Model year report

2008 Subaru Wrx: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2008 Subaru Wrx

On the 2008 Subaru Wrx, the failure owners report most often is manual clutch or hydraulics failure, and the reports cluster around 85,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other brake problem, reported by a median of 60,000 miles. Overall it scores 64 out of 100, high risk for a 2008.

High risk for a 2008 — 285th riskiest of the 356 2008 vehicles we can rate. 119 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What breaks on the 2008 Subaru Wrx

Owners have reported 10 named failure modes on the 2008 Subaru Wrx, and the three most-reported carry 83% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.

Manual clutch or hydraulics failure leads with 65 reports, about 1.2 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 60k to 100,000 miles.

Other powertrain problem follows with 22 reports, usually reported between 52k to 90,000 miles.

Other brake problem follows with 12 reports, usually reported between 48k to 80,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (87), brakes (15) and body (7).

At what mileage it happens

114 of the reports on the 2008 Subaru Wrx came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 80,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 16% by 50,000 miles, 75% by 100,000 miles and 98% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 2 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 60,000 and 70,000 miles, which alone holds 17% of the dated reports.

0% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.

In the order they tend to show up: other brake problem around 62k, other powertrain problem around 67k and manual clutch or hydraulics failure around 85k.

Median

Manual clutch or hydraulics failure

85k
Other powertrain problem

67k
Other brake problem

62k
Other body or interior problem

61k
Parking brake failure

70k
Steering column or shaft failure

89k
Other engine problem

90k
Other electrical problem

130k
Other fuel system problem

121k
Other speed control problem

62k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 80k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 2 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 2 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 2.85, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: manual clutch or hydraulics failure at $900–$2,800, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, other brake problem at $300–$1,800 and other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

75% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Manual clutch or hydraulics failure	transmission	65	63	60k	85k	100k	1.2	$900–$2,800	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	22	22	52k	67k	92k	0.4	$400–$4,500	High
Other brake problem	brakes	12	11	48k	62k	79k	0.2	$300–$1,800	High
Other body or interior problem	body	7	7	—	61k	—	0.1	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Parking brake failure	brakes	3	3	—	70k	—	0.1	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	2	2	—	89k	—	0.0	$600–$2,500	Critical
Other engine problem	engine	2	2	—	90k	—	0.0	$300–$4,000	High
Other electrical problem	electrical	1	1	—	130k	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other fuel system problem	fuel	1	1	—	121k	—	0.0	$300–$2,200	High
Other speed control problem	adas	1	1	—	62k	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	Critical
Unclassified problem	other	3	1	—	72k	—	0.1	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2008 Subaru Wrx draws about 2.2 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 77th percentile of complaint rates among 2008 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 54,313 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2008 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Manual clutch or hydraulics failure

The clutch pedal on my 2008 impreza wrx feels gritty and makes a loud creaking noise every time it's depressed. When I investigated the noise, I noticed that the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly (attached to the forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch every time the clutch pedal is depressed. I found that the three spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall were broken. From the outside of the firewall, just under the windshield wipers, I saw the spot welds pulling away from the firewall every time the clutch pedal was depressed. This allows the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move, causing the creaking noise. If the bracket completely separates from the firewall, the clutch may become completely inoperative - especially dangerous while driving.

42,000 miles NHTSA complaint 971475 filed 2013-04-01

The clutch pedal on my 2008 impreza wrx feels gritty and makes a loud creaking noise every time it's depressed. When I investigated the noise, I noticed that the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly (attached to the forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch every time the clutch pedal is depressed. I found that the three spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall were broken. From the outside of the firewall, just under the windshield wipers, I saw the spot welds pulling away from the firewall every time the clutch pedal was depressed. This allows the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move, causing the creaking noise. If the bracket completely separates from the firewall, the clutch may become completely inoperative - especially dangerous while driving.

42,000 miles NHTSA complaint 971476 filed 2013-04-01

Recalls on the 2008 model year

NHTSA has issued 7 recall campaigns covering the 2008 Subaru Wrx, affecting an estimated 86,266 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module and electrical system:ignition:switch. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.

20V001000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

258,813 vehicles 2020-01-02

Defect: 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, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.

20V002000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

127,547 vehicles 2020-01-02

Defect: 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, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.

20V003000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

111,562 vehicles 2020-01-02

Defect: 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, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under…
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.

19V297000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

511 vehicles 2019-04-11

Defect: 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. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Consequence: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
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. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

19V149000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

1,303,530 vehicles 2019-02-28

Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

14V830000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

200,064 vehicles 2014-12-31

Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia that were remedied under recall 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the…
Consequence: Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQQ-52. Notes: This recall is specific to affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI customers who had their car remedied under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers…

14V311000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

461,338 vehicles 2014-06-10

Defect: 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 Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion…
Consequence: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47…

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2008 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2008 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Where 2008 sits in the model line

High risk for a 2008 — 285th riskiest of the 356 2008 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.

Across the 15 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2008 comes out best at 64 and 2022 worst at 83, with 2008 itself at 64.

No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2008, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.

Within the 2002–2009 generation specifically, 2008 is the strongest year at 64 and 2003 the weakest at 77.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2002-2009 generation, 2008 Subaru Wrx scores best at 64 and 2003 Subaru Wrx worst at 77.

Where to spend the inspection money

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other brake problem from about 48k, other powertrain problem from about 52k and manual clutch or hydraulics failure from about 60k.

On a 2008 Subaru Wrx with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other brake problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.

What this page cannot tell you

119 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 119 reports, 114 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 96% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Subaru Wrx?

The most-reported failures are manual clutch or hydraulics failure (65 reports, median 85,000 miles), other powertrain problem (22 reports, median 65,000 miles) and other brake problem (12 reports, median 60,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2008 Subaru Wrx problems start?

Other brake problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 60,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 50,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 80,000 miles.

Is the 2008 Subaru Wrx reliable?

It scores 64 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 285th riskiest of the 356 2008 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2008 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Subaru Wrx is best?

Within the 2002–2009 generation, 2008 scores best at 64 out of 100 and 2003 worst at 77. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 20 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed