Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2008 Subaru Legacy
NHTSA data on file today
The 2008 Subaru Legacy has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns and 65 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #20V001000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V002000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V003000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V297000 Ignition Switch may Turn Off NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V738000 Power Relay may Fail Allowing Air Pump to Overheat NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V323000 Passenger Side Front Air Bag Inflator may Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V311000 Brake Lines may Fail due to Corrosion NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V110000 Brake Lines may Fail due to Corrosion NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #08V460000 ENGINE OIL SUPPLY PIPE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Air Bags 25 complaints
- Service Brakes 11 complaints
- Electrical System 9 complaints
- Power Train 6 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 5 complaints
- Engine 4 complaints
Of the 65 complaints on file, 3 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 65 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $3,500–$7,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2008 Subaru Legacy has an average reliability rating due to common airbag and braking issues. Recalls highlight airbag inflator malfunctions and potential brake line corrosion. Electrical problems also persist, with some ignition switches and air injection pump relays failing.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag inflator | 70,000–100,000 miles | $300–$600 | very common |
| Brake lines | 60,000–90,000 miles | $200–$500 | common |
| Ignition switch | 50,000–80,000 miles | $150–$300 | common |
| Air injection pump relay | 40,000–70,000 miles | $100–$250 | occasional |
| Cylinder head | 80,000–120,000 miles | $800–$1,200 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil change every 5,000 miles
- Brake fluid change every 2 years
- Tire rotation every 6,000 miles
- Coolant flush every 5 years
- Replace spark plugs every 60,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Unresponsive airbag light
- Brake fluid leaks
- Engine oil leaks
- Overheating engine
- Intermittent electrical failures
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2008 Subaru Legacy at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.