2008 Subaru Impreza STI problems
The 2008 Subaru Impreza STI has 49 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (33%) concerns engine. Next are drivetrain & axles (22%) and brakes (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 49 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 33% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 36,000 miles 44 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 | 15 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 8 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 5 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 10 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 4 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 44 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 36,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 24,000 miles (16 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 86% of model years in our database.
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.
On the morning of november 4, 2011 , I pulled into the parking area behind a middle school and my car would not stop. I applied my brakes, the car still continued to go forward over the cement bumper and into the building. The only thing to stop my car was pulling the emergency brake. I went two feet into the middle school building. The airbags did not deploy. The car and the building received extensive damage.
Vehicle began smoking on cold start up. Compression test was performed and cyl 4 resulted in ~50-70 psi, which is less than half the subaru specification. Shortbock had to be replaced under warranty at approx 20,000 miles. No root cause for the failure was determined.
The firewall is flexing under clutch pedal movement or braking. Upon research I have found numerous claims by 08/09 impreza owners of soft welds on the firewall cracking and causing the firewall to flex under operation of the brakes or clutch. Further failure of the welds could cause serious accident if braking or clutch operation is further degraded. Subaru of america denies that there are claims to this effect though there is documentation on the internet to the contrary.