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#BS-2008-SUBOUT-192E2008 Subaru Outback
Based on reports from 277 owners and 8 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 277 complaints, 12 crashes, 2 fires, and 8 recalls.
Top reported problems
blown head gasket
3 complaints • Severity 8.7/10
head gasket leak
1 complaints • Severity 8/10
rattling noise
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
Preview: What's in your full report
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
102 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 80K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (54 reports) • Median: 80K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Airbags (102 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
2008 Subaru Outback: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 37% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Outback, with 102 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 80,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 80K-mile mark.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Outback, with 33 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Brakes Issues
Brakes complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Outback, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2008 Subaru Outback, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Subaru Outback. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (8 recalls)
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and 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.
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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
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.
+ 3 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.
The worst model year for the Subaru Outback is the 2013 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is electrical.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 277 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 8 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Subaru Outback Model Years
2008 Subaru Outback: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2008 Subaru Outback Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 277 owner reports. Know before you buy.