2008 Subaru WRX problems
The 2008 Subaru WRX has 119 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (41%) concerns drivetrain & axles. Next are body & structure (22%) and brakes (21%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 119 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 41% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 80,000 miles 114 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 | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 26 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 27 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 29 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 17 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 7 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 114 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 80,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (47 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a fire. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 93% 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 6th most-complained-about out of 11 model years of the Subaru WRX with enough data (48 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
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.
Vehicle was parked, car off. Vehicle owner in gym working out when an employee alerted him he had smoke coming out from underhood. Owner went out and found flames coming out of hood scoop. Opened hood and found what appeared to be secondary air pump on fire. Extinguished with fire extinguisher. Towed car to shop and initial inspection appears that the plastic secondary air pump caught fire and was starting to burn and do damage to surrounding underhood components.
For the last month or so I had smelled gas fumes periodically when the my car was idling. A few days ago the car went into limp mode. I had the ECU code read at a local store and the technician there stated that the engine code was "p0171 system too lean (bank 1)". On monday I took the car to the local dealer. Their diagnosis was that the fuel line was deteriorating and needed replacement. They also indicated that the fuel line was leaking.
Welds holding the clutch and brake pedal assembly to the firewall are breaking. Depressing the clutch causes flexing. If/when it breaks off, the car will be dangerous due to no foot braking and an engaged clutch. Seems like a common problem with this model. Time for a manufacturer paid fix.
The clutch pedal on my 2008 wrx makes a squeaking noise every time it's engaged. When I investigated the noise, I noticed that the clutch pedal bracket assembly (forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch every time the clutch pedal is engaged. I found that the three spot welds holding the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall were broken. From the outside of the firewall, just under the windshield wipers, the spot welds are separating away from the firewall every time the clutch pedal is engaged.