2008 SUBARU B9 Tribeca

We are writing you out of desperation as we recently purchased a 2008 Subaru Tribeca from Center Subaru that we cannot use for family use because the vehicle makes us ill when we are in it.

To first give you some background, we noticed upon test driving the vehicle that it produced a pressure sensation in our ears while driving, but we attributed it to the weather conditions that day as it was raining and we often experience allergies on rainy days. We brought this feeling we were having to the attention of the salesman and sales manager at Center Subaru and they both said they had never heard of this before and that it might be caused by the wrapping on the new vehicle. So convinced this was not something that could possibly be brought on by a vehicle, we purchased the vehicle and that was the beginning of our problems.

Upon driving the vehicle the first week of owning it our ears continued to worsen leaving us with a constant pressure feeling reducing our ability to hear and function properly. We both needed to get some relief from this feeling so we visited our doctor who examined both our nose and ears and said that our ears were indeed blocked and we were suffering from Eustachian tube dysfunction brought on by an allergic reaction from something we had inhaled. He prescribed us both nasal sprays to help clear the congestion out of the ears and told us that the only way the nasal spray would truly help us was if we avoided contact with the allergen. For myself the problem has subsided as I have stayed out of the vehicle since purchasing it, but for my husband he is still suffering as he has had to drive this vehicle to and from work since we only have two vehicles in our household. This thus proving that the vehicle is the source of the allergen.

So after visiting the doctor, we then went back to Center Subaru and told them exactly what we are experiencing and that we had sought medical attention for it. There response was we have never heard of this before. Our response back was that may be the case, but it is a very real issue for us and you and Subaru need to get to the bottom of it. So they recommended that we leave the car at the dealership while they ionized it to try and remove some of the smell and gave us a loaner car to use while it was there. The car proceeded to stay at the dealership for one week where the only thing they did do to the vehicle was ionize it. We asked that they try other things like replacing the air filters knowing that this is an allergic reaction to smells and this vehicle had been sitting on a lot for a quite a while boxed up before selling it to us. Their service manager very simply told us that he is not going to try and do other things to fix the problem because if what he trys to do does not fix the problem, then we would then be that much closer to having the lemon law on our side. As a consumer that left me with a very sick stomach because that tells me that Center is not out to protect the consumer, but rather themselves. What seems even more concerning is that they know this is causing a medical issue as it is not a loose part making a noise or something that is broke, but is rather a substance within the vehicle creating a health problem for a consumer which to me should be something that they pay the highest attention to whether they have received this complaint in the past or not.

So after getting nowhere with Center Subaru, we contacted Subaru of America who has proved to not be anymore concerned then Center Subaru is with our issue. We continue to be told that they are looking into it and have been told that the vehicle is not defective so that from a warranty perspective they are only obligated to repair and replace defective components of a vehicle. What we dont understand is how Subaru is not liable for the fact that the components of a vehicle they produced is making a consumer ill. It is obvious to us the chemicals within the components Subaru uses are by far more toxic than other car manufacturers. For example, we currently own a 2008 Honda Ridgeline that we purchased brand new and have never had a problem with this in that vehicle. We have owned other new vehicles in our past (Volkswagen Passat, Volvo S60, Nissan Pathfinder) and have been in family and friends new vehicles that again have never produced this same effect for us. That leads us to one conclusion, Subaru is doing something different and it is not something good for the consumer and it doesnt matter how many consumers it effects as one is too many when it comes to your health.

As stated above, this vehicle was purchased for family use as we have a 4 year old daughter. She has had a history of ear infections and has tubes in her ears. Given her predisposition to ear issues and the fact that she is a child, we cannot allow her in this vehicle knowing what it has done to us and also knowing that a child has a much lower tolerance for things inhaled and/or consumed. So I am now driving my husbands work truck which is a major inconvenience as he works in a profession that requires him to a have a truck to carry his tools necessary to do his job, but again we cannot expose our daughter to this vehicle which was intended for family use. Meanwhile my husband drives this car that not only creates an issue for him in his profession in which he works, but also continues to make him feel ill.

