Subaru Tribeca Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 28 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Subaru Tribeca (2006–2009) that have at least 5 complaints. 2008 has the most, with 14. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (11 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Tribeca model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 5 | 52,010 | 9 | 48 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 14 | 70,000 | 9 | 52 | — | Not enough data |
| 2006 | 9 | 97,154 | 8 | 46 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags11 34%
- Body and structure4 13%
- Exterior lighting4 13%
- Brakes4 13%
- Latches, locks and linkages3 9.4%
- Steering2 6.3%
- Electronic stability control2 6.3%
- Electrical system2 6.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2009: “I was going around a bend and the brake pedal locked. I was unable to utilize the brakes. Due to this brake failure, I drove up on a hillside and smashed into a telephone pole. Feel that this is a mechanical defect in the car which caused the accident as the brake pedal was locked into place. The car had no known mechanical issues and was inspected in july 2014.”
NHTSA complaint #10670882, filed 2015-01, 52,000 miles2006: “Spontaneous crack in windshield we have purchased this vehicle used in 2088 and have replace the windshield each year of ownership from a spontaneous crack in the windshield. We windshield will be whole when parked and the next morning it will have a crack which originates in the bottom center of the windshield. I have changed glass companies multiple times thinking that it was installation issues but the spontaneous crack in windshield continues to happen. We are on windshield #6 of our ownership of this vehicle. Poor windshield wiper design. …”
NHTSA complaint #10616473, filed 2014-07, 71,000 miles2008: “When the outside temperature dips below 20 degrees f, the brakes fail to work. This has happened 5 times now in the year 2014. This has happened each time my car has sat out in the cold temperatures (<20 degrees) for 8 hours (while at work). When pulling out of my space in the outdoor parking garage, my brake pedal becomes hard and I am unable to depress it. My car will not stop. Applying hard pressure slows it down. This has happened on dry pavement. I once had to use the emergency brake to stop. It has also occurred once after I was operating the car for at least 15 minutes. …”
NHTSA complaint #10568359, filed 2014-03, 95,000 milesOther Subaru models
9,776 complaintsSubaru Forester
6,527 complaintsSubaru Legacy
3,182 complaintsSubaru Impreza
2,649 complaintsSubaru Crosstrek
1,191 complaintsSubaru Ascent
1,038 complaintsSubaru WRX
969 complaintsSubaru SVX
279 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology