2008 Subaru Forester Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe front lower control arms that rusted and then cracked, broke, or came loose, usually with recorded mileage from about 89,000 to 180,000 miles. Other common reports include sudden acceleration at low speed, oil leaks or oil loss, airbag deployment and warning light problems, and check engine lights tied to emissions parts. Sudden acceleration reports with recorded mileage mostly occurred at lower mileage than the control arm reports.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front lower control arm rust, fracture or detachment

   • 11 complaints (22%)
   • median 138,000 mi at 14.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2015–2024

   Owners describe a front lower control arm that rusted or corroded until it cracked, broke, or came loose, sometimes while pulling out of a driveway or parking space. Some report clanking, shaking, or a loose steering wheel before the arm failed. Some complaints mention a related recall, and owners say the dealer described the vehicle as already repaired. Some owners say the manufacturer did not authorize further repair, so they paid for diagnosis and repair themselves. Recorded mileage ranges from about 89,000 to 180,000 miles, and some complaints describe the arm failing without warning.

   Recall 11V464000

   What to check: Ask whether the recall work replaced the lower control arms or only applied a rustproof coating, and ask for the completion record. Inspect the front lower control arms and nearby frame areas for rust, cracks, or looseness before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Right front lower control arm failed due to rust (safety recall WVX34 and NHTSA campaign 11v464000). Part of arm completely detached from connection to frame. Dealer states the recall is closed and there is nothing they will do. I notified Subaru by Email last night on the day it occurred -1 Dec 2021. Have not had reply as yet. This caused uncontrollable steering as it was not controllable by the steering wheel. Fortunately this failed as I was backing out of a parking spot and not at speed on the highway. Car was not drivable. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11442453, filed 2021-12

   “I was getting on the highway in Minnesota doing 55-60 mph when the car started violently shaking and I lost steering with cars whizzing by me at 65-70+ mph. I was finally able to get the car just off the road and called for roadside assist. Once the car was left at my house I examined the right front wheel which was cockeyed to discover the lower control arm steel body had disintegrated (see photos). Looking online I discovered there had been a recall on these arms 9 years ago. I sent a message to Subaru Customer Care and received no reply. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11422196, filed 2021-06
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden acceleration at low speed

   • 5 complaints (10%)
   • median 16,228 mi at 2.2 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2018

   Owners describe the vehicle speeding up on its own at low speed, such as when backing out of a space, and some say braking did not slow the car. Some owners say they shifted into neutral to stop the car. Other complaints describe surging between acceleration and deceleration at steady highway speed, or acceleration on downhill grades with cruise control on. The dealer often could not reproduce the problem, and some complaints say the manufacturer offered no remedy. Most reports with recorded mileage occurred under 40,000 miles, and some happened at about 5 to 7 mph.

   What to check: Ask the dealer to scan for stored throttle or accelerator codes and to say whether any software update applies to this vehicle. On a test drive, check that engine speed drops promptly when you lift off the throttle and that the car slows normally when you brake at low speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2008 Subaru Forester the drive by wire accelerator system surges between acceleration and deceleration when one tries to hold a steady highway speed. This is true whether it is being controlled manually or if cruise control is engaged. It also accelerates in cruise control when going downhill. Subaru has made an improvement in the computer engine control mechanism for the legacy model but have ignored the Forester customers. All dealerships are aware of the problem from customer complaints but do not have a remedy from Subaru.”

   NHTSA complaint #10305487, filed 2010-02, 6,966 miles

   “The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. While driving approximately 5 MPH out of a parking space the contact noticed that the vehicle suddenly accelerated and the brakes failed. In order to stop the vehicle the contact was forced to shift into neutral gear. The dealership informed the contact that the failure could not be reproduced. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 37959. Updated 03/10/10. Updated 07/07/10”

   NHTSA complaint #10306523, filed 2010-02, 37,959 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Oil leaks, oil loss and burning oil smell

   • 6 complaints (12%)
   • median 114,000 mi at 10.1 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe oil leaking from the engine, including near the camshaft, with smoke or oil-covered parts under the hood. Some report the oil level dropping quickly, a burning oil smell, or engine knocking after the car ran out of oil, and in some cases no leak was found during inspection. A complaint says a head gasket was replaced while the oil leak reportedly went unnoticed. The manufacturer reportedly said it could not help because no recall applied. Recorded mileage ranges from about 65,000 to 172,000 miles, and some complaints describe the leak being found during routine maintenance.

   What to check: Check the engine oil level and look for fresh oil around the valve cover, camshaft area, and underside of the engine before buying. Ask for records of any head gasket or oil-leak repairs, and ask whether oil consumption has been checked between oil changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There is an oil leak from the cam shaft, only noticed after I finished paying the car, 60 months paying 283 dollars, now there is a problem. My car is full with smoking under the hood due to this oil leak, apparently all Subaru cars have the same issue. Now I am left with a paid car that basically does not have value and over thousands of dollars to fix it, or my car can burn down.”

   NHTSA complaint #11048788, filed 2017-11, 114,000 miles

   “The check engine light went on - flashing. I drove immediately to my local garage. When I turned off the engine, I smelled a strong burning oil smell, as did the mechanic. The oil was checked and I was down 2 quarts even though I had a recent oil change at that same facility. There had been no oil leaks, and no stain in my driveway previous to this. The mechanic saw no abnormal oil flow or leak when he checked.”

   NHTSA complaint #10652111, filed 2014-11, 172,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag deployment and warning light faults

   Mentioned in 4 of 48 sampled complaints

   Owners describe airbags that did not deploy in high-impact crashes, and an airbag that deployed while the car was parked in a garage. Another owner reports a passenger airbag deactivation light that stayed on. The dealer reportedly checked the seat sensor, said it was set to specification, and suggested sitting in the back seat, and the owner says placing weights on the seat was needed before the airbag would be enabled. Recorded mileage runs from about 13,000 to 134,000 miles, and the unexpected deployment happened while the car was parked in a garage.

   What to check: Ask whether any airbag or occupant detection warning light is on when the car is started, and check for stored airbag codes. For a used vehicle, ask for records of any airbag module or seat sensor repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11063938, filed 2018-01, 134,000 miles

   “The airbag on driver’s side deployed (malfunctioned)without incident while parked in my garage. It is currently at local Subaru dealer. Mechanics cannot determine what caused the malfunction. An engineer from Corporate Subaru inspected. Another team of engineers from Corporate is going to conduct a more thorough investigation once more photos of interior and exterior are provided by retailer. It is, of course, available for inspection. Fortunately, I was not driving the vehicle at the time of deployment. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11496909, filed 2022-12
5. 5
   Engine

   Check engine light from emissions faults

   • 11 complaints (22%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,600 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2019

   Owners describe the check engine light coming on with emissions-related codes, including an evaporative (EVAP) leak code that returned after a gas cap change and smoke testing. Other complaints describe a secondary air pump that malfunctioned or stuck open, which led to a smog test failure. Some owners say the light stayed on and traction control and cruise control were cancelled, and a complaint says the pump caught fire while the car was being driven. A complaint says the dealer described the repair as not covered under the emissions warranty, which the owner disputed. Recorded mileage ranges from about 60,000 to 90,000 miles, and some owners first noticed the problem when trying to pass a smog test.

   What to check: Ask for the stored trouble codes and any EVAP or secondary air system repair records. Confirm the check engine light is off after starting the engine, and ask whether the car has recently passed an emissions or smog inspection.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Secondary air pump malfunction. I have read that this happens all the time and it costs $2,000 to get it replaced. Check engine light is on all the time and it cancels out traction control and cruise control. I can hear it trying to work and hope it does not cause a fire risk.”

   NHTSA complaint #11073311, filed 2018-02, 80,000 miles

   “In july of 2012 while driving on the highway my check engine light came on, canceling my cruise control. I took the car to repair garage I was using and the evap code indicated a leak of .002. The car was smoke tested and the garage recommended to change gas cap, which I did with generic cap. The again in november of 2012 the check engine light came on again while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, again the code was possible evap leak. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10524491, filed 2013-07, 67,000 miles

Buying note. Used-car buyers should first check the front lower control arms and the recall history, since that is the most reported issue for this model year. Ask for service records and confirm during a test drive that the warning lights, engine oil level, and airbag light all look normal.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 48 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.