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2008 Subaru Impreza Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 176 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Subaru Impreza, most often about the transmission (34% of complaints, typically around 69,000 miles). It is 5th of 27 Impreza model years by number of complaints and has 14 recalls.
Most common 2008 Subaru Impreza problems
Transmission
59 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: clutch assembly, manual transmission.
While getting into gear and switching gears, the clutch pedal was squeaking. The squeaking would come and go. The clutch eventually gave out making the car undriveable. The car was difficult to put into gear at low speeds and experienced a slipping clutch at high speeds. I took it to the dealership and the mechanic…
The clutch pedal on my 2008 wrx makes a loud creaking noise every time it's depressed. When I investigated the noise, I noticed that the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly (attached to the forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch every time the clutch pedal is depressed. I found that the three spot welds securing…
Air bags
37 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 1,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, on-off switch assembly, side/window.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that the air bag light illuminates to the on position intermittently. The vehicle has been taken to a dealer twice, but the cause of the failure was not identified. There are no recalls on the vehicle relating to this failure. The VIN was unknown. The current…
The passenger air bag on my new 2008 Subaru Impreza hatchback which I purchased july 27, 2008 is set for a 125 pound person according to the dealer. My wife weighs between 120 and 130 pounds so the bag goes on and off intermittently and randomly.
Engine
27 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 48,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system.
Oil leaking from premature head gasket failure. Oil leaking on a hot engine can cause a fire. This is common for this make, model and year, due to incorrect sizing of the gasket. It is defective from the factory and may result in a fire.
A loud squeak is occurring when I press and release my clutch. I had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. I brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. The tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the…
Visibility and wipers
25 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 16,000 miles. Parts named most often: windshield, defroster/defogger/hvac system, rear window wiper/washer, windshield wiper/washer.
The visors keep breaking. When they break, they drop down, impeding vision. There is no telling when it may happen. The passenger side visor was replaced in 2010. It is now broken again and so is the drivers side. Recently, my drivers side visor broke and dropped down while driving on a busy highway. I was lucky I…
Tl contact owns a 2008 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that the windshield wipers will periodically stop working and fail to move altogether, even when they are in the upright position. He must pull the vehicle over and manually pull the wipers down with his hands. The failure has occurred over ten times while…
Body and structure
24 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 62,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
My clutch bracket broke on the welds. This is an OEM product that has a defect and it is well known on the internet and forums. Subaru of newton nj refuses to fix the problem and was well aware. This was very dangerous for me since it happened on a highway at speeds of 65 MPH. The bracket is broken and the clutch will…
This 2008 Subaru Impreza has been plagued as have many others by a manufacturer chassis defect. The firewall/bulkhead between the driver and engine has 5 spot welds broken which initially are meant to secure the clutch and brake assembly. These weld breaks are a serious safety issue as they are causing difficulty in…
Brakes
20 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 63,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Impreza wrx. The contact stated that when depressing the clutch, the brake pedal would move over an inch. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised him that the bracket for the brake and clutch pedals were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired.…
This 2008 Subaru Impreza has been plagued as have many others by a manufacturer chassis defect. The firewall/bulkhead between the driver and engine has 5 spot welds broken which initially are meant to secure the clutch and brake assembly. These weld breaks are a serious safety issue as they are causing difficulty in…
Electrical
8 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 45,500 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery.
High beams fail, vehicle has not been repaired. Dealer states unsure what problem is, after 1 hour charge of diagnostics,sent me on my way.
