The 2008 WRX STI is an icon with the EJ257 turbo boxer, but it's a high-strung platform that punishes neglect and abuse. Expect serious transmission and engine issues if the previous owner tracked it hard or skipped maintenance.
EJ257 Ringland Failure / Piston #4 Cracked Ring
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: misfire on cylinder #4, excessive blowby, oil consumption 1+ quart per 1,000 miles, drop in boost pressure, rattling at cold start
Fix: Full shortblock replacement or engine rebuild. Ringlands crack under detonation, especially on modded cars running aggressive tunes. Budget 20-30 hours labor for a quality rebuild with forged pistons. Many owners go built motor route at this point.
Symptoms: grinding into 2nd or 3rd gear when cold, hard to shift at high RPM, notchy engagement, gear pop-out under load
Fix: Transmission rebuild with synchro replacement, typically 2nd and 3rd. STI gearboxes take abuse but synchros are soft. Plan on 12-16 hours labor for trans removal, teardown, and reinstall. Many opt for upgraded synchros while it's apart.
Estimated cost: $2,800-4,200
Timing Belt and Water Pump Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 100,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: squealing or grinding from front of engine, coolant weeping from water pump, sudden loss of timing (catastrophic), rough idle if belt skips teeth
Fix: This is an interference motor—if the belt snaps, you're rebuilding. Replace belt, tensioner, pulleys, and water pump as a kit every 105k miles or 8 years. 5-7 hours labor for the full job on a boxer motor.
Symptoms: turbo whistle turns to screeching, loss of boost, blue smoke on acceleration, shaft play in turbo, oil leak from turbo drain or feed line
Fix: The banjo bolt filter on the turbo oil feed restricts flow when dirty oil sludges it up. Turbo spins at 100k+ RPM and starves, killing bearings. Many techs remove the filter screen entirely. If turbo is cooked, expect 6-8 hours for removal and replacement.
Estimated cost: $1,500-3,000
Transmission Mount Failure
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: clunking on shifts, excessive drivetrain movement, vibration under hard acceleration, gear lever slop
Fix: Pitch-stop mount and rear trans mount wear out from drivetrain shock loads. 2-3 hours labor to replace all mounts. Upgraded polyurethane bushings help longevity but add NVH.
Estimated cost: $400-700
Head Gasket Seepage (EJ257 External Leak)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 80,000-130,000 mi
Symptoms: oil weeping from head-to-block seam, coolant smell from engine bay, white residue on exhaust manifold, slow coolant loss
Fix: Not as catastrophic as the EJ25D internal failures, but the EJ257 can weep oil externally. Multi-layer steel gaskets help. Heads need to come off, resurfaced, new bolts. 14-18 hours labor for both sides, especially if studs are upgraded.
Estimated cost: $2,200-3,500
Hydraulic Brake Line Corrosion and Flex Hose Deterioration
Occasional · medium severity
Symptoms: soft brake pedal, brake fluid leak at junction or caliper, rust bubbles on hard lines under car, spongy pedal even after bleeding
Fix: NHTSA recalled some units for this. Salt-belt cars see hard line corrosion; flex hoses crack internally. Inspect thoroughly on pre-purchase. Replacing a corroded line section is 1-2 hours depending on location; full system refresh is 4-6 hours.
Estimated cost: $300-1,200
Wheel Bearing Failure (Front Hubs)
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: grinding or humming that increases with speed, vibration through steering wheel, ABS/VDC warning light, wheel play when jacked up
Fix: AWD and aggressive driving load the front hubs hard. Hub assembly replacement per side is 1.5-2 hours. OEM quality matters—cheap bearings fail fast.
Estimated cost: $350-600
Owner tips
Change oil every 3,000-4,000 miles with quality synthetic—the EJ257 runs hot and the turbo demands clean oil.
Inspect the banjo bolt filter on the turbo oil feed line and consider removing it during routine service.
Replace the timing belt at 105k or 8 years, no exceptions—this is an interference motor.
Avoid tuned cars unless you can verify a professional dyno tune and supporting mods (fuel system, exhaust).
Check for service records showing transmission fluid changes every 30k miles—these gearboxes hate old fluid.
Buy one if you have a $3k-5k repair fund and can verify maintenance history—bone-stock, adult-owned examples are keepers, but clapped-out modded ones are money pits.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V001000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V002000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V003000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · 19V297000
2019-04-11
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.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH · 19V149000
2019-02-28
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC · 14V830000
2014-12-31
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and 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 that were remedied under recall 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
Consequence: Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and 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 apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQQ-52. Notes: This recall is specific to affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI customers who had their car remedied under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers. Affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles that were not repaired under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014 will continue to be processed under NHTSA recall no. 14V-311. Affected vehicles not currently, or formerly, registered in the salt belt states identified in this recall are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS · 14V311000
2014-06-10
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.
Vehicle Info — 2008 Subaru WRX STI
Performance
Horsepower
305hp
Torque
290lb-ft
0–60 mph
4.7sec
Quarter mile
13.3sec
Top speed
155mph
Capability & size
Curb weight
3,415lb
Wiper blades
2008-2014 generation (GR/GV chassis). Sedan body style has no rear wiper.
Size-standard part numbers — verify your connector type before buying. Rear blades are model-specific; check the package's vehicle list.
Fuel economy figures are EPA data via fueleconomy.gov (median across matching trims). Performance figures are compiled estimates for the 2008 Subaru WRX STI 2.5L H4 Turbo EJ257 Gen2 and can vary by trim.
🔧 Built by master technician Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years.