Most common 2008 Subaru Tribeca problems
Share of the 14 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Tribeca complaints by model year
Best Tribeca years: 2014, 2007, 2011. Compare all years →
2008 Subaru Tribeca recalls (9)
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2009 Forester, Legacy and Outback and 2006-2009 Impreza (including WRX and STI models) and Tribeca vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2006-2008 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), Tribeca, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2017.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016.
Show 3 more recalls
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Tribeca vehicles manufactured November 16, 2004, to January 27, 2014. Due to a possible malfunction of the hood safety system and hood lock system, the hood may open unexpectedly while driving.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will complete this recall in two phases. Phase one will involve inspection, cleaning, and lubricating the hood safety and hood lock systems.
Exterior lighting
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fused-harness, free of charge. The recall began February 19, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Subaru is recalling 5,130 my 2008-2009 tribeca passenger vehicles. The vehicle dynamic control (vdc) g-sensor was improperly installed. This sensor is designed to be mounted in a forward facing direction but May have been installed backwards during production.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the position of the vdc g-sensor. If the sensor is found to be installed correctly, no further action is needed.
What 2008 Subaru Tribeca owners say
Air bags
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 temperature cycling. An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death. . . . I have not been able to have a front passenger in my family vehicle since this notice and it has now been 7 months!! I need this vehicle fixed for a family vacation this year. This long of a wait is completely ridiculous and I am beyond disappointed as to how this recall has been dealt with!!
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 occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed for the recall remedy were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2008 Subaru Tribeca engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Subaru Tribeca a good car?
Based on 14 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Tribeca rates average: 3.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tribeca at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Subaru Tribeca?
The air bags — 6 complaints, 43% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (2) and engine & cooling (2).
How many recalls does the 2008 Subaru Tribeca have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, the most recent from April 11, 2019 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Tribeca?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2007 and 2011. See the full Subaru Tribeca years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Subaru Tribeca problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 40% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.