AI Damage2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca filed 26 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 26
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 31% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 23% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 19% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 15% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 15% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 12% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (31% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 6 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 5 complaints (19% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 26 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
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.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was running but continued to randomly shutdown. While at a stop light, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated.
Recently, my vehicle was found to have a rusted fuel filler neck. The rusting is toward to "top", well away from road salt and water. The problem is causing fuel fumes to escape, including directly into the passenger compartment.
Car has fuel fumes very strong smelling in car. I look on this as a safety problem for me and the kids travelling in my car. But I guess people has to die first before any action is taken like the boeing airlines. The car is overheating and tgey cannot tell you why it is doing it.
The smell is overwhelming.even with the windows cracked. Very very dangerous. Why is there not a recall when on line a large population of people has the problem. Or does a couple cars have to explode with the gasoline issue before a recall is done. This needs immediate attention.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 subaru b9 tribeca. While driving approximately 60 mph, the hood opened unexpectedly and shattered the windshield. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was called a few times, but the line was busy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 subaru b9 tribeca. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v358000 (air bags) for the front passenger inflator. The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
"takata recall" I purchased this car because of the options. One being the passenger seat can be adjusted for my handicap passenger. Since july 2016 I have not been using this feature due to the possibility of it being hazardous if it was to inflate.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,319 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the B9 Tribeca has 21 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 26, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, structure. Total complaints: 26. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), unintended acceleration (12%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2007 models
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 2026-11-06.