← Back to Search

2008 Subaru Outback 3.0R L.L.Bean Edition Wagon

The 2008 Subaru Outback 3.0R L.L.Bean Edition Wagon is a 245-hp 3.0-liter wagon with a 5-speed automatic. It starts at $31,495 MSRP.

It makes 245 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 215 lb-ft of torque at 4200 rpm. EPA fuel-economy estimates are 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

The Outback measures 189.0 inches long on a 105.1-inch wheelbase and has a curb weight of 3,625 lb.

Spec Value
Vehicle
Body TypeWagon
PowertrainGas
Price
MSRP$31,495 ($47,542 *)
MSRP with Destination$32,140 ($48,516 *)
Destination Charge$645
Engine
Engine TypeGas H6
Displacement3 L
Horsepower245 hp @ 6,600 rpm
Torque215 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm
Drivetrain
Drive TypeAll Wheel Drive
Transmission
Transmission5-Speed Automatic
1st Gear3.54
2nd Gear2.264
3rd Gear1.471
4th Gear1
5th Gear0.834
Reverse2.37
Final Drive3.272
Fuel Economy
City17 MPG
Highway24 MPG
Recommended FuelPremium Unleaded
Brakes
Front Brake Disc11.5 x 0.94 in
Rear Brake Disc10.6 x 0.39 in
Tires & Wheels
Wheels Front17 x 7.0 in
Wheels Rear17 x 7.0 in
Tires FrontP225/55R17
Tires RearP225/55R17
Dimensions & Weight
Length189 in
Width69.7 in
Height61.6 in
Wheelbase105.1 in
Curb Weight3,625 lbs
* Amount adjusted for inflation to 2026 dollars

Safety & Recalls

NCAP safety ratings

Overall Not rated
Frontal crash Not rated
Frontal – driver ★★★★★
Frontal – passenger ★★★★★
Side crash Not rated
Rollover ★★★★★ (15.9 % risk)
Tested variant: 2008 Subaru Outback 4-DR Wagon w/SAB

Recalls

8 recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru OUTBACK. Not every recall applies to every trim or VIN — check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Jan 2, 2020 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.

NHTSA campaign 20V002000

Jan 2, 2020 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.

NHTSA campaign 20V003000

Jan 2, 2020 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.

NHTSA campaign 20V001000

Apr 11, 2019 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

Consequence: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

NHTSA campaign 19V297000

Oct 13, 2016 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.

Consequence: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.

NHTSA campaign 16V738000

May 28, 2015 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.

NHTSA campaign 15V323000

Jun 10, 2014 · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.

Consequence: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.

NHTSA campaign 14V311000

Mar 27, 2013 · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.

Consequence: Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.

NHTSA campaign 13V110000

230 owner complaints to NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru OUTBACK

Owner Complaints

230 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru OUTBACK (12 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 5 an injury). See all on nhtsa.gov

Most-cited areas
Air Bags107
Electrical System34
Service Brakes31
Exterior Lighting15
Engine14
Power Train12
A complaint can cite more than one area.
Most recent complaints
Jun 28, 2026 · Service Brakes
“When depressing brakes in driveway pedal went to the floor and brake fluid went all over driveway and car struggled to stop. Upon inspection the junction in picture was heavily corroded and when brake…”
Jun 24, 2026 · Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Engine Fire
“Unknown why car sparked & ignited. Car was driven to grocery store 5min away then sat for approx. 2hrs before catching fire.”
Jul 23, 2025 · Service Brakes
“Lost use of my brakes. Could have been killed. Recall WQK-47 was improperly addressed by using rust inhibitor as band-aid. My opinion and that of a 25+ year ASE certified mechanic. I originally wanted…”
Jun 28, 2025 · Air Bags
“The dash pad in the 2005 to 2009 Subaru Legacy and Outback models have a very common problem of deteriorating to where they become sticky and then sections start cracking and falling off. My concern…”
May 15, 2025 · Service Brakes
“Brakes failed suddenly while on the highway. Virtually no braking available. This could have easily resulted in death or serious injury. Took car to Subaru dealership in Appleton WI. Found split brake…”

Complaints are unverified reports submitted to NHTSA by owners. They cover the whole model year, not a specific trim, and a count alone doesn't show how common a problem is.

Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (nhtsa.gov), matched as 2008 SUBARU OUTBACK. US-market vehicles only; data cached for up to 7 days.

← Back to Search