2008 Subaru Outback Sport Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Subaru Outback Sport, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags360.0%
- Body & structure120.0%
- Driver assistance120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
"TAKATA RECALL" MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO "SUBARU OF PLANO" IN PLANO, TX. FOR AN OIL LEAK, WAS THERE FOR 3 WEEKS WHILE I WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. ON THE SECOND TO LAST DAY I LEARNED OF THE AIR BAG RECALL AND CALLED TO INFORM MY SERVICE ADVISOR OF THIS SINCE AT THIS POINT I WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL. GOT A CALL FROM HIM THE NEXT MORNING STATING THAT ALL OF THE REPAIRS HAD BE COMPLETED AND MY CAR WAS READY...? (SOUNDED FISHY TO ME..) ANYHOW, I NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVEN 2 MILES IN THE THREE WEEKS IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP. NEEDLESS TO SAY I MADE IT A WHOLE 4 MILES BEFORE THE CAR STARTED TO DIE AND TURN OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD... TOOK THE CAR TO A NEAR BY SERVICE CENTER AND FOUND THAT THE DEALERSHIP PUT 2 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE CAR THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE WHICH IS CONCERNING BUT WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED WITH IS THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK TO INSTALL THE NEW AIRBAG, SINCE THE RECALL DEPARTMENT I ORIGINALLY SPOKE WITH STATED THAT THE PARTS WHERE STILL ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER?
WE HAVE RECEIVED NOTICE OVER A MONTH AGO THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS DEFECTIVE AND THAT NO ONE SHOULD RIDE IN SEAT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SUBARU IS OUR ONLY CAR AND WE HAVE 2 CARSEATS IN THE BACK SO IF WE ARE DRIVING AS A FAMILY, WHICH WE DO ON A DAILY BASISS, SOMEONE HAS TO SIT IN THE FRONT. WE CALLED TEH SUBARU TO GET IT FIXED AND WE WERE TOLD IT WAS ON BACKORDER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME. HOW ARE WE RISKING OUR SAFETY WHILE WE WAIT FOR THIS PART? I AM DESIRING TO BE COMPENSATED FRO THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I HAVE RECEIVED NO COMMUNICATION FROM SUBARU ABOUT HOW THEY WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM > I CAN'T CONTINUE TO WAIT AND DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE I WORRY ABOUT TEH SAFETY OF ANOTHER ADULT IN TEH CAR KNOWING THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DASHBOARD IS MELTED AND TOO STICKY TO WASH UP IT SHINES BRIGHT CAUSING REFLECTION AGAINST VISUAL TO DRIVE, IT'S A SAFELY ISSUE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
"TAKATA RECALL" MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO "SUBARU OF PLANO" IN PLANO, TX. FOR AN OIL LEAK, WAS THERE FOR 3 WEEKS WHILE I WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. ON THE SECOND TO LAST DAY I LEARNED OF THE AIR BAG RECALL AND CALLED TO INFORM MY SERVICE ADVISOR OF THIS SINCE AT THIS POINT I WAS UNAWARE OF THE RECALL. GOT A CALL FROM HIM THE NEXT MORNING STATING THAT ALL OF THE REPAIRS HAD BE COMPLETED AND MY CAR WAS READY...? (SOUNDED FISHY TO ME..) ANYHOW, I NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVEN 2 MILES IN THE THREE WEEKS IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP. NEEDLESS TO SAY I MADE IT A WHOLE 4 MILES BEFORE THE CAR STARTED TO DIE AND TURN OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD... TOOK THE CAR TO A NEAR BY SERVICE CENTER AND FOUND THAT THE DEALERSHIP PUT 2 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE CAR THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE WHICH IS CONCERNING BUT WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED WITH IS THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK TO INSTALL THE NEW AIRBAG, SINCE THE RECALL DEPARTMENT I ORIGINALLY SPOKE WITH STATED THAT THE PARTS WHERE STILL ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .