Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2008 Subaru Outback — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2015 to Dec 2016
The most reported issue is air bags problems (87 complaints). 12 complaints involved crashes. 2 involved fires.
Open Safety Recalls (8)
NHTSA Campaign: 20V002000
Component: 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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 20V003000
Component: 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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 20V001000
Component: 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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 19V297000
Component: 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.
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V738000
Component: 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.
Risk: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
NHTSA Campaign: 15V323000
Component: 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.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
NHTSA Campaign: 14V311000
Component: 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.
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 13V110000
Component: 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.
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.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area 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 on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.
Owner-Reported Issues (20 of 228)
Service Brakes →7 issues
Your brakes completely failed, which could have caused a serious accident. Subaru addressed a known recall (WQK-47) by spraying rust inhibitor on the brake lines instead of replacing them. According to a certified mechanic, this temporary fix didn't work—your brake lines are now failing for the same reason the recall exists. A proper repair would require replacing the brake lines entirely, not just coating them with spray.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your brakes failed suddenly while driving on the highway, leaving you with virtually no braking power—a dangerous situation that could have caused a serious accident. A Subaru dealership found a split brake line, which is a known issue covered by a recall. Subaru's recall fix only applied anticorrosion coating to the brake lines rather than replacing them, which may have only delayed the problem from happening again. The brake line will likely need to be replaced to fully resolve this issue.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your brake line ruptured while braking downhill due to rust damage from salt exposure, causing you to rely on the parking brake to avoid an accident. Subaru applied a protective wax coating in 2014 as part of a recall, but this didn't prevent the rupture. A second recall exists that requires replacing all four main brake lines, but Subaru denied your request, stating they have no further obligation after the first recall. You'll need to have all four brake lines replaced to ensure your brakes are fully functional and safe.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your brake pedal became soft and less responsive, and your brake warning light turned on. You discovered brake fluid leaking from under the right rear passenger seat, caused by rusty, corroded brake lines that weren't properly protected. This issue was subject to a recall on earlier Outbacks, but since the previous owner didn't have the work done and the recall has expired, you'll need to pay out-of-pocket to replace the affected brake line.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your brakes failed to respond when you pressed the pedal while turning downhill at 40 mph, causing your vehicle to crash into a ditch. The brake pedal went down but your car didn't slow down, with no warning lights appearing beforehand. This issue may be related to your vehicle's hydraulic brake system, and the problem could involve your brake fluid, master cylinder, brake lines, or related hydraulic components.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your brake line ruptured without warning, leaving you with barely enough braking power to reach a repair shop. While you were fortunate this happened at low speed, losing brakes on a highway could have been dangerous. Subaru's recall solution—spraying brake lines with a wax coating—only delays the problem rather than fixing it, and the brake line's location under the undercarriage makes regular inspection impossible. Repairing it required removing the undercarriage structure, making it an expensive fix.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your 2008 Outback had a 2014 recall for corroded brake lines, but Subaru only sprayed them with anti-corrosive coating instead of replacing them. Two weeks ago, you lost brake pressure while driving—fortunately without an accident. The brake lines are located underneath and partially blocked by the gas tank, making inspection impossible for owners. A proper replacement requires dropping the gas tank and rear substructure, costing around $3,000, because the lines were poorly designed or positioned for salt exposure.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Air Bags →5 issues
Your airbag warning light stayed on while driving, and the dealer confirmed a problem in the overhead console caused by a cracked solder joint on the circuit board. Cold weather seems to make this crack worse, causing the warning light to come on and off intermittently. When this warning light is on, Subaru says the airbag system may not work properly in a crash.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your 2008 Subaru Outback is subject to an airbag safety recall, but you've had trouble getting an appointment to have it fixed. You should contact your Subaru dealer to reschedule the recall service as soon as possible. The repair will involve inspecting and potentially replacing airbag components to address the safety issue.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your airbag warning light stays on whenever you start the engine, indicating your airbag system is not working. Even though the overhead console shows seatbelt and airbag activation alerts are functioning, the red warning light means your passenger and driver airbags are completely inoperative. This is a serious safety concern since the airbags won't deploy in a crash. The fix will likely require diagnostic testing of the airbag system to identify the fault code and replacement or repair of the faulty component.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
