2008 Subaru Impreza problems & reliability
176 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru Impreza, alongside 14 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Subaru Impreza vehicles were involved in 26 fatal crashes with 17 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 59 | 34% |
| Air Bags | 37 | 21% |
| Structure | 24 | 14% |
| Visibility | 24 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 8% |
| Engine | 13 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 53,779 miles (middle 50% between 21,250 and 80,000 miles), based on 122 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“There is a weakness in the cars firewall around the master cylinder where the weld inside is breaking and it is cracking all around the master cylinder and I am unable to shift the car. I have taken the car to two different shops and both say the same thing that the firewall is failing. The brake pedal is shifting…”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 20, 2024
“2008 WRX started to make a sqeeking noise when engaging the clutch. The spot welds came apart from firewall and my clutch has gone out twice. The pedal when shifting sticks and while driving I have to put the pedal under my foot and pull upwards for it to work. Very dangerous and the welds are faulty, it should be a…”
Power Train · filed Sep 13, 2023
“I was driving to work and the car was running funny after a few blocks when I saw smoke pouring out of the car I pulled over ad got out and watched the car burn to the ground. I cant get to work and the car contained my personal.belongings.”
Electrical System · filed Sep 1, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
213 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru Impreza. The 10 most recent:
This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.
SubaruNet Annoucement (E · Other · issued Jun 12, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
SubaruNet Announcement (R · Other · issued May 4, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide interim guidance for vehicles exhibiting DTC B2A20.
07-240-26R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2026
This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
03-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
This Bulletin provides the diagnostic procedures to be followed when addressing customer concerns of steering wheel/vehicle body vibration when driving at highway speeds when tire/wheel balance is suspected.
05-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2026
This bulletin announces the new procedure and Warranty Fail Code for FirstTime air conditioning (A/C) performance concerns possibly resulting from an undetected A/C refrigerant leak.
10-105-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2026
This bulletin contains information to help when attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully
15-219-18R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2008 Subaru Impreza has 14 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2008 Subaru Impreza?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 53,779 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.