Overview & Reviews

The Subaru Tribeca (sorry, bingo fans, "B9" is no longer in the model name) receives some significant updates for 2008. Mechanically, the Tribeca now features an enlarged 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine for more power and torque and a revised five-speed automatic transmission said to offer smoother shifting. The rear suspension has also been softened for better ride comfort. Inside, Subaru has improved access to the third-row seat via a new design of the second-row seat release. The '08 model also has a restyled front end, abandoning last year's adventurous-but-awkward look in favor of a more conservative face.

• Serene ride quality, smaller size adds to maneuverability, handsome interior design.

• Cramped second- and third-row seats, low cargo capacity, modest handling limits, high price.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 77.00

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  Shop Carefully - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By Disappointed - March 7 - 8:23 pm

  Rear-seat riders in 7-passenger model should not be taller than 2 feet. Check leg room carefully. Ceiling mounted seat belt for middle seat, middle row, hits rider to the right in the head. Gas mileage is terrible. Repeat, gas mileage is terrible. Nav screen darkens way too much when headlights turned on. Gas mileage is terrible. Keyless remote unreliable. If you lock car using key, also unlock with key or alarm will sound. Gas mileage is terrible. CD changer repeats same CD, doesnt change to another CD. Must be done manually. Middle seats uncomfortable.

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  Junk - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By 1rich - January 29 - 3:33 pm

  I did a lot of research when the 08 model came out. Unfortunately there was not enough real data out there. Reliability and performance are poor. We get 14.5 miles per gallon in mixed driving. Full size SUVs with V8 engines can do better. Besides the gas useage is the oil useage. Check it out on your own. Subara considers 1 quart of oil used per every 1000 miles within spec. I should know. This is our Tribecas oil consumption. We have had interior components fall off (Visors, seat backs, seat track covers, etc.) The dash squeaks, the hatch rattles and engine components have failed (EGR valve). All this and less than 25k miles on it. I will never own another subaru.

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  No More Subaru!!! - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By No more Subaru - August 7 - 8:34 pm

  From beginning of owning the car we noticed the engine noise like from broken muffler. Then noticed the engine oil level drops when it is still a new car. Lynns Subaru dealer did not do any thing to address the problems. I was told it is normal for Tribeca. Later I have to add oil between regular oil changes. As car gets old it requires more frequent additions of oil especially after a long drive. The tail pipes got black burned oil deposits. Many times asked dealer Victory Subaru to fix the oil burning they told me nothing wrong. There were many mechanical and electrical problems that will take too much time to detail them. Following is the short list: driver side window detached from rolling mechanism, power steering failed while driving, car has to be towed, radiators hose bursts leaking coolant, car towed. Cruise control never worked due to a number of engine warning signs pop up intermittently. All these problems were told to Victory Subaru dealer and they are incapable to fix them, instead they made us to change CV Boots and Booshings well before they life time and charged us almost $ 4000. The car was made in Mexico. The problems we had are more than manufacturer poor quality control, It was from design faults. This is Our second Subaru, We simply had enough problems and irresponsible dealer services and going to sell it below market and no more Subaru for us and our friends, coworkers, neighbors, I will let anyone know about how bad the Subaru becomes. Subaru lies about its reliability.

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  Wont get me again - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By Rich - April 2 - 5:40 am

  I usually dont write any reviews, but this car is so bad, I thought I owed you (the reader) some advice. Dont buy this car. We bought ours new, and the engine eats oil. Dealer said the engine was breaking in. I am now at 20k on the car, and it eats 1.5 to 2 qts per 1000 miles. Dealer will not help. Also, the A/C is weak. It is barely ok for the front, but on a 5 passenger, there is no rear air. My kids hate it, always hot. Numb steering, brakes fade easily, manual shift is poor when upshifting, interior clunks and rattles like a 30 year old Ford. There is lots of room for improvement, here. Once bitten, twice shy. There, I warned you.

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  Nice Car, Too many Issues - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By Gerry - January 16 - 1:06 am

  Last car was a BMW X5. At first I thought the Tribeca was on par. NO way! Have had a number of mechanical issues which my dealer does not know how to fix -- front left tire loses air, center console foam compressed, high pitched noise at certain speeds. Subaru has shown no interest in addressing my issues. I was looking to install blue-tooth which is not a factory option. The proprietary cd/radio has made that challenging. Lots of noise in the cabin while driving. The ride is not as firm as the BMW X5. The back-up camera is a very nice feature and the heated seats work well. The less than 16 gallon gas tank is way too small. Gas mileage has been 15 city 18 highway.