2008 Subaru Impreza Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2008 Subaru Impreza.

20072009
Complaints
249
Crashes
11
Fires
6
Injuries
14
Fatalities
Recalls
13

Worst 2008 Subaru Impreza Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#151 complaints

Transmission / Drivetrain

Avg mileage:73,250 mi
#224 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:38,646 mi
Crash-related:5
#318 complaints

Body Structure

Avg mileage:72,988 mi
Fires:1
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2008 Subaru Impreza.

Transmission / Drivetrain
51
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
73,250
Airbags
24
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
Avg Miles
38,646
Body Structure
18
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
72,988
Visibility
18
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
24,089
Brakes
14
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
89,803
Air Bags:Frontal
13
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
310
Engine Problems
13
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
58,246
Engine & Cooling
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
48,067
Electrical Faults
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
4
Avg Miles
54,931
Unintended Acceleration
7
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
41,973
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
61,278
Hydraulic Brakes
6
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
33,297
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
5
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
11,475
Structural Problems
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
29,514
Headlight/Taillight Failures
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Visibility:Windshield
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electronic Stability Control
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Gasoline Fuel System
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Power Train:Clutch Assembly:Pedal/Hand Lever(Motorcycle)
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
2
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Suspension Failures
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Traction Control System
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:On-Off Switch Assembly
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Side/Window
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru Impreza. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2008 Subaru Impreza

13 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~3,197,402 vehicles.

20V001000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~258,813 affected

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.

20V003000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~111,562 affected

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.

20V002000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~127,547 affected

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.

19V297000Electrical System:ignition:switch
~511 affected

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.

19V149000Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
~1,303,530 affected

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.

17V026000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~69,529 affected

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.

17V014000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~53,480 affected

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.

17V016000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~62,764 affected

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.

16V738000Electrical System
~100,127 affected

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.

16V358000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~302,127 affected

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.

+ 3 more recalls

Other Subaru Impreza Years

2008 Subaru Impreza — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2008 Subaru Impreza reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2008 Subaru Impreza has 249 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash-related, and 13 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Transmission / Drivetrain with 51 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
Top reported problems: Transmission / Drivetrain (51 complaints, avg 73,250 mi); Airbags (24 complaints, avg 38,646 mi); Body Structure (18 complaints, avg 72,988 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 52,638 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Subaru Impreza include 11 crash-related reports, 6 fire reports, 14 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2008 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes — 13 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 3,197,402 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2008 Subaru Impreza?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (transmission / drivetrain) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Subaru Impreza reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

Check Your Specific 2008 Subaru Impreza

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