Does the 2008 Subaru Forester have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2008 Subaru Forester, the most recent reported on September 6, 2011 (Suspension: front, control arm, lower arm). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

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

Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is suspension (11 complaints), followed by engine (7).

How many 2008 Subaru Forester complaints mention a crash or fire?

5 of 50 complaints report a crash and 3 a fire; 5 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

2008 Subaru Forester recalls and problems

1 recall and 50 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru Forester.

recalls

owner complaints

complaints mentioning a crash

mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2008 Subaru Forester recalls

Suspension: front, control arm, lower arm

NHTSA campaign 11V464000 · reported September 6, 2011 · SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. · 318,215 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 impreza, model year 2003-2008 forester, and model year 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured from september 5, 2000 through november 26, 2007 originally sold, or currently registered in, massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger bracket is exposed to salty and humid environments such as roads containing snow melting agent.
The risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Subaru will handle their vehicles and saab will handle theirs. Dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

Suspension11
Engine7
Air bags6
Unknown or other6
Vehicle speed control6
Electrical system5
Steering4
Fuel system, gasoline3
Engine and engine cooling2
Latches/locks/linkages2

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

May 13, 2025 · Engine
Engine overheating and causing multiple problems

Jan 10, 2025 · Suspension · 144,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the transmission control valve detached. No warning light was illuminated. The contact did research and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000 (Suspension) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was…

Nov 8, 2024 · Suspension · 116,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a clanking and knocking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who discovered severe subframe rust and corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The…

Dec 10, 2022 · Air bags
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…

Jul 18, 2022 · Suspension · 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, there was an abnormal clanking noise coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, the steering wheel became loose without warning. The contact pulled over and upon inspection, the front lower control arm had severed due to…

Forester model years compared

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Crashes	Fires
2005	1	93	15	1
2006	2	88	12	7
2007	1	74	13	1
2008	1	50	5	3
2009	17	178	19	7
2010	17	262	21	6
2011	16	147	21	6

Across all years, the 2019 Forester has the most complaints (834). All Subaru Forester years →

Questions

Does the 2008 Subaru Forester have any recalls?: Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2008 Subaru Forester, the most recent reported on September 6, 2011 (Suspension: front, control arm, lower arm). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Subaru Forester?: Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is suspension (11 complaints), followed by engine (7).
How many 2008 Subaru Forester complaints mention a crash or fire?: 5 of 50 complaints report a crash and 3 a fire; 5 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received May 13, 2025.