The 2007 Subaru Tribeca has 7 recalls, the most serious being a front passenger airbag inflator that can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
Recalls 2 through 6 all describe this same airbag inflator defect, filed across multiple campaigns, but the underlying danger is the same: the passenger-side frontal airbag inflator can burst apart rather than inflate normally, and the fragments it throws can reach anyone seated in the front passenger seat. There is also an ignition switch concern affecting vehicles where a replacement key-type ignition switch was installed. A small spring inside that switch can break, weakening the detent that holds the switch in position, which can cause the engine to shut off without warning while driving. If a crash follows, the airbags may not deploy because the engine is already off, compounding the danger. On the exterior, the hood latch and safety catch system can malfunction and allow the hood to fly open at speed, blocking the driver's forward view entirely and creating a serious crash risk.