Subaru Tribeca Had 5 Major Problems; New Ascent Fixed Them

You're correct Denis, good points. However, those were pretty obvious fixes to make and considering Subaru was out of the big SUV market for quite some time, they had plenty of time to size up their competition and use Honda, Toyota and Mazda as benchmarks. I just hope they don't rest on their laurels and actually make incremental improvements to the next gen Ascents. Granted, this is the first year of production. However, they should have provided sport mode options like the Forester and exterior styling could have been a tad more attractive. I'm also curious as to why they didn't include their new facial recognition technology - which for the price of the Limited option should have been standard. I'll test drive in the coming year before I draw any conclusions. I've read all the reviews and it's time to get behind the wheel and test drive one myself.

I concur, but the fixes were blatantly obvious and relatively easy to do. They simply benchmarked Toyota, Honda and Mazda. In addition, they were out of the market segment long enough to see what was out there. I just wished they would have done a bit more on the exterior styling and added drive selection modes like the Forester. Hopefully, next gens get subtle enhancements. I'm curious as to why DriverFocus wasn't added to the top of the line Ascent. You would think distracted driving would be an issue hauling a family and all the activity that occurs in a cabin loaded with kids.

After buying a 2011 Tribeca...NOW I read this. So much for the educated consumer

I have an 08 Tribeca.... Lots of issues. I'm very disappointed.

I have a 2006 Tribeca, I've kept him maintained. I bought him in Dec of 2006 and as of 2021 he is still AMAZING, drives well, no problems, except for the recall on hood latch. I have and am still in love with my Tribeca. I LOVE Subies and all the company stands for. I wouldn't trade my Tribeca for anything. Just so you know not ALL Tribecas have been disappointing.

I have a 2009 Subaru Tribeca I bought for only $1000 from a friend. It was a steal!! Kept overheating, I diagnosed it and had the heater coil bypassed! I’ve had this car as a 3rd owner with 244 k miles on car as of today. However, now at this many miles here’s what’s happening. Differential rear end is making that noise, the heater coil needs to be replaced, the catalytic converter is going out and of course the O2 sensor, cruise control is broke. I’m not going to put in any money into this vehicle with the miles so high and they don’t make them anymore. I’m going to buy a new or new used car. I absolutely love my Tribeca! She’s never left me on side of the road, she gets up and hauls ass, I have a lot of storage, I’m single so of course I do! I’ve owned new and used cars, this Tribeca is by far the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. It’s going to be a bittersweet day for me in a few weeks. I’m really going to miss that car!! Not sure what I’m going get yet, looking for new maybe depending on price. The used ones are just as pricey, however, I’m looking to pay cash. Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson has my attention rt now. Anyone with any suggestions are welcome!! Thank you for reading ❤️

The B9 does not have 2,000 lbs tow capacity. It has 4,500 lbs.

I have a 06 tribeca with 211,k on it. We drive it from.milwaukee to Louisville often ..round trip takes 3 gas station stops. Only thing I had to replace was the serpentine belt. I love my tribeca

I have problems with the starter needing replaced. Three starters so far for our 2011 Tribeca. Not sure what is going on with it. It has left me sitting and waiting for AAA. I won’t give up on her though.

I owned the very first 2006 Subaru Tribeca and got 145000 miles out of it before head gasket problems. Alot of issues with reliability. Then decided to buy a 2013 Subaru Tribeca. I pull a 2800 llb teardrop trailer with it, no issues. It does need an oil cooler connection to move the tow rating to 3500 lbs so it is a little misleading to ding Subaru Tribeca for a 2000 lbs towing capacity when it can pull up to 3500 lbs with an oil cooler line. The 2013 is far more reliable IMO than the 2006 and the boxer engine is very smooth. The MPG is alot to be desired averaging 18 combined without the trailer, 11-12 MPG with the trailer. I will say this from a safety perspective and handling this SUV has been a dream on the highway and hairpin turns through the mountains of WV with a trailer in tow. The Ascent is too big for our needs(empty nesters). Wish Subaru would have something between an Outback and Ascent. For now we'll continue to run with the Subaru Tribeca...

I own a 2010 Subaru Tribeca with 202,000 km. the engine overheated during the hot summer, the dealership fixed the problem by adding new coolant to the reservoir, the outside temperature is colder now but the engine still overheats when the engine is idling through high traffic. Sometimes the heater blows cooler air while the heater is turned on, the dealership says I may have a blown gasket. Does anyone else have these issues with their car? I had few problems with this SUV like replacing the oxygen sensors, replacing the gas tank and suspension bushings