2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
No verdict The 2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca has a complaint index of 0, the lowest among the seven model years with data, with only 4 complaints logged. It carries 7 recall campaigns, mostly airbag-related, but no crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths were reported.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 0/100
- #7 of 7 B9 Tribeca years
- Verdict
- No verdict
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 4
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Electrical System
Top 2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System2 (50%)
- Transmission & Powertrain2 (50%)
- Engine1 (25%)
- Steering1 (25%)
- Structure & Body1 (25%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Electrical system faults appeared after short trips, including problems shifting into park.
- Owners reported an oil leak paired with a head gasket leak diagnosed by a dealer.
- Front driver and passenger doors failed to open from inside while the vehicle was parked.
- Headlight and brake light bulbs needed repeated replacement.
- Torque converter issues caused strong hesitation that progressed to sudden stalling at both highway and slow speeds.
- Transmission warning lights came on during highway driving, with the engine revving up before banging into gear.
2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V008000Jan 9, 2019Airbags330,120 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles 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 passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.
- NHTSA 19V007000Jan 9, 2019Airbags43,394 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles 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 used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.
- NHTSA 19V009000Jan 9, 2019Airbags452,630 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles 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 explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.
2012 compared with other B9 Tribeca years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca reliable?
- NHTSA data shows a complaint index of 0 for the 2012 model, the lowest rank-worst-first position (7th) among the seven years tracked, with only 4 complaints on file.
- What problems does the 2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca have?
- Owners reported electrical system issues, a transmission/powertrain complaint pattern involving torque converter hesitation and stalling, and one each of engine, steering, and structure/body complaints, at a median mileage of 51,000 miles.
- Does the 2012 Subaru B9 Tribeca have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this year, mostly for front passenger airbag inflators, plus one for the hood safety/lock system and one for an electrical wiring harness fuse.
- How does the 2012 model compare to other B9 Tribeca years?
- The 2012 model has the lowest complaint index (0) of the seven years with data, compared to 2006 (100) and 2007 (83), which carry Avoid verdicts.
- Were there any crashes or injuries linked to the 2012 B9 Tribeca?
- No. NHTSA data lists 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths for the 2012 model year.