Total Complaints
49 filings
SUBARU IMPREZA STI · model year
2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI
49 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008SUBARUIMPREZA STI carries 49 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 IMPREZA STI is power train with 11 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (8) and engine and engine cooling (6). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2008 IMPREZA STI. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
49
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 11 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 8 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 6 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 6 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 |
| AIR BAGS | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| ENGINE | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
Recalls (1)
09E01100002/04/2009
EQUIPMENT
THULE, INC. IS RECALLING 2,323 OWNER-INSTALLED ROOF-MOUNTED FIT KITS, MODELS 3068 AND 3069, MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 28, 2009 THAT ARE USED WITH THULE PODIUM FOOT PACKS, MODELS 460 AND 460R. THESE FIT KITS WERE SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED AB
Recent Complaints
20180807ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BOTH HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT TEN TIMES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS AND NOW I HAVE NO HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE TRIED THREE DIFFERENT HEADLIGHTS IN THE LAST MONTH, THE FIRST TWO WORKED BRIEFLY AND THE LAST ONE FROM SUBARU DID NOT WORK AT ALL. FROM 2005 - 20011 SUBARU HAS RECALLED OTHER MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT AS I WAS TOLD, "THE IMPREZA IS THE CHEAP CAR"
Mileage: 127,732
20180807EXTERIOR LIGHTING
BOTH HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT TEN TIMES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS AND NOW I HAVE NO HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE TRIED THREE DIFFERENT HEADLIGHTS IN THE LAST MONTH, THE FIRST TWO WORKED BRIEFLY AND THE LAST ONE FROM SUBARU DID NOT WORK AT ALL. FROM 2005 - 20011 SUBARU HAS RECALLED OTHER MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT AS I WAS TOLD, "THE IMPREZA IS THE CHEAP CAR"
Mileage: 127,732
20170914POWER TRAIN
WHAT IS THE ISSUE? BASICALLY THE FIREWALL IS SO THIN THAT IT FLEXES TERRIBLY EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH OR BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. THE BIG PROBLEM IS THE WAY THE CLUTCH/BRAKE ASSEMBLY IS SECURED TO THE THIN FIREWALL. IT ONLY HAS 6 SMALL SPOT WELDS THAT RIP OFF THE FIREWALL AFTER TIME. THIS MAKES IT SO YOU CAN'T GET IN AND OUT OF GEAR. CLUTCH BECOMES USELESS. WHO? 2008-2014 GH/GR IMPREZA (2.5I/OBS/WRX/STI). I DON'T THINK THE ISSUE CAN BE LINKED TO A CERTAIN BATCH OF VEHICLES, CERTAIN CLIMATE/LOCATION, OR CERTAIN YEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL YEARS 08-14, AND ALL MODELS (WITHIN THE GH/GR CHASSIS).
20170914UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHAT IS THE ISSUE? BASICALLY THE FIREWALL IS SO THIN THAT IT FLEXES TERRIBLY EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH OR BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. THE BIG PROBLEM IS THE WAY THE CLUTCH/BRAKE ASSEMBLY IS SECURED TO THE THIN FIREWALL. IT ONLY HAS 6 SMALL SPOT WELDS THAT RIP OFF THE FIREWALL AFTER TIME. THIS MAKES IT SO YOU CAN'T GET IN AND OUT OF GEAR. CLUTCH BECOMES USELESS. WHO? 2008-2014 GH/GR IMPREZA (2.5I/OBS/WRX/STI). I DON'T THINK THE ISSUE CAN BE LINKED TO A CERTAIN BATCH OF VEHICLES, CERTAIN CLIMATE/LOCATION, OR CERTAIN YEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL YEARS 08-14, AND ALL MODELS (WITHIN THE GH/GR CHASSIS).
20161026AIR BAGS
WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE DEALER ABOUT REPLACING THE AIR BAG WE HAD AN EMAIL IN JULY 2016 CALLED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART IN THATS WHAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR THIS IS OCTOBER 2016 AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING YET. WERE SCARED TO DRIVE IT BUT WE NEED OUR CAR AND WE DON'T LET ANYONE SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.
20161003UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2008 WRX 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.
