Most common 2008 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of the 65 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Legacy complaints by model year
Best Legacy years: 2023, 2025, 2021. Years to avoid: 2015, 2016, 2011, 2020, 2019. Compare all years →
2008 Subaru Legacy recalls (9)
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,…
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.
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,…
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.
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,…
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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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…
Remedy: 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.
Show 3 more recalls
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…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks.
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,…
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for cracking or an oil leak at the oil supply pipe at the cylinder head-side. An additional bracket will be installed to increase rigidity of the pipe and the pipe assembly will be replaced with a…
What 2008 Subaru Legacy owners say
Air bags all 25 →
My airbag light had been turning on intermittently as is described by many 2008 Subaru Legacy and outback owners about a year prior to my accident. On October 15th, 2014, I lost consciousness while driving and went off the road and struck two trees. My vehicle was totaled with a cracked frame and it took two tow trucks and a winch to pull my car off of the trees. In this accident my airbags did not deploy and I suffered a fractured vertebra, a traumatic brain injury, knee injuries, and shoulder injuries. This is beyond wrong and Subaru know there are defective parts in these Legacy's and outback's as is outlined by all of the complaints out there online and with the NHTSA. I will not stop pursuing this until Subaru is held accountable ethically, as well as financially for the problems I have suffered as a result of their defective product.
Red airbag indicator in instrument cluster begun coming on/off once or twice a week then became constant. Observed passenger airbag indicator had no lights on(no illumination at all) searched forums and found multiple similar cases with no resolve from the dealership. As a mechanic myself I began my own diagnosis, cause: removed overhead control panel and performed electrical testing on passenger airbag circuit. Found open circuits between component contacts. Correction: retinned contacts and added solder. Haven't had an airbag light since the repair.. I have heard the dealer wants 300+$ to repair. This is such a common and serious issue that it should be considered for a recall... I have seen and performed far more trivial recalls. That said; if you take your car to a decent Subaru or independent shop they should be able to diagnose this and fix it for alot less than the dealer
Brakes
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 mph, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. The contact was concerned that the brake was failing with her husband and four-month-old baby in the vehicle. The contact veered to the shoulder and turned off the vehicle. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle and saw that there was fluid dripping near the rear passenger's side tire, below the fuel tank. The contact's husband then drove the vehicle back to the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer had performed a recall repair on the brakes on January 22, 2021. The contact was informed that anti-corrosion wax was sprayed onto the brake line connectors as part of the remedy. …
I had the recall done in 2017 and I was recently driving on the highway when my brakes had no pressure, I nearly crashed my car. Pulled over and realized my brake lines were leaking from where they said it had been fixed during the recall. I called the Subaru Stealership that did the recall and they informed me when I brought the vehicle in "it showed no signs of leakage" so they sprayed "anti corrosion" on the lines. I called Subaru of America and they want me to pay $200 to diagnose the issue and pay for the repair since the lines busted from "wear and tear". Spraying anti-corrosion does nothing when the rust has already ruined the integrity of the brake line. Subaru is trying to pull a fast one and scam their customers by spraying anti-corrosion when the lines need to be replaced instead.
Electrical system
All of my dash lights are on (stationary & in motion) cruise control lights blinks consistently (stationary & in motion), my car cruise control also feels like it goes on and off constantly (in motion), and my cruise controls on my steering do not work (stationary & in motion) . Also my radio is consistently going on/off, changing stations, volume controls go in/out (stationary & in motion). Also my review mirror displays the wrong direction on the compass, and the auto dim and compass feature it's self goes on/off consistently (stationary & in motion). Under the hood will smoke after I've driven at highway speeds, or gone up steep hills.I read online where other people are having these issues with their Subaru Legacy's and outbacks as well. Note: these issues happen consistently without regard to the type of road on with the exception of under the hood smoking. …
Red airbag indicator in instrument cluster begun coming on/off once or twice a week then became constant. Observed passenger airbag indicator had no lights on(no illumination at all) searched forums and found multiple similar cases with no resolve from the dealership. As a mechanic myself I began my own diagnosis, cause: removed overhead control panel and performed electrical testing on passenger airbag circuit. Found open circuits between component contacts. Correction: retinned contacts and added solder. Haven't had an airbag light since the repair.. I have heard the dealer wants 300+$ to repair. This is such a common and serious issue that it should be considered for a recall... I have seen and performed far more trivial recalls. That said; if you take your car to a decent Subaru or independent shop they should be able to diagnose this and fix it for alot less than the dealer
2008 Subaru Legacy engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Subaru Legacy a good car?
Based on 65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Legacy rates better than average: 47% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Legacy at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Subaru Legacy?
The air bags — 25 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (13) and electrical system (9).
How many recalls does the 2008 Subaru Legacy have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2008 Subaru Legacy, the most recent from January 2, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Legacy?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2025 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2016, 2011, 2020 and 2019. See the full Subaru Legacy years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Subaru Legacy problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 30% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.