AI DamageSubaru B9 Tribeca: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Subaru B9 Tribeca across 7 model years: 145 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 26% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 9% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 7% of all complaints
- Structure: 37 complaints (26% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 30 complaints (21% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 26 complaints (18% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 16 complaints (11% of all).
- Visibility: 13 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 145 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 37 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 30 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
In addition, the contact stated that an unknown air bag recall repair was performed on the vehicle in 2023. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The Police and paramedics were at the scene. A Police report was filed, however, some of the information was unavailable.
Sudden Unintended Acceleration: While driving up the inclining driveway to my Dr. office for my Covid vaccine, all of a sudden, my car accelerated as if someone stomped on my gas pedal! Had I not turned right into the parking lot, I would have crashed, head-on into a stone retaining wall.
Approaching a stop and my brakes failed! The pedal was hard as a rock. I could not stop the vehicle as I was heading into crossing traffic. I ended up hitting a snow bank. I had the car towed to the dealership for repair. They replaced the brake booster and vacuum hoses.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 subaru b9 tribeca. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph when the brakes were applied but the vehicle did not respond. The brake pedal fell to the floorboard after applying excessive force. The vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle.
I was driving 70 mph on the right most northbound lane of I-75 at mile marker 452 in florida. The road had become wet from recent rain. The rear of my car suddenly started fishtailing to the right.
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the fuel stop dripping. The contact stated that upon pulling into a store parking lot two days later, bystanders alerted the contact that the vehicle was on fire.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.