- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The 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.
Vehicle safety record
2008 Subaru WRX Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 65 complaints about the 2008 Subaru WRX with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (48) and the body, doors & structure (26). Those complaints describe 1 fire. It is covered by 7 recalls, the latest in January 2020 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2007 has 0 and the 2009 has 41.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical WRX year, for its age
#156 most complained-about 2008 vehicle
- Complaints
- 65
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2008 Subaru WRX problems
Share of all 65 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2008 Subaru WRX recalls 7
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The 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.
- The 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, Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles that were not repaired under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014 will continue to be processed under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311. Affected vehicles not currently, or formerly, registered in the salt belt states identified in this recall are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
- The problem
- 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.
- The 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.
- The 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 supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
What owners say
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65 complaints about the 2008 Subaru WRX
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 3.
Clutch/brake assembly broke away from fire wall. Making car undrivable
The driver looks high. Cutting people off and running through stop signs
The welds that attach the brake and clutch peddle to the vehicle brake and allow the whole peddle assembly to move. Because of this, braking efficiency and drive gear engagement become compromised. In the event that a hard stop is needed, the whole assembly could brake and keep the driver from being able to stop. This issue is a huge hazard! This is not a convenience issue, this is a life and safety issue to not only the occupants of the subaru but everyone on the road! I have contacted soa, and they informed me...
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that I would have to take care of the repair myself. This repair is not just some nuts and bolts coming loose or something like that. This is a huge repair that is structural to the vehicle. At costs of well into the thousands! Soa knows of the issue and refuses to do anything about it! My vehicle currently sits at 92k miles because of the poor clutch engagement I had to replace my clutch at 78k. I have video and photo evidence to go along with everything that is stated above, but a quick google search will show you that thousands of subaru wrx and sti owners from 2008 to 2014 are or will experience this exact issue!
Firewall spot welds have failed, causing significant lateral play in the clutch pedal. I have had some significant trouble trying to get it into gear. So I have had trouble shifting gears while at highway speeds and have had trouble getting it in reverse in order to pull out of a parking spot. The brake pedal is next in-line to be affected by the sheet metal tear. I keep hearing that this problem is not covered under any recall. Nor is it a warranty item at this year and mileage (105,000). This is a very...
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significant issue and will cost a great deal (over $1000) to fix. This being a weld issue and not a wear issue makes me think that the factory ought to cover this safety issue. This has been happening for the last year and a half. But I have only recently discovered the true extent of the problem.
There are 3 weld spots on my firewall that are snapped. Because of this I constantly hear snapping sounds and my break pedal moves when the clutch is depressed. This was a recall on the car but subaru of america says that I cant get it fixed under warranty. I bought the car used from a subaru dealership in ramsey nj pre-owned certified and this problem should have been fixed before I purchased the car. Ive had the car for about 6 months or so. The sound is driving me crazy and the cracks are getting worse.
Firewall welds broke and clutch needs replacement at 88,000 miles. The clutch is still stiff and makes a creaking noise despite the firewall welds being repaired.
Creaking clutch pedal really is the firewall pedal mounting bracket that is factory spot welded onto the drivers side dash section of the firewall under the dash board has its weak factory spot welds broken. I had replaced the clutch on my car as it was weak and thought replacing it would make the creaking sound go away. Replacing the clutch made the squeaking noise louder and now my brake pedal moves right into the path of the clutch when it is pressed and back to its place when depressed. This is a safety concern...
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as I am a father and cannot guarantee this car is safe to drive at all. I spent $1,200 on the installation as I provided the parts to the subaru dealer. After receiving my car back, the car became inoperable as the clutch is difficult to engage safely into any gear. I contacted subaru of america as per the dealers advice and was denied any compensation for structural repairs to my vehicle.
I purchased a 2008 subaru impreza wrx. Every time the clutch is engaged or disengaged a creak/pop noise can be heard. You can also see the clutch and brake pedal move significantly. The spot welds on the firewall/bulkhead have separated making it very difficult to get into gear and making the clutch very firm. This needs to be a recall. People can not afford this very expensive while making payments on their vehicle. This problem is also causing premature wear on transmission parts as well. I have 4 subarus and if they don't make this right I will not buy another. Very sad to say considering I work for them building engines.
