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#BS-2008-SUBTRI-6687

2008 Subaru Tribeca

Based on reports from 20 owners and 9 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
20
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Recalls
9
TSBs
52
🟒

Preliminary Verdict

Proceed with Caution

Based on 20 complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, and 9 recalls.

Top reported problems

1

not working properly

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

car would not stop accelerating

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

catalytic failure

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

6 owners reported airbags issues β€” failures commonly reported around 95K miles.

!Inspect the SteeringMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (6 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags6 (30%)
Steering2 (10%)
Lights2 (10%)
Engine2 (10%)
Structure:frame And Members:underbody Shields1 (5%)
Suspension:front:wheel Bearing1 (5%)
Other1 (5%)
Electrical1 (5%)

2008 Subaru Tribeca: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 30% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 95,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 95K-mile mark.

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Lights Issues

Lights complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

2
09
1
10
2
13
1
14
6
16
6
17
2
18

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind β€” know what this car costs to own

Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (9 recalls)

08V645000Dec 2008

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

SUBARU IS RECALLING 5,130 MY 2008-2009 TRIBECA PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (VDC) G-SENSOR WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. THIS SENSOR IS DESIGNED TO BE MOUNTED IN A FORWARD FACING DIRECTION BUT MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARDS DURING PRODUCTION.

12V602000Feb 2013

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).

16V060000Sep 2016

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Tribeca vehicles manufactured November 16, 2004, to January 27, 2014. Due to a possible malfunction of the hood safety system and hood lock system, the hood may open unexpectedly while driving.

16V358000Jul 2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

16V359000Aug 2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

+ 4 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Subaru Tribeca is the 2009 β€” worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2008 Subaru Tribeca vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD)

This vehicle

20

Class avg

49

Below the class average β€” fewer complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 4wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β€” popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 20 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 9 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

2008 Subaru Tribeca: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Subaru Tribeca?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2008 Subaru Tribeca is related to the airbags, with 6 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2008 Subaru Tribeca reliable?
The 2008 Subaru Tribeca has 20 complaints, 0 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average β€” a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Subaru Tribeca problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2008 Subaru Tribeca have any recalls?
Yes, the 2008 Subaru Tribeca has 9 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Tribeca problems start?
Based on 8 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 95,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records β€” then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence β€” what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you β€” no questions asked.
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