3.0

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,705 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2009 Subaru Tribeca:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #2

Oct 312014

Tribeca 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
There is a large shudder at slow acceleration. The problem was slight to begin with however, the problem continues to get worse. Dealer has confirmed that the torque converter is no good, however they will not replace for free since the vehicle is out of warranty. Through my investigation, I found that Subaru did a design change in early 2009 to correct this problem. Unfortunately, Subaru has not issued a recall for all defective torque converters it has installed.

- Otterbein, IN, USA

Add Complaint
problem #1

Oct 242011

Tribeca 6-cyl

  • 30,410 miles
When accelerating moderately, the drivetrain/transmission shudders. The vehicle hesitates for a brief period of time and then begins to accelerate. This usually occurs between 20-40 mph, especially when moving in stop and go traffic. Dealer has not been able to duplicate the condition and no "error codes" are showing in the computer. My wife does not feel confident driving the vehicle any longer as it makes it dangerous to pull into oncoming traffic. Apparently we are not the only people to experience this, but Subaru does not appear to be willing to rectify this condition. Owners of 2008 and 2009 tribeca's frequently complain about this issue, but "nothing is wrong" when the vehicles are looked at by Subaru technicians. I wonder is Subaru is having their dealers cover up this issue.

- West Springfield, MA, USA

Add Complaint