2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca Visibility Problems

I have had 3 Subarus in the last 2 years. All 3-a 2006 Subaru Tribeca B9, a 2007 Subaru Tribeca B9, and a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek have had electrical and lighting problems. They all have burnt out headlights, interior lights and fog lights, have loose wiring that has affected the computer and navigation system. 2 of them lost all lighting. The Subaru Crosstrek burnt out all the lights in one incident and the 2007 Subaru Tribeca B9 had an alternator problem that fried all the lights at one time as well as the navigation system. They all have more lights lit on the dash than there should be.

NHTSA ID

11567387

Incident

Jun 7, 2023

ON FEBRUARY 23, 2018, THE HOOD LATCH WAS REPAIRED DUE TO A HOOD LATCH RECALL. THIS WAS WITH THE NEW HOOD LATCH. IT WAS FRIDAY JUNE 6, 2018, A LITTLE PAST 0600, I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK. I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO LANE COUNTY HIGHWAY, DOING BETWEEN 60-65, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 4 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THE HOOD SUDDENLY FLEW OPEN,AND SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND MOVE TO THE SHOULDER. THANKFULLY NO ONE ELSE WAS IN THE VICINITY. AFTER I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE I CLOSED THE HOOD, IT TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT. I NOTICED MY VEHICLE WAS NEAR THE END OF A GUARDRAIL AND THERE WAS A GRAVEL AREA, SO I MOVED MY CAR OFF THE ROAD. WHILE I THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT IT WAS RAINING GLASS. I GRABBED MY WORK GEAR AND JUMPED OUT. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND I WAS GIVEN A RIDE TO WORK.

NHTSA ID

11109993

Incident

Jun 8, 2018

Mileage

143,400 mi

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE RIGHT NOW HOW DISAPPOINTED I AM IN SUBARU'S CUSTOMER SERVICE IN BOTH THE USA AND IN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA. I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA. I HAVE YET TO CONTACT CORPORATE IN JAPAN, AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. UNFORTUNATELY, BOTH PARTIES ON THE SIDES OF SUBARU IN PANAMA (SUBARU DEL CANAL S.A.) AND SUBARU IN THE USA (1-800-782-2783) HAVE BEEN MORE WORRIED ABOUT COSTS THAN PROMOTING SUBARU'S STANDARD OF SAFETY WHICH IS WHY I INVESTED IN THE SUBARU IN THE FIRST PLACE, BEING AN EXPECTANT FATHER AT THE TIME. AROUND JULY OF 2010 MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT A SECOND HAND 2006 B9 TRIBECA FROM A DEALER IN PHOENIX, AZ. WE ENJOYED THE VEHICLE SO MUCH, THAT WE DECIDED TO BRING IT WITH US ON OUR MOVE BACK TO PANAMA. I GUESS THIS IS WHERE SUBARU'S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY DRAWS THE LINE. EVERYONE I HAVE SO FAR SPOKEN TO HAS BASICALLY TOLD ME WELL SINCE YOU DIDN'T BUY THE CAR HERE WE CAN'T HELP YOU, OR, SINCE YOU ARE NO LONGER HERE, WE CAN'T PAY FOR IT. I AM SITTING HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOUR DESIGN FLAWS, ARE MY FAULT JUST BECAUSE I MOVED THE CAR FROM ONE SUBARU MARKET, TO ANOTHER. THE RECALLS IN QUESTION ARE: WQE41, WQY60, AND TKA16. MY WIFE AND 2 CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR ABOUT TO LEAVE MY RESIDENCE WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR PUDDLE LIGHTS BOTH FAILED. THE FRONT ONE WAS SMOKING HEAVILY AND THE REAR ONE WAS ON FIRE. MY WIFE IMMEDIATELY GRABBED THE HOSE AND STARTED SPRAYING THE REAR ONE WHILE I GRABBED A 10MM WRENCH AND DISCONNECTED THE LEAD TO THE CAR BATTERY. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRIM ON THE UNDERSIDE HAS PLASTIC MELTED WITH A BIG GAPING HOLE AND THERE ARE BURN MARKS ON THE PAINT AND PLASTIC ON BOTH PUDDLE LIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

10984872

Incident

May 6, 2017

Mileage

101,905 mi

WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY, THE HOOD FLEW OPEN, SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD AND LODGED OPEN, COMPLETELY BLOCKING MY VISION. I WAS ABLE THE SLOW DOWN AND PULL INTO THE LEFT BREAKDOWN LANE. HAD THIS HAPPENED TWO MINUTES EARLIER OR LATER I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE LEFT LANE OPTION. TWO MINUTES EARLIER THERE WAS A LEFT LANE MERGE AND TWO MINUTES LATER WAS A RAMP WITH NO BREAKDOWN LANE. I UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. APPARENTLY THE PLASTIC CLIPS HOLDING THE HOODS ARE FAILING. THESE CARS NEED TO BE PULLED OFF THE ROAD ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.