20160317STRUCTURE:BODY
BROKEN FIREWALL WELDS/CLUTCH SQUEAK IM HAVING LOUD CREAKING NOISE WITH DEPRESSION OF CLUTCHPEDALOVER LAST FEW YEARS WHICH DID NOT RESPOND TOLITHIUMGREASELUBRICATIONAT PIVOT BOLT WHERECLUTCH PEDALHINGESON BRACKET ATTACHED TO FIREWALL. ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC (SUBARUCERTIFIED) THERE IS A FAILURE OF A WELD ON THE FIREWALL NEXT TO CLUTCH BRACKET CAUSING A BOWING OUTWARD OF A PORTION OF THE FIREWALL AND CONSEQUENTIALLY A LOUD CREAKING NOISE.
20151029POWER TRAIN
CLUTCH SQUEAKS WHEN PEDAL IS PRESSED IN. SOUND COMES FROM INSIDE THE CABIN OR FIREWALL AREA.
Mileage: 60,000
20141231ENGINE
THE CLUTCH BRACKET ON THE FIREWALL HAS ONLY 4 SMALL TACK WELDS FROM THE FACTORY. THIS BRACKET TAKES ALL THE FORCE OF YOUR LEG PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE A GEAR. IT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON ON THE SUBARU WRX STI FOR THESE SMALL TACKS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL AND CAUSE ACCELERATED CLUTCH WEAR AND EVENTUALLY CLUTCH FAILURE. MY CLUTCH FAILED AND THE DEALER IS NOW TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR FOR THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT WILL NOT BE COVERED BY SUBARU. TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND CHECKING THE STI FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SUBARU HAS PAID FOR FOR SOME PEOPLE. THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THIS FOR ME. *JS
Mileage: 60,500
20141231POWER TRAIN
THE CLUTCH BRACKET ON THE FIREWALL HAS ONLY 4 SMALL TACK WELDS FROM THE FACTORY. THIS BRACKET TAKES ALL THE FORCE OF YOUR LEG PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE A GEAR. IT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON ON THE SUBARU WRX STI FOR THESE SMALL TACKS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL AND CAUSE ACCELERATED CLUTCH WEAR AND EVENTUALLY CLUTCH FAILURE. MY CLUTCH FAILED AND THE DEALER IS NOW TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR FOR THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT WILL NOT BE COVERED BY SUBARU. TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND CHECKING THE STI FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SUBARU HAS PAID FOR FOR SOME PEOPLE. THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THIS FOR ME. *JS
Mileage: 60,500
20141223STRUCTURE:BODY
WELDS ON BRACKET THAT HOLDS CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL TO FIREWALL FAILING. CAUSING CLUTCH PEDAL INCONSISTENCY ALONG WITH BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT UPON CLUTCH PEDAL DEPRESSION. *TR
Mileage: 92,000
20141223VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WELDS ON BRACKET THAT HOLDS CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL TO FIREWALL FAILING. CAUSING CLUTCH PEDAL INCONSISTENCY ALONG WITH BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT UPON CLUTCH PEDAL DEPRESSION. *TR
Mileage: 92,000
20141223SERVICE BRAKES
WELDS ON BRACKET THAT HOLDS CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL TO FIREWALL FAILING. CAUSING CLUTCH PEDAL INCONSISTENCY ALONG WITH BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT UPON CLUTCH PEDAL DEPRESSION. *TR
Mileage: 92,000
20141223POWER TRAIN
WELDS ON BRACKET THAT HOLDS CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL TO FIREWALL FAILING. CAUSING CLUTCH PEDAL INCONSISTENCY ALONG WITH BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT UPON CLUTCH PEDAL DEPRESSION. *TR
Mileage: 92,000
20141209SERVICE BRAKES
CLUTCH AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS HAVE POOR DESIGN. MY CLUTCH PEDAL CURRENTLY SQUEEZE AND WOBBLES WHILE MY BRAKE PEDAL IS WOBBLEY. THE MINIMAL/POOR SPOT WELDS FOR THE MASTER CYLINDERS ON THE FIREWALL HAVE CRACKED. *TR
Mileage: 19,000
20141209POWER TRAIN
