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#BS-2008-SUBTRI-66872008 Subaru Tribeca
Based on reports from 20 owners and 9 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Proceed with Caution
Based on 20 complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, and 9 recalls.
Top reported problems
not working properly
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
car would not stop accelerating
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
catalytic failure
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
6 owners reported airbags issues β failures commonly reported around 95K miles.
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Airbags (6 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
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
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
Recall History (9 recalls)
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 20 owner reports. Know before you buy.