2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU B9 TRIBECA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND STALLED. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF OF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

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.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF AND WHEN WE GOT NEAR IT WE COULD SMELL AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR PUDDLE LIGHT. WE IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE HOOD AND STARTED DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY. BY THE TIME THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED THERE WERE VISIBLE FLAMES COMING FROM THE PUDDLE LIGHT, AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE DOOR THRESHOLD INSIDE THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT BY THE POINT THAT THEY ARRIVED. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 5 MONTHS AGO, AND WHILE RESEARCHING IT BEFORE PURCHASE WE READ ABOUT A RECALL FOR THE PUDDLE LIGHTS. BEFORE WE EVEN TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE WE CALLED THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND GIVE THEM THE VIN AND ASKED IF THE RECALL NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED, AND THEY STATED THAT IT DID NOT. AFTER THE FIRE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO THEN INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ORDER NEW BULBS FOR THE PUDDLE LIGHTS, BUT MADE NO MENTION OF A RECALL. WE ARE WORRIED THAT SINCE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE CAR THAT OTHER THINGS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AS WELL, BUT THEY INSIST THAT ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS TO REPLACE THE BULBS. *TR

1) I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT ON MY VEHICLE 22 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING NEW. 2) LOW TIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATES DAILY AND THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES AT DEALER AT MY EXPENSE AND STILL NOT REPAIRED. CAUSING ME ANXIETY TO USE VEHICLE EVEN AFTER CHECKING TIRES FOR DAMAGE, WEIGHT AND EVEN GOING AS FAR AS REPLACING CAR. 3) RECEIVED RECALL REGARDING PUDDLE LIGHTS AND FIRE AND IT TOOK ALMOST 2 YEARS FOR DEALER TO FINALLY ACQUIRE PARTS ONLY AFTER THREATENING TO CONTACT LOCAL NEWS. 4) IN AUGUST WHEN SLOWING WITH OUT USE OF BREAKS AT 20 MILES PER HOME THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD AS IF THE DOWN SHIFT MECHANISMS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, TOOK TO DEALER YET AGAIN TO BE INFORMED THAT THE BREAKS WERE GLAZED AND THIS TOOK THEM 4 DAYS TO PERFORM REPAIR, THEN UPON PICKING UP VEHICLE, THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO SUPPLY LOANER AS REQUESTED WHEN MAKING APPOINTMENT WAS TOLD NEED ANOTHER $1,000.00 REPAIR TO THE RIGHT IDLE ARM ASSEMBLE THAT IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LUNG, NUT NOT URGENT, WHEN I DO THE NEXT OIL CHANGE THEY CAN PERFORM THIS REPAIR. *JS

JUST FINISHED WASHING THE CAR OUTSIDE THE MY GARAGE, I THEN MOVED IT INSIDE THE GARAGE TO CLEAN AND VACUUM INSIDE. 30 MINS LATER, A STRONG BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER PUDDLE LIGHT AREA. I HAVE TO QUICKLY CALL 911, AND BEFORE 911 ARRIVAL I MANAGED TO OPEN THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND THE SMOKE STOPPED. THERE WAS STILL A STRONG SMILE IN THE AIR WHEN 911 CAME. 911 RECOMMENDED TOWING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP CONNECTED THE BATTERY AND DROVE IT OUTSIDE WHERE IT COULD BE EASILY TOW. JUST LUCKY TO BE IN THE GARAGE WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED OTHERWISE IT COULD HAVE BURN THE HOUSE. THIS VEHICLE (SUBARU TRIBECA B6 IS NOTHING BUT A DISASTER), THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER RENDERED NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER. *TR

ON MARCH 10, 2013, AS I WAS PUTTING MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR, MY VEHICLE'S RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER PUDDLE LIGHT OVERHEATED AND STARTED TO SMOKE WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED (NOT TURNED ON) AND IN MY GARAGE. THE LIGHTS COME ON AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE DOOR OPENS. A STRONG ELECTRICAL ODOR ENSUED. THE IRVINGTON, NY FIRE DEPT WAS DISPATCHED TO INSPECT THE ISSUE AND DISABLE THE CAR. THEY DEEMED THE CAR UNSAFE AND SAID IT SHOULD BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. I CONTACTED SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO AUTHORIZED A TOW, BECAUSE WESTCHESTER SUBARU SERVICE DEPT REFUSED. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE MONDAY AND THE DEALER, AS WELL AS CUSTOMER SERVICE, REFUSE TO PROVIDE ME WITH UPDATES (UNLESS I CALL) AND REFUSE TO PROVIDE ME A LOANER CAR. ALL THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS A SUBARU RECALL. IN FACT, THE RECALL LETTER STATES THE PROBLEM SHOULD TAKE ONLY ABOUT ONE HOUR TO FIX. THE DEALER ALSO DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE THE NECESSARY PARTS IN STOCK. NEEDLESS TO SAY,WE RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER FROM SUBARU (NHTSA RECALL NO. 12V-602) THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT (MARCH 9, 2013). SINCE THIS IS A SUBARU RECALL, AND IN FACT THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BECOME DANGEROUS AND DEADLY IF I DID NOT ALL THE FIRE DEPT, THE COMPANY AND DEALERSHIP HAVE BEEN MORE THAN UN-HELPFUL. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION WARRANTS ATTENTION FROM THE NHTSA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU B9 TRIBECA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR OPEN WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED ERRONEOUSLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE CAUSED THE BATTERY TO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,052 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,300.