The firewall is cracking which can cause the clutch pedal to become inoperable. After I had work done on my car the mechanic told me that the firewall was cracking and that I would need to contact subaru of america for possible coverage. They denied me coverage because it would be too costly despite the firewall being a known issue on the wrx from 2008-2014
Clutch bracket spot welds let go of fire wall. Making the clutch and brake pedal move and squeak when clutch is engaged.
I bought the car used with the clutch pedal squeaking. Ignored it because I thought it just needed grease. I was driving home last night when the clutch pedal got stuck pressed all the way down. I started researching and found many posts of people with the same problem. The squeaking was caused by the clutch pedal mounting bracket separating from the fire wall. I crawled under the dashboard to look, and sure enough it is broken.
While driving the vehicle I noticed while depressing my brakes or clutch, I would hear a "popping sound." Also I noticed the clutch pedal and the brake pedal would move towards the left together (oppose to just up and down) when depressing the clutch pedal. It seems like the whole firewall where the clutch and brake pedals are attached too is moving when depressed. This happens all the time now when clutch pedal is depressed.
I recently discovered a known issue impacting my particular car and confirmed the problem after inspecting my vehicle myself. The first 130k miles were spent commuting to my job 84 miles a day at over 90% highway driving (very little clutch/break action required), and the last 9k were put on over the last 4 years - car mostly sat since I started working from home. Over time spot welds which hold the clutch/brake assembly to the firewall have broken and assembly is at risk of detaching while driving my car....
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Numerous cars have been affected over multiple model years and has been well documented see nasioc owners - http://forums.Nasioc.Com/forums/showthread.Php?T=2700583. Subaru has history of denying claims despite issuing extended warranties. Their inconsistent treatment of this issue an unwillingness to address this clear design/engineering flaw needs to be handles at the federal level. I have not requested a dealership inspection or repair due to my cars age and subaru's past history of denying claims.
I had an issue previously with the welds for the clutch pedal assembly cracking on the firewall. It got so bad that the whole pedal assembly with the brake and gas pedal shifted left every time I depressed the clutch. It eventually caused the clutch to not disengage entirely and burn out. Subaru of america fixed the problem by sending it to a body shop to re-weld the pedal assembly to the firewall but now, just a few years later, the pedal is squeaking again just like it did last time the welds broke. I haven't taken it in yet but it is an unmistakable sound.
The clutch pedal on my 2008 wrx makes a squeaking noise every time it's engaged. When I investigated the noise, I noticed that the clutch pedal bracket assembly (forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch every time the clutch pedal is engaged. I found that the three spot welds holding the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall were broken. From the outside of the firewall, just under the windshield wipers, the spot welds are separating away from the firewall every time the clutch pedal is engaged. This allows...
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the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move,making that squeaking noise. If the bracket completely separates from the firewall, the clutch will not work. This is super super dangerous while driving.
A couple years ago my clutch started to creak. I asked the local subaru dealer to check it when I took it in for a scheduled oil change. I got told they couldn't find a problem. So I thought nothing of it. I just took it back to the dealer and got told the spot welds on the firewall. Subaru offered to fix the welds but I have to pay for a new clutch assembly. If the welds totally fail this could become a serious safety issue as it will affect the brake motion also.
Vehicle was parked, car off. Vehicle owner in gym working out when an employee alerted him he had smoke coming out from underhood. Owner went out and found flames coming out of hood scoop. Opened hood and found what appeared to be secondary air pump on fire. Extinguished with fire extinguisher. Towed car to shop and initial inspection appears that the plastic secondary air pump caught fire and was starting to burn and do damage to surrounding underhood components. Vehicle currently in shop (smart service...
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206-417-0880) having damage parts replaced. It appears that if this fire was not extinguished it would have burned the vehicle to the ground and anything surrounding it. More pictures are availble by calling shop listed above as well as all old parts will be saved for inspection if needed.