NHTSA ID

10783605

Incident

Oct 12, 2015

Mileage

120,000 mi

WE HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES, TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, WHEN SUDDENLY THE HOOD POPPED OPEN AND SMASHED INTO THE WINDSHIELD, LEAVING ME TO BLINDLY NAVIGATE, UNDER STRESS AND PRESSURE, TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. MIRACULOUSLY, WE WERE NOT INJURED PHYSICALLY, BUT SUFFERED FROM SHOCK AND WERE QUITE DUMBFOUNDED OVER THE INCIDENT. WE HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS SAME THING HAPPENING, AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ON THE 2 HOOD LATCHES THAT FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10684073

Incident

Feb 13, 2015

Mileage

153,000 mi

THE HOOD FLEW OPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, SMASHING THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD TO MOVE OVER 3 LANES IN HEAVY SPEEDING TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER. I HAD MY STANDARD POODLE IN THE BACK SEAT. TRYING TO STAY CALM TO GET OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER. ANOTHER DRIVER STOPPED TO SEE IF WAS ALRIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10682882

Incident

Jan 29, 2015

Mileage

146,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A COUNTY ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE HOOD LATCH DISENGAGED CAUSING THE HOOD TO FLIP OVER BACKWARD AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD. THE HOOD WAS OPENED THE DAY PRIOR, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT INCIDENT PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL LATCH RELEASING. THE SAFETY LATCH DID NOT CATCH WHEN THE MAIN LATCH RELEASED, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD AND HOOD, AS WELL AS DAMAGING THE ROOF AND VEHICLE INTERIOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10631379

Incident

Sep 6, 2014

Mileage

122,000 mi

SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH WHEN THE HOOD SUDDENLY POPPED UP AND SLAMMED ON THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE PROOF OF WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS (10/9/2012 & 12/26/2012). *TR

NHTSA ID

10498578

Incident

Dec 22, 2012

Mileage

149,000 mi

MY SISTER, MOTHER AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HOOD SLAMMED INTO THE WINDSHIELD. IT SOUNDED LIKE A BOMB EXPLODED IN THE CAR. SHARDS OF GLASS RAINED DOWN ON THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. WHEN WE GOT OUT TO CHECK WHAT HAPPENED, WE NOTICED THE ENTIRE SAFETY LATCH MECHANISM WAS ATTACHED TO THE HOOD AND WAS DANGLING THERE. IT WAS NOT RUSTED. IT SIMPLY DETACHED. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH A SEMI BEHIND US. IT WAS EXTREMELY TRAUMATIZING AND I AM MENTALLY WORN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10498513

Incident

Feb 16, 2013

Mileage

94,290 mi

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH, THE HOOD FEW OPEN AND SMASHED THE WINDSHIELD AND DENTED THE HOOD. WE PUT WASHER FLUID IN IT THE DAY BEFORE AND DROVE IT FOR HOURS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. WE HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS IN THE PAST AND HAVE REPLACED IT ONCE ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10492419

Incident

Jan 13, 2013

Mileage

108,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON THE NJ TURNPIKE SOUTHBOUND BY EXIT 2, THE HOOD ON OUR 2006 B9 TRIBECA FLEW OPEN, SHATTERED MY WINDSHIELD, DENTED MY ROOF AND BLOCKED MY VISION. IT WAS AMAZING THAT I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT AND MOVE FROM THE LEFT LANE TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER WITHOUT CRASHING. MY WIFE HELPED NAVIGATE US OFF THE ROAD. WE WERE OVER 2 HRS INTO OUR TRIP. THIS IS CLEARLY A FAILURE OF THE HOOD LATCH MECHANISM. I CLOSED THE HOOD THE BEST I COULD AND DROVE 11 MILES TO NEAREST SUBARU DEALER. BECAUSE WE WERE ON A FAMILY VACATION MY KIDS WERE SHAKEN UP. WE HAD TO RENT A CAR TO CONTINUE TRIP. WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM SUBARU AND FROM INSURANCE COMPANY. LATCH WAS RIPPED FROM CHASSIS, HINGES WERE RIPPED FROM CHASSIS, WINDSHIELD WAS SHATTERED, ROOF DENTED, HOOD DENTED, INTERIOR DAMAGE - MIRROR, LIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10448602

Incident

Feb 18, 2012

Mileage

77,887 mi