Comments: 1-15, 16-20
Cooling system leaks at 5000 miles. Head Gasket blew out. Stranded me 300 miles from home.
Horrible to back up. Over 50% rear in blind spot and impossible to judge how far back you went. This is an UN-SAFE car/suv in reverse.
I suspect that your coolant was leaking due to some events, and that in turn will surely blow your head gasket when engine running without coolant.
I am curious what eventually you find out about the cause of your coolant leaking?
Your comment about American cars is totally off base. Subarus are generally reliable as well as most other cars now made.
Don't forget that subaru is partialy owned by GM and that the tribeca is actualy a saturn.
"Don't forget that subaru is partialy owned by GM and that the tribeca is actualy a saturn."
Wow. There's not one part of that statement that is accurate. Subaru is a division of Fuji Heavy Industries and is not at all owned by GM.
I have a Subaru with 10000 miles on it, haven't had an issue with the car. I love the way this car handles and drives. About the only negative comment might be the gas mileage which appears to be less than the EPA MPG ratings. Other than that great SUV!
<<"Don't forget that subaru is partialy owned by GM and that the tribeca is actualy a saturn."
Wow. There's not one part of that statement that is accurate. Subaru is a division of Fuji Heavy Industries and is not at all owned by GM.>.
Subaru was majority-owned by GM for a while (GM owned something like 25% of it) which is why the Saab 92-X came into being. GM sold off its share two years ago, which is a shame since Subaru was one of the few quality "divisions" GM had.
The part about the Saturn is wrong. Some modern Saturn minivans/crossovers have shared platforms with Opel/Vauxhall owned by GM.
Gm no longer owns any stake in subaru. gm basically "stole" the impreza platform in 2002 and there was a 2 year contract of the 20% ownership. in 2004, it was up to subaru (fuji heavy industries) to make the decision to renew or not and because the ownership was a "one-way" type deal and they did not like to associate with the dwindiling reliability of gm, that stake is now gone. I believe subaru is now about 90% owned by fuji heavy industries and the majority of the rest is owned by lexus division of toyota. the reason I said stole is because they took the wrx wagon platform and made a nearly identical saab wagon (9-2x) and used the majority of the components in the 9-3 and parially in the 9-5, while subaru did not gain anything from the ownership. (gm is the majority shareholder of saab)
And subarus are considered by many auto critics, including consumer reports, as the most reliable vehicles on the road, and are the only brand to have 100% of their models fully recommended and endorsed by consumer reports, as well as more top picks than any other brand by the iihs for safety.
I own a tribeca, and it has been incredibly reliable (although I have had to replace one of the fog lamp bulbs twice and the left headlamp once). and there is no 2005 model (as the other reviewer claims) or a 9 passenger model (as this reviewer claims).
Sounds like a smear campaign to me.
The real issue with the Tribeca is it's abysmal sales record. These vehicles have massively missed Subaru's sales targets. The vehicle is ugly. I'm sorry to those who bought them, but they are on par with the Pontiac Aztec in terms of appearance. There is not enough lipstick to put on this pig. Subaru will have redesign the exterior if they want to see sales climb.
I bought my Subaru 2006 Tribeca. I love the way it handles and everything about it. BUT, It has been in the shop 4 times due to overheating issues (close to the red zone). Each time the dealer had to replace something. the dealer replaced the radiator, theromstat and flush and fill the cooling system. they cannot figure out whats the issue or at least that's what they tell me. I've had the rental car 4 times as well this past 2 months... Now it seems the car over heats (close to the red zone) when its in sports mode and the AC is on. I live in the mountain area; dealer tells me its normal operation whereas everyone else tells me that's not normal. My gut tells me there is a defect somewhere... In order for the dealer to duplicate the issue, they would have to climb the mountain. But Subaru of america will be authorize a tech to drive up the mountain...
There must have been something wrong with the cooling system, it was redesigned for 2008.
There never was a 9 passenger model of this vehicle ever made.
Someone mentioned something about a tie in with Subaru and Saturn. Have you looked at a Saturn?
Subaru's have had all wheel drive and a flat 4 engine for years. Are you saying there is a Saturn with a boxer engine?
About the only similarity, both have or had a tie in with GM and have better than average safety ratings.
RGM.
I hate mine too. Mine has had two complete suspensions and still rides like a box truck. On my fourth set of headlights, the side of the seat came apart, the fuse cover fell off and I ran it over. The only good news is it's a lease and back it goes. Watch out next buyer.
I believe that this reviewer is just another competitor trying to scare people away from this exceptionally nice and reliable car. (Probably a Ford or Toyota Salesman - Just kidding!)
I have owned a Subaru Legacy for 11 years.. has over 200k miles on it and will out run any car in town going up the side of a mountain. Subaru is the BEST car I have ever owned.
I have had many other brands in my years but this car kicks it in all directions. NO Engine issues, no NOTHING issues.
The Tribeca was a flop... anyone who has one I feel for, but if yours works well then consider yourself lucky. I agree with the person above who said they thought this was a sales guy trying to bash Subaru, because they can't sell their domestic CRAP to ANYONE anymore.. did I say that..oops..sorry.
My dad would never buy Japanese because he lived during the war, but I know 9 people with Subaru's and we all love our cars.. they go through anything...snow, ice, flooding, whatever we throw at it... and we don't have to have GAS GUZZLING SUV's to go up a mountain or cut through snow.
The ONLY complaint I have with Subaru is their SEATS... I swear you think your riding in a go cart. If they could build a seat like HONDA, then they would have the whole enchilada!!!
Tribeca...never was a 9 passenger made...yes, back window is TOO SMALL... I agree too dangerous. I liked the B9's interior but the functionality was too small for me. If you really want a good SUV go check out the NEW 08 and 09 Forresters.
Dave.