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2008 Subaru TribecaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 14 owner complaints about the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 9 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 recalls9Lowest repair rate 54%Owner complaints142 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem6Air bags

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

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Subaru Tribeca has problems

14 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 bags60
Steering20
Structure21
Exterior lighting21
Engine and engine cooling11
Latches/locks/linkages10
Service brakes10
Suspension10
Electrical system10
2 other systems20

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

9 recalls

2008 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 →

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 →

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 →

Show 5 more recalls
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 →

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 →

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 →

–no report yet

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Recall 08V-645 · Dec 9, 2008 · 5,130 vehicles

Risk. IF THE SENSOR WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, VEHICLE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS DURING HARD BRAKING, SUDDEN TURNS OR OTHER QUICK MANEUVERS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO…

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

2008 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

2008 Subaru Tribeca safety ratings

2008 Subaru B9 Tribeca 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Subaru Tribeca frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2008 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* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU TRIBECA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V358000 (AIR BAGS) WAS RECEIVED IN JUNE OF 2016. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER (PALM SPRINGS SUBARU IN PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA) AND THE MANUFACTURER ON MULTIPLE…
Complaint 11000895 · Jun 23, 2017
TAKATA RECALL - I RECEIVED NOTICE AUGUST 2016 THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE TAKATA AIRBAG WAS BEING RECALLED. 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…
Complaint 10954493 · Feb 14, 2017
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU TRIBECA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V359000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE…
Complaint 10937962 · Dec 28, 2016

Own a 2008 Tribeca?

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