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#BS-2008-SUBIMP-118A

2008 Subaru Impreza

Based on reports from 249 owners and 15 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
249
Crashes
11
Fires
6
Recalls
15
TSBs
202
πŸ›‘

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 249 complaints, 11 crashes, 6 fires, and 15 recalls.

Top reported problems

1

windshield windows seem to have a film on them

11 complaints β€’ Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX
2

head gasket leak

8 complaints β€’ Severity 8.8/10

$X,XXX
3

knocking

2 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the DrivetrainHIGH

51 owners reported drivetrain issues β€” failures commonly reported around 58K miles.

!Inspect the AirbagsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

56
0–30K
49
30–60K
50
60–90K
21
90–120K
9
120–150K
5
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (56 reports) β€’ Median: 58K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Drivetrain (51 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Drivetrain51 (20%)
Airbags24 (10%)
Engine21 (8%)
Brakes20 (8%)
Visibility19 (8%)
Structure:body18 (7%)
Air Bags:frontal13 (5%)
Speed Control7 (3%)

2008 Subaru Impreza: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 20% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Impreza, with 51 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 58,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 58K-mile mark.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Impreza, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Impreza, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Impreza, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

4
07
39
08
16
09
13
10
18
11
26
12
36
13
29
14
14
15
12
16
14
17
7
18
13
19
4
20
1
22
2
23
1
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Subaru Impreza. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind β€” know what this car costs to own

Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (15 recalls)

08V460000Oct 2008

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

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.

09E011000Apr 2009

EQUIPMENT

THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE BOLT(S) USED TO SECURE THE FOOT TO THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED TO A HARDNESS THAT MAY CAUSE THE BOLT(S) TO BE BRITTLE AND POTENTIALLY BREAK UNDER STRESS.

14V311000Jul 2014

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

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.

14V830000Jan 2015

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

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.

16V358000Jul 2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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.

+ 10 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Subaru Impreza is the 2012 β€” worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 249 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 15 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

2008 Subaru Impreza: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2008 Subaru Impreza is related to the drivetrain, with 51 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2008 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 2008 Subaru Impreza has 249 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Subaru Impreza problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2008 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes, the 2008 Subaru Impreza has 15 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Impreza problems start?
Based on 190 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 58,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records β€” then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence β€” what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you β€” no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 249 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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