Subaru Tribeca Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
51 NHTSA complaints (2006–2013).Complaint rate: 95.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Subaru Tribeca?
Quick answer from 51 NHTSA complaints · 2006–2013
Subaru Tribeca shows elevated crash or fire rates — buy with caution. 7.8% of reported complaints involved a crash — above the ~4% mainstream average. Most complaints relate to airbags. Inspect carefully or consider a different model in the same class.
- 2011 Subaru Tribeca· 2 complaints
- 2013 Subaru Tribeca· 2 complaints
- 2010 Subaru Tribeca· 4 complaints
- 2008 Subaru Tribeca· 20 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- airbags — 15 complaints (13.3% involved a crash)
- headlight/taillight failures — 4 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- brakes — 4 complaints (25.0% involved a crash)
- electrical faults — 4 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- body structure — 4 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2008 Subaru Tribeca. The 2013 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Airbags.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Subaru Tribeca Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 15 | 13.3% |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 4 | 0.0% |
| Brakes | 4 | 25.0% |
| Electrical Faults | 4 | 0.0% |
| Body Structure | 4 | 0.0% |
| Steering Defects | 2 | 0.0% |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 0.0% |
| Engine Problems | 2 | 0.0% |
| Latches / Locks | 2 | 0.0% |
| Seat Belt Issues | 2 | 50.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (51 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Subaru Tribecaaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Subaru Tribeca?
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