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2007 Subaru Tribeca problems

The most common problem on the 2007 Subaru Tribeca is airbags. Its complaint count is close to a typical Tribeca model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
4
Recalls
8
Service bulletins
46
Worst area
Airbags

The worst 2007 Subaru Tribeca problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Airbags
    2
  • Brakes
    1
  • Engine
    1
  • Seat belts
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Airbags
    2
  • Brakes
    1
  • Engine
    1
  • Seat belts
    1

Recalls 8

Electrical system: ignition: switchReported April 11, 2019 · 511 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Risk
The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
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. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

Recall number 19V297000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported January 11, 2017 · 69,529 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. 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.
Risk
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-17.

Recall number 17V026000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported January 10, 2017 · 53,480 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. 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.
Risk
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.

Recall number 17V014000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported January 10, 2017 · 62,764 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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 York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-17.

Recall number 17V016000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported May 25, 2016 · 302,127 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. 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.
Risk
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑856‑488‑8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.

Recall number 16V358000 · Recall details

Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator moduleReported May 25, 2016 · 146,010 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. 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.
Risk
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑856‑488‑8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-16. Note: This notice is only for vehicles that were not covered by 16V‑358 for Zone A.

Recall number 16V359000 · Recall details

Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latchReported February 3, 2016 · 77,017 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Risk
If the hood unexpectedly opens while driving, it may interfere with the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. If after this is performed the hood latch does not operate properly, it will be replaced with a new current style part. Phase two will involve installing an improved hood safety system and hood lock system. Interim notification was mailed March 4, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQX-59 (phase one) and WQY-60 (phase two).

Recall number 16V060000 · Recall details

Exterior lightingReported December 26, 2012 · 633,842 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).
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. This may generate heat which may melt the plastic resulting in smoke or fire.
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.

Recall number 12V602000 · Recall details

See all 8 recalls for the 2007 Subaru Tribeca

Technical service bulletins for the 2007 Subaru Tribeca 46

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 46 bulletins for the 2007 Subaru Tribeca

What 2007 Subaru Tribeca owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Dec 20, 2017 · Brakes · 10,000 miles · IL

Three days ago I backed my 2007 subaru tribeca down the driveway and applied the brakes.....they did not work and the brake pedal did not depress. After pumping the brakes for about two minutes or more they finally started to work. I told my wife and she insisted that she told me about this happened every winter when the temperature was below 25 degrees. I guess I never listened to her. I took the car to the local dealer in schaumburg and he stated that this was a typical problem with the 2007 tribeca and I would waste my money trying to fix the problem. I called subaru and they told me to bring the car back to the dealer and that he would discuss the problem with the dealer. The next day I took the car in and never received a call from either the dealer or subaru. I called subaru and they stated that they could only fix the problem if the dealer mechanic experts recommended a fix. I then checked on line and found that this was a typical problem with tribeca, that many people had this same problem with a freezing check valve going to the booster pump. This is a serious and dangerous problem and there should be some sort of fix. I have found other people with the same problem, please see link:http://www.carproblemzoo.com/subaru/tribeca/service-brakes-problems.phphttp://my.cardone.com/techdocs/pt%2053-0002.pdf please see brake section in this link: http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2008/subaru/b9_tribeca/

Filed Aug 8, 2016 · Airbags, Seat belts · NJ

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2007 subaru tribeca. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v096000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Updated 09/28/16*lj

Filed Jul 27, 2016 · Airbags · CO

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2007 subaru tribeca. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v358000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The VIN was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Aug 11, 2014 · Engine · 107,747 miles · MN

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 subaru tribeca. The contact noticed exhaust fumes multiple times when the engine was started. The dealer stated that the valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 107,747.

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Questions about the 2007 Subaru Tribeca

Is the 2007 Subaru Tribeca reliable?

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2007 Subaru Tribeca, close to a typical Tribeca model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2007 Subaru Tribeca?

Airbags, with 2 complaints. Next is brakes (1).

How many recalls does the 2007 Subaru Tribeca have?

8 recalls, covering electrical system, air bags and latches/locks/linkages.

Was there a recall on the 2007 Subaru Tribeca airbags?

Yes, 5 recalls: 17V026000, 17V014000, 17V016000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

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