Subaru of America, Inc
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.
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1 critical safety recall on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 65 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
The dash has melted leaving it hard to see out of the windshield. The dash is also extremely sticky and shiny. I thought it just needed to be cleaned but realized shortly after that was not the case and have since found this is an issue with my make and model per Subaru.
This is in reference to Subaru recall wqk-47: while driving vehicle, brake indicator on dashboard illuminated and within a few minutes of driving, I could feel something was a bit different with the brake pressure. Within a few moments of that while attempting to stop, I…
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 Subaru legacy. While driving less than 35 MPH, the transmission shifted on its own from drive into neutral. The RPM's also revved. The contact attempted to shift back into drive, but it was stuck in neutral. The ABS, cruise control, oil, and sport…
2008 Subaru legacy gt with moisture/condensation buildup in headlight. Automobile was taken to dealership for 15k servicing and was told that condensation buildup is normal during transitional seasons (spring/fall). However I presume that the moisture is causing temporary…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
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.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Subaru Legacy is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2008 Subaru Legacy is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is airbags, with 21 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 75,713 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop.
The airbags is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 75,713 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 65 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.