of the study. This is my first Subaru, hopefully the Ascent won't have too many issues.

https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2018/06/worst-10-automakers-initial-quality-2018.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...-critical-j-d-power-quality-survey/716842002/

Psh. That’s what the warranty is for. Initial quality - problem solved, lol. :nerd: :tango_face_wink:

 

[zulater]

It's based on 'problem' per 100 vehicles. The 'problem' could range from motor spun a bearing to this button is hard to push based on what I could find. Even the JD Power article references "No one makes a bad car".

 

[SubaruSpecialtyProducts]

There have been lots and lots of complaints regarding the head unit. NAV and music issues. The OBs almost seem like they are one big glitch for some. There were CVT and torque converter issues with the early CVTs. There are lots of complaints over steering and wandering. These are over the last 8 years.

I expect that many, if not all mechanical issues are worked out moving into the Ascent. Most of the suspension and drive-train details I have seen all look like changes in a better direction. The head unit getting fixed? I am not going to wager on that one.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Some big car company once pointed out that "Initial Quality" awards are ridiculous for most brands, because they really don't say anything meaningful. They even went as far as to claim it was a made up award for one of the Big 3 - as well as dozens of other JD Power awards that the particular Big 3 company likes to brag about that don't seem to have any meaning. I cannot talk either way to the veracity of that claim.

PERSONALLY:
I care about long term reliability. I'd much rather something go wrong in the first few days or first month, and in any case, I'd much rather it be a Subaru than another brand. I'm not saying that I trust Subaru a lot more to deal with such things, even often doing recalls out of the blue because of customer feedback (or 10 years worth of free headlights and bulb reimbursement for us 2010 Outback owners), or that I trust that it would be even more important on such an important release...

...actually, yes, yes I am saying that. :grin: :tango_face_wink:

 

[OzarkOverland]

Seems like the Ascent is pulling in a lot of first time Subaru buyers ... these new owners will learn Subarus are not as refined as say Toyota or Honda in many areas. Subarus are quirky and the boxer engine sounds different, and if your new to a CVT that can take time to adjust to - but overall they are solid, safe and well made vehicles.

 

[scooby]

Seems like the Ascent is pulling in a lot of first time Subaru buyers ... these new owners will learn Subarus are not as refined as say Toyota or Honda in many areas. Subarus are quirky and the boxer engine sounds different, and if your new to a CVT that can take time to adjust to - but overall they are a solid, safe and well made vehicles.

If it doesnt creak, shake, or rattle, it isnt a subaru. :tango_face_wink:

 

[SubaruSpecialtyProducts]

Seems like the Ascent is pulling in a lot of first time Subaru buyers ... these new owners will learn Subarus are not as refined as say Toyota or Honda in many areas. Subarus are quirky and the boxer engine sounds different, and if your new to a CVT that can take time to adjust to - but overall they are a solid, safe and well made vehicles.

This happened in waves over the last 8 years with the Outbacks. many complaint were from folks moving from different brands. Coming to Subaru from Lexus, Audi, Toyota and Honda. Being a chassis guy, it's a good thing the Subi Global Platform has made improvements. My 2005 and 2006 are pretty brittle. My Dad's A3 has multiple layers of chassis/bracing and suspension where my car has (1)

I think it will take 6 months or so until the shine wears off. Then the nitpickers are going to come out of the woodwork.

 

[BrentB]

I'm about to order an Ascent, and I hope the first run of a new model isn't going to be a problem. This will be my third Subaru.

My first was a 2002 WRX wagon (purchased in Dec 2001). I did numerous track days with that car, maintained it well, and never had a problem. Sold it in 2007.

My wife's 2016 Outback has had:
* steering column fix, whatever the issue was with that. Covered by recall.
* front passenger seat belt retractor failure. Mechanism failed, seatbelt became unusable. Covered by warranty.
* key stuck in ignition lock. Just today dealership ordered parts for this. Covered by warranty.

While I'm surprised at the problems our Outback has had, I'm still looking forward to the Ascent.

 

[SubaruSpecialtyProducts]

If it doesnt creak, shake, or rattle, it isnt a subaru. :tango_face_wink:

Sounds like both of mine. At least it's got boost.

 

[Sparkland]

There have been lots and lots of complaints regarding the head unit. NAV and music issues. The OBs almost seem like they are one big glitch for some. There were CVT and torque converter issues with the early CVTs. There are lots of complaints over steering and wandering. These are over the last 8 years.

I expect that many, if not all mechanical issues are worked out moving into the Ascent. Most of the suspension and drive-train details I have seen all look like changes in a better direction. The head unit getting fixed? I am not going to wager on that one.

The latest Impreza received numerous complaints about the infotainment center and engine. The Achilles heal for the Ascent might just involve the transmission and engine since they are new. I would definitely keep the check book handy for the extended warranty.