CLUTCH AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS HAVE POOR DESIGN. MY CLUTCH PEDAL CURRENTLY SQUEEZE AND WOBBLES WHILE MY BRAKE PEDAL IS WOBBLEY. THE MINIMAL/POOR SPOT WELDS FOR THE MASTER CYLINDERS ON THE FIREWALL HAVE CRACKED. *TR
Mileage: 19,000
20141127STRUCTURE:BODY
THERE IS A LOUD SQUEAK NOISE WHEN THE CLUTCH IS BEING PRESSED, AND AT TIMES WHEN THE STRUCTURE FLEXES,IT INTERFERES WITH CHANGING GEARS. NOT ONLY DOES IT INTERFERE WITH CHANGING GEARS BUT,IT ALSO CAUSES THE BREAK PEDAL ASSEMBLY MOVES WHEN PRESSING THE CLUTCH. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT SOME WELD SPOT HAVE BROKEN OFF AND HAVE BECOME LOOSE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM SEEING AS HOW IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN IT COMPLETELY SEPARATES, DUE TO SHOTTY WELDING, NOT ONLY COULD THE CLUTCH GO OUT WHILE DRIVING BUT IT COULD CAUSE THE BREAKS TO GO OUT AS WELL. THIS IS NOT WEAR AND TEAR, I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A 1.5 YEARS. WELDS SHOULD NOT BUST THAT QUICKLY. I HAVE VERIFIED IN THE SUBARU COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM MANUAL TRANSMISSION IMPREZAS. *TR
Mileage: 78,000
20141127SERVICE BRAKES
THERE IS A LOUD SQUEAK NOISE WHEN THE CLUTCH IS BEING PRESSED, AND AT TIMES WHEN THE STRUCTURE FLEXES,IT INTERFERES WITH CHANGING GEARS. NOT ONLY DOES IT INTERFERE WITH CHANGING GEARS BUT,IT ALSO CAUSES THE BREAK PEDAL ASSEMBLY MOVES WHEN PRESSING THE CLUTCH. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT SOME WELD SPOT HAVE BROKEN OFF AND HAVE BECOME LOOSE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM SEEING AS HOW IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN IT COMPLETELY SEPARATES, DUE TO SHOTTY WELDING, NOT ONLY COULD THE CLUTCH GO OUT WHILE DRIVING BUT IT COULD CAUSE THE BREAKS TO GO OUT AS WELL. THIS IS NOT WEAR AND TEAR, I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A 1.5 YEARS. WELDS SHOULD NOT BUST THAT QUICKLY. I HAVE VERIFIED IN THE SUBARU COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM MANUAL TRANSMISSION IMPREZAS. *TR
Mileage: 78,000
20141127POWER TRAIN
THERE IS A LOUD SQUEAK NOISE WHEN THE CLUTCH IS BEING PRESSED, AND AT TIMES WHEN THE STRUCTURE FLEXES,IT INTERFERES WITH CHANGING GEARS. NOT ONLY DOES IT INTERFERE WITH CHANGING GEARS BUT,IT ALSO CAUSES THE BREAK PEDAL ASSEMBLY MOVES WHEN PRESSING THE CLUTCH. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT SOME WELD SPOT HAVE BROKEN OFF AND HAVE BECOME LOOSE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM SEEING AS HOW IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN IT COMPLETELY SEPARATES, DUE TO SHOTTY WELDING, NOT ONLY COULD THE CLUTCH GO OUT WHILE DRIVING BUT IT COULD CAUSE THE BREAKS TO GO OUT AS WELL. THIS IS NOT WEAR AND TEAR, I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A 1.5 YEARS. WELDS SHOULD NOT BUST THAT QUICKLY. I HAVE VERIFIED IN THE SUBARU COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM MANUAL TRANSMISSION IMPREZAS. *TR
Mileage: 78,000
20141030SERVICE BRAKES
FIREWALL SPOT WELDS BROKE, RESULTING IN MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THIS IS CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO NOT DISENGAGE FULLY AND ALSO MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT DUE TO THE FLEX. AS THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DANGEROUS AND IS MOST DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL. *TR
Mileage: 65,453
Compare 2008SUBARUIMPREZA STI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI have?▼
The 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI has 49 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI?▼
Yes, the 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI?▼
The most-complained component for the 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI is POWER TRAIN with 11 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA STI safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.