Problems · by component

2008 Subaru Legacy air bags problems

25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Subaru Legacy cite air bags, 38% of all 65 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 4 recalls on this component.

Complaints
25
38% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“RED AIRBAG INDICATOR IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGUN COMING ON/OFF ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK THEN BECAME CONSTANT. OBSERVED PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR HAD NO LIGHTS ON(NO ILLUMINATION AT ALL) SEARCHED FORUMS AND FOUND MULTIPLE SIMILAR CASES WITH NO RESOLVE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. AS A MECHANIC MYSELF I BEGAN MY OWN DIAGNOSIS, CAUSE: REMOVED OVERHEAD CONTROL PANEL AND PERFORMED ELECTRICAL TESTING ON PASSENGER AIRBAG CIRCUIT. FOUND OPEN CIRCUITS BETWEEN COMPONENT CONTACTS. CORRECTION: RETINNED CONTACTS AND ADDED SOLDER. HAVEN'T HAD AN AIRBAG LIGHT SINCE THE REPAIR.. I HAVE HEARD THE DEALER WANTS 300+$ TO REPAIR. THIS IS SUCH A COMMON AND SERIOUS ISSUE THAT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL... I HAVE SEEN AND PERFORMED FAR MORE TRIVIAL RECALLS. THAT SAID; IF YOU TAKE YOUR CAR TO A DECENT SUBARU OR INDEPENDENT SHOP THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS AND FIX IT FOR ALOT LESS THAN THE DEALER”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 9, 2020Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11298303
“AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY , BUT NOW STAYS ON THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS FAULT CODE 26. MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS REPORTING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS RELATED TO FAULTY SOLDERING OF COMPONENTS IN THE OVERHEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. AS THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE (PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT), SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY COMPONENT(S). BEWARE- SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO FEEL THAT THE TAKATA INFLATORS IS RELATED TO THEIS ISSUSE. I HAVE HAD THIS AIRBAG ISSUE SINCE I OWENED THE SUBARU COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FIX WHEN I NO THAT THERE IS FAULT IN THE WAY THE COMPONENTS WERE WELDED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 22, 2019Air bagsODI 11190972
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. SUBURBAN SUBARU (14 HARTFORD TURNPIKE, VERNON, CT) DIAGNOSED THAT AN AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1-27240483127. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,099.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 11, 2017Air bagsODI 11032890
“TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED A NOTICE IN DECEMBER 2016 THAT MY PASSENGER AIRBAG HAD A RECALL AND THAT THERE WERE PLENTY OF PARTS SO I COULD CALL MY SUBARU DEALER AND HAVE THEM FIX IT. I DID CALL THEM AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE PARTS YET AND THAT IT WOULD BE A FEW WEEKS AND THEY WOULD CALL ME TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I CALLED AGAN TODAY, 3/31/17 AND I GOT THE SAME STORY THAT THEY WON'T HAVE PARTS FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THAT THEY WILL CALL ME. I MENTIONED THAT I HAD ALREADY HEARD THAT THREE MONTHS AGO AND SHE SAID THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF TAKATA AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS IS A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF TIME FOR ME TO BE EXPECTED TO NOT BE ABLE TO USE MY CAR, OR TO DRIVE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME I CALLED THEY SAID I MIGHT BE PROVIDED WITH A RENTAL CAR BUT EVERY ONE I TALKED TO SAID IT WAS FINE TO DRIVE MY CAR. IT IS ONLY FINE TO DRIVE IT IF I DO NOT END UP IN A WRECK THAT CAUSES THE AIRBAGS TO GO OFF, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT A PERSON CAN REALLY PLAN FOR. SUBARU HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN A TIMELY MANNER LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 31, 2017Air bagsODI 10969734
“AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY , BUT NOW STAYS ON THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS FAULT CODE 26. MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS REPORTING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS RELATED TO FAULTY SOLDERING OF COMPONENTS IN THE OVERHEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. AS THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE (PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT), SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY COMPONENT(S). BEWARE- SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 22, 2016Electrical system, Air bagsODI 10875808
“IN FEBRUARY, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE NOTICE MENTIONED A PARTS SHORTAGE, AND THAT I WOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE SUPPLY IMPROVED. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THAT SECOND LETTER. IN THE MEANTIME, I AM NOT ABLE TO ALLOW PASSENGERS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 9, 2016Air bagsODI 10873409

Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

4 recalls on this component

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Jan 2, 2020NHTSA 20V001000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Jan 2, 2020NHTSA 20V002000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Jan 2, 2020NHTSA 20V003000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported May 28, 2015NHTSA 15V323000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 27, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.