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2006 Subaru TribecaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 9 owner complaints about the 2006 Subaru Tribeca, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 8 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-060 the manufacturer reports only 54% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls8Lowest repair rate 54%Owner complaints94 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage119kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 11, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Subaru Tribeca has problems

9 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags52
Exterior lighting20
Latches/locks/linkages20
Seat belts11
Structure10
Visibility/wiper10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

8 recalls

2006 Subaru Tribeca recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

85%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-026 · Jan 11, 2017 · 69,529 vehicles · 58,760 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

94%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-014 · Jan 10, 2017 · 53,480 vehicles · 50,046 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

71%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-016 · Jan 10, 2017 · 62,764 vehicles · 44,751 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 4 more recalls
83%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-358 · May 25, 2016 · 302,127 vehicles · 249,595 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

63%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-359 · May 25, 2016 · 146,010 vehicles · 92,119 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

54%repaired · 2018 Q1

Hood: latch

Recall 16V-060 · Feb 3, 2016 · 77,017 vehicles · 41,682 repaired

Risk. If the hood unexpectedly opens while driving, it may interfere with the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Exterior lighting

Recall 12V-602 · Dec 26, 2012 · 633,842 vehicles

Risk. Over time, migration of the moisture into the circuit board and/or into the connector cavity, may result in a short circuit of the puddle light system.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Subaru.

Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other Tribeca year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Tribeca median. How we score

'06'07'08'09'10'11'13'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 Subaru Tribeca safety ratings

2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2006 Subaru Tribeca frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2006 Subaru Tribeca side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (16.4% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Tribeca owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU TRIBECA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V359000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE…
Complaint 11019295 · Aug 24, 2017
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU TRIBECA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V359000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL…
Complaint 10969541 · Mar 30, 2017
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU TRIBECA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V359000 (AIR BAGS), 16V060000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES, STRUCTURE). THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE TWO DEALERS WERE…
Complaint 10929963 · Dec 5, 2016

Own a 2006 Tribeca?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.