As verified by the dealership: the firewall welds keeping the clutch brackets in place are cracked. This causes the pedal assembly to have play and move as unintended. If the pedal bracket were to become more unstable the vehicle could be uncontrollable during use.
The spot welds that hold my clutch pedal assembly on the fire wall are breaking and causing problems getting car into 1st and reverse
I bought this vehicle used from a dealership in january of 2015 with over 100,000 miles on the odometer. After a few months of driving it I began to hear a click every time I depressed the clutch pedal. I looked into the issue to see if it was a common problem and if there was an easy fix to it. Turns out six of the seven spot welds that hold my clutch and brake assembly to the firewall were cracked. There is a recall for this issue already but they wont service vehicles past 40,000 miles.This does not help me...
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seeing as the car is far past 40,000. Not only is this a safety issue but it is also causing other parts of the car to prematurely wear out such as the clutch and the release bearing. I need help.
The clutch pedal on my 2009 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 the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall were broken. From the outside of the firewall, just under the windshield wipers, I saw the spot welds pulling away from the firewall every time the clutch...
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pedal was depressed. This allows the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move, causing the creaking noise. If the bracket completely separates from the firewall, the clutch may become completely inoperative - especially dangerous while driving. I eventually fixed it myself with a custom made brace and some bolts. Updated 12/21/2015*js
Check clutch difficult to get in gear found clutch pedal support brace broken away from firewall. Needed to reweld brace and add plate and additional welds
Many people with subaru wrx and sti model cars have been having problems with the spot welds that hold the clutch pedal assembly. These spot welds have a tendency to brake off and leave the car inopperable because once those spot welds brake off you cant push in the clutch pedal to put it in gear. One of the early symptoms I had in my car was a squeaky clutch pedal. Many people in the subaru community have had this problem and theres evidence of this on youtube and many subaru forums like nasioc.Com . We need help...
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getting this fix, subaru of america has known for years about this defect but they have been doing nothing about it. Many people have had to pay 1000-2000 dollars out of pocket to get this problem fixed because subaru doesnt want to take responsibility.
The clutch pedal was making a lot of noise, progressively getting worse over the years that I've owned this car. I took it to the dealership and they adjusted the pedal assembly. The noise came back shortly after so I took it to the dealership again and they replaced the pedal assembly. Once again, the noise came back, but this time it was worse than ever. The dealership is saying the clutch pedal mount has had all welds fail that attach it to the firewall. Subaru needs to address this as it seems many owners have this same issue.
Clutch started making a creaking noise when pressing in and out. Shifting gears has also become more difficult like the clutch isn't fully engaging and disengaging. I also noticed the whole assembly shifts (clutch and brake pedals) when pressing down on the clutch. Turns out the spot welds on the bracket that hold the assembly are completely broken, causing flex to the clutch and brake assembly. If that bracket rips off, could lose braking power. This is unsafe and needs to be recalled. *Tr
Subaru WRX: every year compared
All WRX years2008 Subaru WRX vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Subaru WRX | 65 | 7 | D | |
| 2008 Dodge Charger | 624 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2008 Volkswagen GTI | 67 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 2008 Dodge Challenger | 10 | 3 | A | Compare |
| 2008 Ford Mustang | 0 | 8 | D | Compare |
| 2008 Subaru Outback | 230 | 8 | C | Compare |
| 2008 Subaru Impreza | 209 | 15 | F | Compare |
| 2008 Subaru Legacy | 65 | 9 | C | Compare |
| 2008 Subaru Forester | 50 | 1 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2008 Subaru WRX
Does the 2008 Subaru WRX have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2008 Subaru WRX: inflator module (January 2020); inflator module (January 2020); inflator module (January 2020); switch (April 2019) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Subaru WRX?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (48), body, doors & structure (26), brakes (25).
How many complaints has the 2008 Subaru WRX had?
65 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 6, 2013 and the latest on April 2, 2019. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2008 Subaru WRX a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 25 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Subaru WRX year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Subaru WRX years have the most complaints?
2002 (426), 2008 (65), 2003 (60). See every Subaru WRX year compared.
What should I do if my 2008 Subaru WRX has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data