So again we are desperately looking for someone to help us. Ideally, we would love nothing more than to be able to turn this vehicle into Subaru and receive a full refund so that we can go and purchase a vehicle that is healthier for our family such as a Honda or a Toyota which based on extensive research we have done contains no harmful pvc toxins unlike that of the Subaru. Unfortunately, without legal intervention we will not be able to get rid of this vehicle without suffering a substantial financial loss since the vehicle is new it is has depreciated significantly already. We used the very little money we had saved to purchase this vehicle and so suffering a huge financial loss on top of it would make it next to impossible for us to be able to afford another car.

We greatly appreciate whatever you can do to help us get out of this unhealthy situation and make Subaru accountable for the toxic products they are producing. There is so much press on the harmful effects of the components used in car manufacturing and many are saying that something needs to be done to help put into place strict guidelines that they have to follow when producing a vehicle. Some companies have made great strides in producing a healthier vehicle, but not all as we now know. If we had ever known what we know now when we went car shopping we surely would have avoided Subaru.

We can be reached by calling our home at 860-673-3819.

Sincerely,

Laurie and James Killiany

While driving on interstate 95 approximately 65 mph, the hood suddenly opened causing damage to the hood, roof and shattering the windshield covering myself wife and kids with glass. i could not see, but was able to bring the car to a controlled stop in the break down lane. i subsequently found out about the hood latch recall. i have been in contact with subaru and my insurance company.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2008 subaru b9 tribeca. the contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v358000 (air bags) was received. after contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the part needed for the recall remedy was still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

The latch on the front hood is broken it will not close and when i drive on the interstate going to work i feel like the hood is going to fly open. also the gas door latch is broken as well it will not open when you pull the gas door latch. i was told by credit karma that the driver and passenger air bag are both defective in motion on city and highway street

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 subaru b9 tribeca. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 16v359000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

Backing out of garage during cold weather below freezing, stepped on brake pedal and no response from the brake system. was unable to stop car until i pumped brakes frantically many times. left car out during below freezing weather 2 more times, same problem--no brakes. vacuum assist for brakes would not work in below freezing weather. took car to subaru dealer, all 3 vacuum hose brakes replaced. dealer states that each hose has a check valve in it for the vacuum system. fortunately we discovered this problem at a very low rate of speed. no vacuum assist for the brakes makes this car virtually unstoppable at almost any speed. what if it would have been on a mountain road?? death would be eminent. i feel this should be under recall before someone is killed or maimed. *tr

I was driving my 2008 subaru tribeca with my family in the car on i-70 east near baltimore in the middle lane when the hood of the car opened smashing into the windshield. both the hood and the windshield were damaged. the incident happened 35 minutes after the start of the trip. there were no bumps on the road and no other vehicles were involved in the incident. the hood was last opened by a subaru mechanic during an oil change about 2 months prior to the incident. no similar problems occurred prior to the incident. there was no indication that the hood was not properly closed. furthermore, the second safety latch didn't appear to have worked even if the first gave way. subaru was contacted and i was told this was an insurance issue as they claimed there were no recalls (even though i insisted that no recalls was no indication that this was not either a manufacturing or a design defect. *tr

This accident occurs in queretaro, mx. i was driven in a secondary road and suddenly my subaru tribeca 2008 turned right and for a while i lose the control. after few seconds i could drive my car forward and stopped it outroad. the specialized analysis determined that the left lateral link was broken. this lateral link was replaced in march 2012 because another accident in which the rear left suspension was broken and all pieces that compound the rear suspension were replaced too. the agency is waiting for a new laterar link and i'm worried about the quality of the piece. fortunately this accident don't produce fatal victims. but it could... *tr

