Used 2008 Subaru Forester Consumer Reviews
List Price Estimate
$2,360 - $3,906
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Fantastic Car! Buy it if you can!
luvmycar7, 12/14/2011
2008 Subaru Forester 2.5 X 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
45 of 45 people found this review helpful
This is a fabulous car! I have owned my 2008 Subaru Forester for about 2 and a half years now. It has been without a single problem the entire time. One of the things I love most about my Subaru is its versatility. It gets good gas mileage, but I have also used it for hauling huge items of furniture, kayaks, pontoon rafts, 5 people, all the luggage of a long trip for me and my entire family, and building supplies for my house. It is such as safe car as well. My wife was rear ended while in our in our 1998 Subaru Forester by a Ford F250 going fast when she was at a stop. The car completely absorbed the impact and saved her life. After that, we had to get another Subaru Forester.
175,000 miles few problems
Bob in Silver Spring Md, 08/16/2016
updated 02/18/2022
2008 Subaru Forester 2.5 X Premium Package 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
69 of 73 people found this review helpful
Purchased used in September 2009.. Hard to believe it's at 175,000 miles and still runs smooth and responsive. Replaced rear brake pads one time. Most expensive repair. Right rear wheel bearing which is a common problem on Subaru. $450.00 repair. Most expensive maintenance item. Timing belt with water pump and pulleys. I paid $600.00. The dealer charges $1200 or more. Tires are an issue. Buy good ones and they will last. Yokohama seem to last longest. The seats are not good for long trips. Get a small memory foam pillow and that will take care of that. Weird stalling and idle problems started at 142,000 miles and traced to small valve on intake manifold. Remove electric hook up, remove two Phillips screws, spray valve with intake manifold cleaner and problem solved. Remove spark plug wires and inspect for oil. Valve cover gasket leaks common problem on these cars but I haven't had to replace them yet. Overall it's a good safe solid car. Nothing fancy but reliable when you work through the issues. Make sure when replacing plug wires to use spark plug grease on both ends of wires. Another issue. Headlights started leaking at 160,000 miles. Don't even try to fix them. Order new ones off Ebay for $300. You have to remove the entire front end to replace them. It's time consuming not difficult. It's 8 years old at this point and has held up well. Update February 2017. Still running well. Just replaced front and rear pads. And both oxygen sensors 184,712 miles. Update August 2017. 193,783 miles. Replaced valve cover gaskets. Surge and stalling again. Preparing to change out fuel injectors and gas pedal assembly. Most of the time it runs perfect but occasionally stalls. I also suspect it could be accumulation of bad gas. Update February 2018: 199,980 miles. Car running smoothly again. However, turned car over to one of my children in January 2018. He is now over 200,000 miles. Update February 2019: Son sold car at 223,000 miles. Car still ran fine.
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2008 Subaru Forester for sale
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Best car I've ever owned
danieluga, 06/20/2015
updated 12/22/2017
2008 Subaru Forester 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
24 of 25 people found this review helpful
Really hate to be the obnoxious reviewer who gives all five stars, but this car has earned it. It's more comfortable than Cadillacs I've owned and has great fuel economy for an AWD (though I wish Subaru would introduce a fleet of hybrids). I usually get 30mpg hwy, but I don't really drive city. 160,000 miles so far and no issues whatsoever. Definitely will buy another one in the future.
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- Interior
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- Reliability
The Best Car I've ever had !!!!! Period
farside7, 12/31/2009
2008 Subaru Forester Sports 2.5 X 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
I had a Chrysler 300 Limited Brand new, Chevy Impala brand new, a coup deville and to me this is the best car I've ever owned, period. The ride is smooth, the vehicle has great power. I put a remote start on It and a trailer hitch. I get about 26 to 27 on the hwy. The interior room is awesome ! I'm 5'10" and 280 pound! I still have plenty of room!
A good solid B+
walorado, 04/07/2010
2008 Subaru Forester 2.5 X Premium Package 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
Had a Subaru or two along the way, and decided on the 08 Premium because of a value package. Great vehicle with a couple of small hiccups. Had a minor issue with the AC but was resolved under warranty. Replaced the driver's door speaker 3 times, also under warranty. In fact, the stereo is a real weak point in the car for me. Really lame speakers, and I paid for the "upgrade." Seats are comfortable and fit my rather copious rump easily. Plenty peppy even here in the high country of Colorado. AWD system is very good, but the 2008 model lacks stability control. Without it, the car's rear end can slip out if you aren't careful in the snow. I'd buy the car again, though.