2008 Subaru Forester problems
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Subaru Forester. Suspension is the most reported problem area, at 16% of complaints. After that come engine (13%) and air bags (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 67 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Suspension 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 8 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 11 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 88,000 miles 52 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 8 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 9 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 6 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 11 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 7 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 52 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 88,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 8 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 11 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 88% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 29th most-complained-about out of 29 model years of the Subaru Forester with enough data (27 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The vehicle was involved in a high-speed crash on I-35 in denton tx. The car was rear-ended. Both cars were travelling at highway speeds (50-60 MPH). The driver and the front seat passengers were restrained and both sustained head injuries and lost consciousness. They were taken from the scene in an ambulance. The airbags did not deploy and we are concerned that they should have.
A fire broke out in the interior of our car while parked. The passenger door was destroyed and the interior of the car was ruined with smoke damage. Insurance declared it a total loss and both the adjuster and fire department suspect it was a wiring issue. While arson was not ruled out, there was no other damage to the car to suggest a break-in, and no personal belongings in the car were tampered with.
This happened while driving on a freeway. Weather was sunny, in the 20s, pavement was dry but there were short icy patches under bridges. Every time I passed over one of these patches I experienced severe fishtailing. I had to reduce speed to under 30MPH to retain control of the car while traffic was passing me at 60+ MPH. Tires were new goodyear assurance.
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the lower control arm detached. The contact became aware that there was rust on the control arm. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.