I was out all morning running errands. I came home from about 4 hours of doing the run around. At 12:25 pm I got home , took my babies out of the car and put them down for a nap. I went out about 40 mins later to the car and the key fobs were not working so I then went to unlock the driver door with the key and when I…
Speed control
7 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while exiting a drive-thru, the vehicles exhibited a loud bang and the vehicle immediately accelerated abnormally. The contact attempted to apply the brakes, but there was no response causing the contact to crash into a tree. The contact was severely…
Manual transmission 2008 Subaru Impreza wrx, have trouble switching gears, and specifically putting vehicle in reverse from a cold start. For a while heard a popping noise when pushing the clutch down. But switching gears is very difficult/clunky and placing the vehicle in reverse from a cold start is extremely…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2008 Subaru Impreza recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began january 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tkb-20.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester, 2003-2006 baja, 2004-2011 impreza, 2004-2014 wrx (including sti), 2003-2014 legacy and outback, and 2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia or "zone b." these vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began january 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-20.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester, 2003-2006 baja, 2004-2011 impreza, 2004-2014 wrx (sti included), 2003-2014 legacy and outback, and 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally 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 islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands or "zone a." these vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began january 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tkc-20.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester, 2003-2006 baja, 2004-2011 impreza, 2004-2014 wrx (including sti), 2003-2014 legacy and outback, and 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming or "zone c." these vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Electrical: switch
Risk: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began may 10, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is wuf-91.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 forester vehicles, 2008-2011 impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 wrx vehicles, 2005-2014 legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 outback vehicles and 2006-2008 tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Lights: switch
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began april 15, 2019. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is wue-90.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 forester, 2008-2016 impreza sedans, 2012-2016 impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 wrx sedans (including sti), and 2013-2017 crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of park.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began march 6, 2017. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is tkb-17.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 baja, 2009 forester, legacy and outback and 2006-2009 impreza (including wrx and sti models) and tribeca vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began march 8, 2017. Subaru owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Saab owners may contact the saab customer assistance center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tkc-17.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 baja, 2006-2008 impreza (including wrx and sti models), tribeca, and 2006 saab 9-2x vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began march 6, 2017. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-17.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 subaru baja, 2006-2011 impreza (including wrx and sti models), 2006-2012 tribeca, 2009-2012 forester, legacy, outback, and 2012 wrx vehicles originally 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 islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began december 2016. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is wtm-73.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year legacy and outback vehicles, 2008-2014 impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began august 26, 2016. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact gm at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is tka-16.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 legacy, outback, 2009-2011 legacy, outback, forester, 2006-2011 impreza, tribeca, 2003-2006 baja, and 2006 saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands, or "zone a." these vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General motors will notify saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began august 24, 2016. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is tkb-16. Note: this notice is only for vehicles that were not covered by 16v-358 for zone a.
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 legacy, outback, 2006-2008 impreza, tribeca, 2006 saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia, or "zone b." these vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Brakes: service brakes, hydraulic
Risk: Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on january 27, 2015. Owners may contact subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is wqq-52. Notes: this recall is specific to affected forester, impreza, wrx, and sti customers who had their car remedied under NHTSA recall no. 14v-311 prior to december 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers. Affected forester, imp
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 impreza, 2008-2014 wrx and sti, and 2009-2013 forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia that were remedied under recall 14v-311 prior to december 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
Brakes: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began july 2014 and second notifications will run through november 2014. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is wqk-47. Note: this recall super
Full defect summary
Subaru of america, inc. (subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 outback and legacy, 2008-2011 impreza and 2008-2014 impreza wrx/sti, and 2009-2013 forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
Engine
Risk: Vibration would occur while driving and, over time, could eventually result in cracking the pipe which would allow oil to leak. If leaking oil contacts components operating at high temperatures, an engine compartment fire could occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect for cracking or an oil leak at the oil supply pipe at the cylinder head-side. An additional bracket will be installed to increase rigidity of the pipe and the pipe assembly will be replaced with a modified part. The recall began on october 20, 2008. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Full defect summary
Subaru is recalling 16,715 my 2007-2008 legacy sedans and wagons, my 2008 impreza sedans and wagons, and my 2009 forester vehicles. Some vehicles may have the cylinder head-side oil supply pipe and turbocharger-side pipe improperly assembled.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2008 Subaru Impreza
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (59 complaints, typically around 69,000 miles); air bags (37 complaints, typically around 1,000 miles); engine (27 complaints, typically around 48,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2008 Subaru Impreza have?
- 14 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 2, 2020 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2008 a bad year for the Subaru Impreza?
- It is 5th of 27 Impreza model years by number of complaints, with 176 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.