2008 Subaru Forester Subaru Forester 2008

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

2008 Subaru Forester repairs by problem area

Engine (42%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (7%)

Brakes and Traction Control (4%)

Suspension and Steering (23%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (19%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (2%)

Chart based on 101 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 Subaru Forester.

2008 Subaru Forester engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (13%)

$1000 - $2499 (13%)

$500 - $999 (13%)

$100 - $499 (42%)

< $100 (18%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 38 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD

85180 mi

C $1200
Clutch 

Return to top

2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

turbocharged 224hp 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD

62000 mi

US $500
Secondary air valves were sticking and were causing cel codes. Check engine light, Stability control light, and Cruise control light were all illuminated in instrument cluster panel. Because of the this my Cruise control was deactivated. 
81000 mi

US $1115
Upper radiator hose was worn. Worn A/C and alternator belt. 
147000 mi

US $136
After a week of no use we noticed oil on driveway. The heads are leaking as well as main seal. 
76000 mi

US $35
Loose belt on the power steering making loud screech noise 
83000 mi

US $500
Two warning lights came on - traction control disabled and something else, don't remember. Checked the error code suggesting emmission system problems. The dealer replaced some kind of emissions exhaust valve 

Return to top

2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

173-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD

101000 mi

US $150
Check engine light with flashing cruise control light; no other symptoms. Diagnostic code for bad air/fuel ratio sensor. Replaced sensor, solving problem. 
108000 mi

US $260
Oil leaking from engine onto exhaust, producing minor smoke. Replaced valve cover gaskets and oil pressure sensor, which were both leaking. VCGs were previously replaced by dealer; suspect bad job at that time. Seems ok now. 
115000 mi

US $380
Occasional misfire under acceleration triggered check engine light. Factory spark plugs replaced at 115k miles. Oil leaking from engine onto oil filter and exhaust system, producing smoke. Suspect external head gasket leak, previously misdiagnosed. Mechanic cleaned oil residue, then added dye to oil in order to locate leak at a future repair trip. 
108700 mi

US $4000
External head gasket leak (producing worsening smoke) and damaged cylinder guide. Engine block machined/resurfaced. Other parts replaced preventatively. Runs smoothly now. 
121000 mi

US $300
Dead in the driveway, 4K miles after head gasket repair. Could have seized due to increased oil consumption after engine block remachining. Starter made noise but car wouldn't start. Local mechanic removed timing cover for diagnosis and suspected broken camshaft due to timing slip. Subaru dealership mechanic also suspected timing issues. Quoted $7-9k for engine repair, or $6-7k to buy and install a remanufactured engine. I scrapped the car. 
215000 mi

US $275
Car had a miss on number 2 cyl. Replaced plies and wires but found the coil to be cracked and corroded causing the misfire. 
96300 mi

US $300
Car shaking & stalling (stopped 3 days, fine before). CEL On, code was misfire in all 4 cyl. Shop replace valves gasket, spark plugs and wires. Also tried coil, but wasn't it. Issue was not resolved. Car still stalling and jerking. After shop was unsuccessful, owner dove into it and tried to repair it himself. Change several parts according to internet forum and was finally successful. EGR valve was the culprit. CAM & CAP also changed. 
107000 mi

US $120
Strange noise when car starts or idle. Shop found some steel plates within the emissions system were loose and soldered them. Owner was concerned was an issue with the catalytic converter. 
110400 mi

US $1600
Clutch needed replacement. 
220000 mi

US $125
Issues with the exhaust. Part of the duct was replaced(the middle part after the manifold, before the muffler. 
44020 mi

C $175
Squealing on start-up. Drive belts replaced. 
50220 mi

C $691
Check engine light on solid, then flashing. Code P0302 misfire from #2 cylinder, compression good. Coil shorted and wire weak. Replaced coil and ignition wire. 
55180 mi

C $627
Vapour coming from under hood, strange smell, leak near dipstick. Replaced valve cover gasket and O-rings. Replaced front oil pressure switch. 
57040 mi

C $897
Noisy exhaust. Exhaust was leaking through midpipe and muffler. Midpipe and muffler were replaced. 
36580 mi Head gasket found to be leaking, needs full replacement next 12 months. 
143000 mi Head gasket, repaired that, then it was the drive belt I believe 
45000 mi

US $3300
Head gasket replacement 
174000 mi

US $20
AC belt broke 

Return to top

2008 Subaru Forester 4dr SUV

173-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD

56000 mi

US $1200
Engine suddenly running badly. Replaced coil pack, spark plugs, spark plug wires. Replaced valve cover gaskets. 
201000 mi

US $300
Rear resonator, muffler. 
42427 mi change coolant sensor & relay. Each winter would fail to start if temp below -10 C and car had been driven ~ 2 km or less. 1st dealer poor response. wrote newspaper column. 2nd dealer under goodwill warranty did job. Problem again in 2014. 
111290 mi

C $2500
Leaking head gasket - observed during routine maintenance and not yet repaired - the price reported (in CAD) is an estimate based on not needing to machine the heads, if this is added, could be as high as 4000. We're shopping around to see what our options are. We hope to drive this Forester for another 100k-150k and do intend to make the repair. 
166000 mi Warranty repair for catalytic converter 
43400 mi

C $395
O2 SENSOR 
59520 mi

C $96
Oil pressure switch allowing oil to leak onto engine 
45000 mi

US $2500
Head gasket needed replacement. Also changed timing belt. 
53000 mi

US $3500
Shop found two exhaust valve guides on one head had dropped a little, so since the heads were off, they did a valve job on both heads (remanufactured heads). 
48980 mi

C $70
Replaced oil pressure switch 
58280 mi

C $1900
Major parts: Machined engine block Changed valve/guide Changed spark plugs/wires Changed drive belt 
75920 mi

C $125
Oil pressure switch (back order from the dealer) 
85340 mi

C $165
Cam seal pushed out 1/4. Total loss of engine oil on highway. 
85973 mi

US $250
replaced valve cover gaskets and gromets flushed radiater and replaced plugs. 

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Subaru models.

2008 Subaru Forester Engine Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2008 Subaru Forester problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.