 

[Flarpswitch]

Have you ever watched a Chevrolet commercial on television where there is a showroom full of excited shoppers (with good credit I would guess) and eager sales staff with clip boards ready to take orders? Fiction. Don't believe me; pick a random day and a random time and pop in. You might see a busy service area doing warranty and recall repairs. Many commercial will not advertise their cars so much as tell you that their brand has accumulated more J.D. Power awards than the competition. These awards are about as valid as an Oscar from AMPAS. Just because a film won an Oscar does not make it good. Have you ever really stopped to think about what it means to get an award for initial perceived quality? What kind of crap is that? You do a survey of people that just bought a new Chevy and ask the right questions. The new car smell hasn't worn off yet and everything is still shiny. Yay! Ask them again in a year when they just poured kitty litter over the oil puddle in the garage. Subaru has a few awards they show off in a low key manner, but the best approval that carries the most weight is how your dog likes the car. My dog loves our Forester. How do I know? I ask him if he wants to go for a ride and watch him do his happy dance. The BRZ is a little more confining, but he will go if that is how he will get to the dog park. Dog tested, dog approved. This is the survey that I used to gauge if I was going to buy my first Subaru: First I ask friends who own a Subaru about their car. Then I ask random people I meet about their car. Here in Oregon, it is not hard to find someone to talk about their Subaru when every third car in the parking lot is a Subaru. Is the Subaru perfect in all respects? No. Does it live up to the expectations of it's owners? Maybe the answer to that question is the cult-like following for the brand. I would not let surveys rain on your parade. I can't recall when I have observed this amount of excitement and anticipation surrounding the Ascent release. Personally, the last time I recall any identification to a car is when I bought a new 1973 Honda Civic. Owners were waving at each other on the road. Come 1974 and the gas lines, we were all having to say no to countless cash offers to buy our Hondas. One offer I refused was $400 more than the $2250 I paid for the car the year before. If J. D. Power asked me to fill out a questionnaire then, it would be fairly favorable. In about two or three years I will be able to tell if the Ascent was a mistake. Nothing can be as bad as the 1984 Dodge Caravan that nearly killed my family when the engine stopped the car dead in freeway traffic when the AC compressor seized. That car will always be the benchmark for my measurement of quality.

 

[gobears157]

The latest Impreza received numerous complaints about the infotainment center and engine. The Achilles heal for the Ascent might just involve the transmission and engine since they are new. I would definitely keep the check book handy for the extended warranty.

Already plan on maxing out the warranty (either 7/100 or 8/120).

 

[Robert.Mauro]

...and if your new to a CVT that can take time to adjust to.

I disagree on this one. At least for first time Ascent buyers. I know their other CVTs felt different, but, except when flooring it uphill, the Ascent CVT felt like a 7 speed automatic. I presume that if I'd hit 90, it would have used it's 8th fake gear.

If you get a chance to try a 2018 Outback before you get to try an Ascent, you'll have somewhat of an idea of what to expect out of the Ascent. The Ascent is very "luxury-soft" shift, while the 2018 Outback is a little more aggressive, but they both feel like automatics under normal driving conditions, and, in the case of the Ascent, even when floored on a straight-away.

In manual mode, I couldn't get either car to manually go into 8th "gear" - but I didn't speed in either.

Now, if you are talking about their CVTs up to 2015... yeah, quite a bit different than an automatic. 2016+ was better, 2018 was really really nice, and the Ascent follows suit.

 

[Jg2000]

Seems like the Ascent is pulling in a lot of first time Subaru buyers ... these new owners will learn Subarus are not as refined as say Toyota or Honda in many areas. Subarus are quirky and the boxer engine sounds different, and if your new to a CVT that can take time to adjust to - but overall they are solid, safe and well made vehicles.

Depends on meaning of word "refined"
In some ways, the boxer+CVT combination will automatically make Subaru's much more refined in one area as compared with other vehicles.

Boxer because of its low vibration due to the opposing pistons cancelling out each other's vibrations.
CVT because of its stepless nature (now marred somewhat by the artificial steps - but luckily, those are very done with a light touch)

The combination makes the transmission setup very smooth. You can google and find descriptions such as "smooth as butter" "silky smooth" in reviews.

The lack of refinement in Subaru is usually due to the stock tires which tend to be noisier (as meant to do both road and light off-road work) and sometimes, thinner sound insulation for some lower trims.

 

[cwnannwn]

Hi. Just make sure you know what JD power is before you place any weight on it.

Infographic: 2018 U.S. Initial Quality Study Key Stats | J.D. Power Cars

The top ten complaints.
1.) Built in voice commands don't recognize voice.
2.) Bluetooth issues
3.) automatic transmission shifts at wrong time or hesitation
4.) Excessive wind noise
5.) Media device ports in the poor location
6.) Materials scuff/soil easy
7.) Navigation in poor location
8.) Poor center console storage
9.) Cup holders poor location
10.)Paint imperfection

Not a major list in my opinion. With JD Power ratings are bias towards manufactures with large number of models: like Chevy, Ford, Nissan. Redesigns and new models always brings new complaints.

When Nissan redesigns their pathfinder, they have 20 other cars to keep up their numbers. When Subaru redesigns, it is 1 out of 8.