YearToAvoid

2008 Subaru Impreza Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

85/100

#4 most-complained of 21 Impreza years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2008 Subaru Impreza has 176 owner complaints and 14 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 85 out of 100 — #4 highest of 21 Impreza model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is transmission & powertrain (59 complaints, 34% of the total). Complaints report 9 crashes, 4 fires, and 9 injuries.

Complaints
176
Recalls
14
Crashes / fires
9 / 4
Injuries / deaths
9 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
22
20 city / 25 hwy

Top 2008 Subaru Impreza problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain59 (34%)
  2. Airbags37 (21%)
  3. Engine34 (19%)
  4. Brakes25 (14%)
  5. Structure & Body25 (14%)
  6. Visibility & Wipers23 (13%)
  7. Electrical System11 (6%)
  8. Other9 (5%)
  9. Fuel System5 (3%)
  10. HVAC3 (2%)
2008 Subaru Impreza complaints: complaints filed per quarter172007 Q32009 Q32011 Q22013 Q22015 Q12016 Q42019 Q12024 Q2
239 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2007 Q3 to 2024 Q2; peak 2013 Q4 (17).

2008 Subaru Impreza recalls

14 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 20V001000Jan 2, 2020Airbags258,813 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 20V003000Jan 2, 2020Airbags111,562 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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.

  3. NHTSA 20V002000Jan 2, 2020Airbags127,547 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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.

See all 14 recalls for the 2008 Subaru Impreza →

2008 Subaru Impreza fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20 MPG
Highway
25 MPG
Combined
22 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,650
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2008 compared with other Impreza years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Caution15561020
2007Caution3568921
2008Avoid851761422
2009Caution551031421
2010Caution25461521

All Subaru Impreza years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2008 Subaru Impreza a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Subaru Impreza ranks #4 of 21 among Impreza model years (Complaint Index 85/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 176 complaints and 14 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
The most reported problem areas are transmission & powertrain (59 complaints), airbags (37 complaints), and engine (34 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 48,150 miles.
Does the 2008 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for the 2008 Subaru Impreza, most recently reported 2020, covering airbags, electrical system, brakes, and engine.
What is the fuel economy of the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
EPA rates the 2008 Subaru Impreza at 22 MPG combined (20 city / 25 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,650. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.