It was around 8:00pm. i was driving in light traffic around 25 mph heading west on alondra bl crossing downey ave in the city of paramount, when all of a sudden i heard screeching and the rear of the car started swaying side to side. i stepped on the breaks and the rear end of the car started turning to the left going in to the left lane. cars on the left lane had to slam on the breaks to avoid colliding with me. i was able to slowly pull over to the side of the road. i called a mechanic, after inspecting the car he informed me that the suspension control arm on the rear driver side broke. he also said it could have been a lot worst if i was going faster, i can only imagine what the consequences could have been if i was driving on the freeway. i googled recall 20250xa060 (part number). i don't speak portuguese but it looks to me like that part has been recalled in brazil. *tr

We are writing you out of desperation as we recently purchased a 2008 subaru tribeca from center subaru that we cannot use for family use because the vehicle makes us ill when we are in it. to give you some background, we noticed upon test driving the vehicle that it produced a pressure sensation in our ears while driving, but we attributed it to the weather conditions that day as it was raining and we often experience allergies on rainy days. we brought this feeling we were having to the attention of the salesman and sales manager at center subaru and they both said they had never heard of this before and that it might be caused by the wrapping on the new vehicle. so convinced this was not something that could possibly be brought on by a vehicle, we purchased the vehicle and that was the beginning of our problems. upon driving the vehicle the first week of owning it our ears continued to worsen leaving us with a constant pressure feeling reducing our ability to hear and function properly. we both needed to get some relief from this feeling so we visited our doctor who examined both our nose and ears and said that our ears were indeed blocked and we were suffering from eustachian tube dysfunction brought on by an allergic reaction from something we had inhaled. he prescribed us both nasal sprays to help clear the congestion out of the ears and told us that the only way the nasal spray would truly help us was if we avoided contact with the allergen. for myself the problem has subsided as i have stayed out of the vehicle since purchasing it, but for my husband he is still suffering as he has had to drive this vehicle to and from work since we only have two vehicles in our household. this thus proving that the vehicle is the source of the allergen. dealer & subaru are not helping can you please help us? *tr

I have a 2008 subaru tribeca. bought brand new and now has appx. 7500 miles on it. from about the 1,600 mile mark on the vehicle, it has been burning 1 qt. of oil every 1,000 miles. engine problems because there are no leaks under the car. *tr

The vehicle is a 2008 subaru tribeca limited 5-passenger with remote start. the vehicle was purchase at a primary subaru dealer in our local area, as a demo with 1,500 miles on it (manager at the dealer was driving it at the time). the vehicle at first didn't make any noticeable noises or vibrations (seemed factory new, flawless). after a month of normal driving a noise from the passenger side suspension components or undercarriage area would make a rumbling or low squeaking/rubbing. shortly after, i made it clear on our 4,500 mile oil change service that this issue was present and was affecting me as a consumer to enjoy my new car. the problem was originally overlooked by all the persons i had asked to take a look at it (dealer manager, used car specialist and shop mechanic) after a second attempt of leaving the vehicle at the dealership for 2 days, they discovered the issue i was trying to explain to be the problem and came back saying the following. that a new(with zero miles) tribeca with similar trim and package would make the same noise as my vehicle as well as another used tribeca that was on the lot that the manager was driving as another demo model for the dealership. the noise would occur at any speed and especially when the body of the car would move or shift weight and the suspension components were demanded. times at which the noise would occur were the following: speed bumps, taking turns, backing up, pulling away from an intersection on a green light with or without aggressiveness. at the time, nothing was done to eliminate the noise or the cause and source of the issue, other than lubricate the strut. however, when it rains, due to the moisture which causes the dampness in the part(s) making the noise for some time until it dries up again. *tr

I was driving 70 mph on the right most northbound lane of i-75 at mile marker 452 in florida. the road had become wet from recent rain. the rear of my car suddenly started fishtailing to the right. the fishtail evolved into full-blown counterclockwise spins which took the car all the way to the guardrail in the middle shoulder. the impact resulted in the car being totaled. i believe a defect with the abs, electronic stability control system or the all wheel drive caused the accident. the road was perfectly straight, and i didn't apply the brakes or make any sudden steering changes. i reported the incident to subaru and asked for an investigation of the wrecked car. despite three letters and a complete report, the company refused to inspect the car. *tr