The dashboard covering above the passenger airbag is deteriorating and cracking, with pieces potentially falling off. If the airbag deploys in a collision, these loose pieces could become projectiles and cause injury. The dashboard material marked "SRS AIRBAG" is particularly affected and may require replacement of the entire dashboard pad.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your passenger-side airbag warning light stays on and flashes while driving. Your husband checked the airbag sensor under the front passenger seat and found it was working, so he replaced the airbag sensor in the sun visor above that seat. The fix involved replacing the sun visor airbag sensor component.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Unknown Or Other →2 issues
Your car caught fire while you were driving. You heard an unusual gurgling sound, and when you got home and exited the vehicle, it suddenly burst into flames, nearly igniting your house. This is an extremely serious fire hazard that requires immediate investigation to prevent injury or property damage.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Your 2008 Subaru Outback has experienced brake problems repeatedly since the first weeks of ownership. You've reported these issues to Subaru multiple times, but they claimed they couldn't reproduce the problem during warranty—then later quoted nearly $2,000 for a complete brake replacement at under 18,000 miles. Your car is now displaying an "Err SS" code similar to codes that preceded previous Subaru brake recalls. The fix will likely involve a complete brake system inspection, replacement of brake components (pads, rotors, calipers, or fluid), and possibly diagnosis of related electrical issues that appeared after your alternator was replaced.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Structure →1 issue
While parking, you shifted into Park while pressing the brake, but your car suddenly lunged forward and accelerated into a building on its own—even though you kept your foot on the brake the entire time. You had to shift into Reverse to back out, confirming the car was in Park when it accelerated unexpectedly. This suggests either a brake system failure, an unintended acceleration issue, or a transmission problem that needs immediate inspection.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Power Train →1 issue
Your 2008 Outback's automatic transmission has a known manufacturing defect affecting the torque converter that causes shuddering and vibration, which is getting worse over time. The problem won't trigger warning lights or trouble codes, so you might not realize how serious it is until the transmission fails completely while driving. A dealership has confirmed your transmission is affected, though the issue wasn't caught earlier because it couldn't be replicated during previous service visits. Fixing this will likely require transmission repair or replacement to address the defective torque converter.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Electrical System,service Brakes,engine →1 issue
Your 2008 Outback has experienced multiple chronic electrical and brake problems that four Subaru dealerships have been unable to diagnose or fix over 8 weeks, including intermittent starting issues, security system malfunctions, dashboard warning lights pulsing, headlights pulsing, noisy brakes, and radio/tail light failures. The dealerships have kept your car longer than promised, refused to provide diagnostic reports, and charged hundreds of dollars for undisclosed work without resolving the underlying issues. Fixing these problems will likely require comprehensive electrical system diagnosis, brake system inspection and potential replacement, and engine starting system evaluation.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Electrical System,service Brakes →1 issue
Your brakes suddenly failed while you were driving, requiring brake replacement at the dealer. After that repair, your car wouldn't start and needed a new battery. Shortly after the battery replacement, your headlights began flashing on and off, and your taillights stopped working due to wiring issues. You also noticed moisture behind the trim on the A-pillar. The dealer determined your alternator needed replacement and the taillight wiring and bulbs needed to be replaced. These electrical and brake issues could stem from a faulty alternator that's not properly charging the battery, or from moisture damage to the electrical system.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Electrical System,exterior Lighting,visibility/wiper →1 issue
The wires in the rubber seal (grommet) where your rear gate meets the body wear through and break as you open and close the gate. When this happens, you may lose your rear lights, brake lights, rear wiper, and rear door lock function. The fix will likely involve replacing the rear gate wiring harness and ensuring the wires are properly protected where they pass through the grommet.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Power Train,air Bags →1 issue
Your check engine light came on while driving at 30 mph. After the dealer repaired it, you noticed an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle that persisted even after multiple repair attempts. An independent mechanic found that your front passenger side ball joint, power steering rack, rear differential fill plug, and transmission all needed repairs—but the transmission was never replaced despite being reported to the dealer. Most recently, your airbag warning light illuminated. The fix will require replacing the ball joint and power steering rack, servicing the differential, and replacing the transmission.
Parts you may need:
As an Amazon Associate, MyCarTSB earns from qualifying purchases.
Get notified when any of these become free repairs
We'll alert you if a new recall is issued for your vehicle — that means a free fix at the dealer.
Related Vehicles
Other Subaru Outback years: