NHTSA Safety Recalls
2008 Subaru Outback Recalls
The 2008 Subaru Outback has 8 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on January 2, 2020.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2008 Subaru Outback. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 8
- Owner complaints
- 226
- Crashes reported
- 12
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
3 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2008 Subaru Outback, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
8 recalls on the 2008 Subaru Outback
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V001000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 258,813
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2007, 2009–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V002000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,547
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2007, 2009–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V003000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 111,562
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2007, 2009–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 19V297000
- Reported
- April 11, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 511
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2007, 2009–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Electrical system
- Campaign
- 16V738000
- Reported
- October 13, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 100,127
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2007, 2009 Outback, 3 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 15V323000
- Reported
- May 28, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 432,016
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2007 Outback, 4 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 14V311000
- Reported
- June 10, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 461,338
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2007, 2009 Outback, 5 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 13V110000
- Reported
- March 27, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 274,402
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2007, 2009 Outback, 1 other model
2008 Subaru Outback complaints by year
NHTSA has received 226 owner complaints about the 2008 Subaru Outback, the newest on June 28, 2026. Of these, 12 describe a crash (5%) and 3 a fire; owners reported 6 injuries.
In complaints about the 2008 Subaru Outback, the component group named most often is the air bags (46%), followed by the electrical system (15%) and the service brakes (13%).
4 of the 2008 Subaru Outback's 8 recalls also concern the air bags.
Where 2008 Subaru Outback owners gave the mileage (160 complaints), the median was 78,700 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Air Bags104
- Electrical System34
- Service Brakes30
- Exterior Lighting15
- Engine14
- Power Train12
Complaints received, by year
| 2007 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 8 | |
| 2009 | 8 | |
| 2010 | 7 | |
| 2011 | 8 | |
| 2012 | 10 | |
| 2013 | 14 | |
| 2014 | 18 | |
| 2015 | 34 | |
| 2016 | 42 | |
| 2017 | 18 | |
| 2018 | 14 | |
| 2019 | 11 | |
| 2020 | 9 | |
| 2021 | 9 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 4 | |
| 2026 | 2 |
Complaints about the 2008 Subaru Outback peaked in 2016, when NHTSA received 42. 15% arrived between 2007 and 2011, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2008 vehicles, the 2008 Subaru Outback drew 0.4× the complaints of the median Subaru Outback year in the same window: 19th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 226 complaints about the 2008 Subaru Outback are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Subaru Outback by model year
Other 2008 Subaru models
Newest record on this page: June 28, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted