Reliability & cost of ownership
Subaru Tribeca Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Subaru Tribeca? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Subaru Tribeca problems by model year
65 recall entries and 45 owner complaints on file across 8 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Tribeca | 6 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Tribeca | 7 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 Tribeca | 8 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 Tribeca | 10 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 Tribeca | 9 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 Tribeca | 9 | 14 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 Tribeca | 8 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 Tribeca | 8 | 9 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Subaru Tribeca, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- air bags15 complaints
- structure6 complaints
- exterior lighting6 complaints
- service brakes5 complaints
- electrical system5 complaints
- power train4 complaints
- latches/locks/linkages3 complaints
- steering3 complaints