Is the Subaru Ascent more reliable than the Ford Edge?

Yes, slightly. Both stand well, and complaint rates per vehicle sold are nearly the same. The Ascent comes out ahead because the Edge has a dominant engine problem: coolant leaking into the cylinders of the 2.0L EcoBoost, which often leads to a full engine replacement.

Which has more recalls, the Ascent or the Edge?

The Edge. Federal recall records show 32 recalls across seven model years for the Edge, compared with 16 across seven model years for the Ascent. Many Edge owners report waiting on parts for a rearview camera recall.

What is the biggest problem with the Ford Edge?

Coolant intrusion in the 2.0L EcoBoost engine. Owners report check engine lights, misfires, white smoke, and coolant that disappears with no puddle. Failures cluster between about 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and dealers often quote a full long-block replacement.

What goes wrong most on the Subaru Ascent?

Electrical faults lead the complaint count, mostly driver-assist and power issues. The CVT is the bigger mechanical worry, with owners describing squealing, shuddering, slipping, and replacement transmissions. The driver's mirror vibration at highway speed is also common, and dealers often say there is no fix.

Which Ascent and Edge years should I avoid?

Avoid the 2019 and 2020 Ascent, its weakest years. For the Edge, avoid 2018 and 2019. The strongest years are 2024 and 2026 for the Ascent and 2024 and 2023 for the Edge, though the newest years have had less time to collect complaints.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent: Reliability Compared

Ford Edge

Good

More Reliable

Subaru Ascent

Good

On reliability, the Subaru Ascent edges out the Ford Edge, though only slightly. Owner complaint rates are close. What decides it is the Edge's 2.0L EcoBoost, which can leak coolant into its cylinders and often leads to engine replacement. The Edge also has twice the recalls.

How Do the Ford Edge and Subaru Ascent Generations Compare?

Most Ascents on the used market belong to the first generation (WM), sold in the US for the 2019 through 2023 model years, with a facelift in 2023. The 2024 through 2026 years are newer, and their lighter complaint records mostly reflect less time on the road. The Edge sits in its second generation (CD539), which began in 2015 and ran through 2024, with a facelift in 2019. Every Edge you are likely to find used falls in that generation. The 2018 model came just before the facelift, and 2019 was the facelift year. Both are among its weakest.

Verdict

The Subaru Ascent is more reliable than the Ford Edge, scoring 69/100 vs 67/100.

A slight edge goes to the Ascent, and severity is the deciding reason. Complaint rates per vehicle sold are close, so neither car wins on how often owners complain. The Ascent's problems are a CVT that shudders and slips and a driver's mirror that shakes. The Edge has a dominant coolant leak in the 2.0L EcoBoost that often ends in a new engine, and it carries twice the recalls. That makes the Edge's worst case costlier and more widespread, though both models still stand well overall.

Key Differences

1Subaru Ascent has 16 fewer total recalls
2Subaru Ascent scores 2 points higher in reliability
3Subaru Ascent has 0.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

0Ford Edge

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3Subaru Ascent

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateSafety Rating

Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent: Which Is More Reliable?

Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Ford Edge	Subaru Ascent
Reliability Score	67/100	69/100
Years Tracked	7	7
Total Recalls	32	16
Complaints per 10k Sold	9.4	9.2
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2024 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	3 (1 tied)	1 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Ford Edge and Subaru Ascent?

Trouble on the Edge is concentrated in one failure. Coolant leaks into the cylinders of the 2.0L EcoBoost, showing up as misfires, white smoke, and coolant that drops with no puddle, and dealers often call for a long-block replacement. The Ascent's complaints spread out: a CVT that squeals, slips, and hesitates, a driver's mirror that shakes at highway speed, and brake pulsing with false automatic braking. Crash-linked reports on the Ascent appear in power train, electrical, and service brakes. The Edge has crash-linked reports in power train, electrical, and back over prevention, where the rearview camera goes blank. Its power train group has the most crash-linked reports of either car.

Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent common problem areas comparison
Component	Ford Edge	Subaru Ascent
POWER TRAIN	3.3Average	1.5Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.5Very Low	2.7Low
ENGINE	2Low	0.3Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.6Very Low	1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	1.4Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.9Very Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.3Very Low	—None
WHEELS	0.1Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.1Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	—None
STEERING	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent Reliability Compare by Year?

Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Ford Edge	Subaru Ascent	Edge
2024	76/1002R / 38C	76/1000R / 43C	Tie
2023	74/1004R / 16C	71/1003R / 36C	Ford Edge
2022	69/1005R / 113C	70/1001R / 50C	Subaru Ascent
2020	64/1004R / 272C	58/1004R / 310C	Ford Edge
2019	60/1003R / 687C	55/1008R / 431C	Ford Edge

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Ford Edge scored 76/100 and the 2024 Subaru Ascent scored 76/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Ford Edge vs the Subaru Ascent?

Pick the Ascent if you want to avoid a single expensive engine failure. Its faults are annoying and sometimes serious, but none matches the Edge's coolant intrusion. Target 2024, one of its strongest years, and skip 2019 and 2020, the weakest. The 2026 model has had little time to collect complaints, so do not choose it just for a clean record. Test drive for CVT shudder and check the driver's mirror at highway speed, since owners say dealers have no fix for the vibration. Pick the Edge if you find a well-priced one and can verify the engine's history. Target 2023 or 2024, the strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019. Owners report coolant-related failures between about 50,000 and 100,000 miles, so ask for service records and have a shop check for coolant loss and misfire codes. Confirm the rearview camera recall work is done, because owners describe long waits for parts.

Ford Edge vs Subaru Ascent: Common Questions

Is the Subaru Ascent more reliable than the Ford Edge?: Yes, slightly. Both stand well, and complaint rates per vehicle sold are nearly the same. The Ascent comes out ahead because the Edge has a dominant engine problem: coolant leaking into the cylinders of the 2.0L EcoBoost, which often leads to a full engine replacement.
Which has more recalls, the Ascent or the Edge?: The Edge. Federal recall records show 32 recalls across seven model years for the Edge, compared with 16 across seven model years for the Ascent. Many Edge owners report waiting on parts for a rearview camera recall.
What is the biggest problem with the Ford Edge?: Coolant intrusion in the 2.0L EcoBoost engine. Owners report check engine lights, misfires, white smoke, and coolant that disappears with no puddle. Failures cluster between about 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and dealers often quote a full long-block replacement.
What goes wrong most on the Subaru Ascent?: Electrical faults lead the complaint count, mostly driver-assist and power issues. The CVT is the bigger mechanical worry, with owners describing squealing, shuddering, slipping, and replacement transmissions. The driver's mirror vibration at highway speed is also common, and dealers often say there is no fix.
Which Ascent and Edge years should I avoid?: Avoid the 2019 and 2020 Ascent, its weakest years. For the Edge, avoid 2018 and 2019. The strongest years are 2024 and 2026 for the Ascent and 2024 and 2023 for the Edge, though the newest years have had less time to collect complaints.

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How we score the Ford Edge and Subaru Ascent

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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