2013 Subaru Tribeca Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2013 Subaru Tribeca, and owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
6 safety recalls for the 2013 Subaru Tribeca
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Inflator module (air bags)
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…
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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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,…
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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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…
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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 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…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's…
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Latch (latches/locks/linkages) and hood (structure)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Tribeca vehicles manufactured November 16, 2004, to January 27, 2014. Due to a possible malfunction of the hood safety system and hood lock system, the hood may open unexpectedly while driving.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will complete this recall in two phases. Phase one will involve inspection, cleaning, and lubricating the hood safety and hood lock systems. If after this is performed the hood…
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Automatic transmission (power train)
Subaru of America is recalling certain model year 2014 Legacy 3.6R and Outback 3.6R and 2013 Tribeca vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through June 28, 2013 and equipped with 5-speed automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the parking rod may come loose inside the automatic transmission.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall began during August 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall number is WQJ-46.
3 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2013 Subaru Tribeca have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 128,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 2017 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Alt temp light continues to come on the care will have a funny shift then a strong jerk, speed can only go under 20 MPH and then the alt temp light comes on along with the check engine light and curis”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 17, 2026 · Power train
“Subaru of america class action law suit hello i own a 2013 subaru tribeca with VIN [xxx] that has recently lost all the engine oil and no warning light illuminated alerting me the vehicle was low or h”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 9, 2019 · Engine
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2013 Subaru Tribeca (Tribeca AWD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 18 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 16 / 21 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S5) |
Compare Subaru Tribeca model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Subaru Tribeca model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Subaru Tribeca | 8 | 9 |
| 2007 Subaru Tribeca | 8 | 4 |
| 2008 Subaru Tribeca | 9 | 14 |
| 2009 Subaru Tribeca | 9 | 5 |
| 2010 Subaru Tribeca | 10 | 4 |
| 2011 Subaru Tribeca | 8 | 2 |
| 2013 Subaru Tribeca | 6 | 3 |
| 2014 Subaru Tribeca | 4 | 0 |
Checking a specific 2013 Subaru Tribeca
How do I know if my 2013 Subaru Tribeca has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2013 Subaru Tribeca; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Subaru dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 13V336000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Subaru models
- Outback9,756 complaints
- Forester6,498 complaints
- Legacy3,185 complaints
- Impreza2,651 complaints
- Crosstrek1,186 complaints
- Ascent1,033 complaints
- WRX975 complaints
- Svx291 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.