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2008 Subaru Forester

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Forester.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2008 Forester is a passenger car with a 4-speed automatic transmission, requiring 4.4 quarts of 5W-30 API oil and returning EPA fuel economy of 18 city/23 highway/20 combined mpg. With 50 total owner complaints and a single recall, its top trouble area is suspension, placing this model year well below the peak complaint count of 831 recorded for the 2019 model in the Forester’s 1998–2026 history, indicating a comparatively stable reliability record for its era.

Model year2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2008

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.4 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque74 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy18/23/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 490 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 490 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnLIGHTOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	176.8 in
Overall width	68.5 in
Overall height	62.6 in
Wheelbase	99.2 in
Curb weight	3318 lb
Track (front / rear)	58.3 / 57.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	56/44

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	18 / 23 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	95 cu ft
Cargo volume	31 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Forester of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.3–9.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.30 sec — 2004 2.5XT

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2006	2.5XT Limited 2.5L Turbo F-4	5.90 sec	14.30 sec	230 hp	AWD
2006	2.5XT Limited 2.5L Turbo F-4	6.60 sec	14.90 sec	230 hp	AWD
2004	2.5XT 2.5L Turbo F-4	5.30 sec	13.80 sec	210 hp	AWD
2003	2.5X 2.5L F-4	9.60 sec	16.80 sec	165 hp	AWD
2003	2.5XS 2.5L F-4	9.80 sec	17.30 sec	165 hp	AWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.4 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 74 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 33.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-2-4. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	9.8
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.4 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	133 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	51-55 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	33.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	5 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	74 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	17.0-20.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	162 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	140 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-2-4
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 640, AT: 700, TURBO: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	MT: 110, AT and TURBO: 100 rpm
Spark Plug Manufacturer	NGK
Spark Plug Torque	15 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance	Turbo: 10, Non-Turbo: 8 degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPM	Idle rpm

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.21-1.43 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	100
Oil Capacity	3.50 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	490 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	23 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	176-183 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	41.0-46.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	33.0-38.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	5-20 ohms
Engine Oil Pressure	14 psi @ 600 rpm, 43 psi @ 5000
Intake Valve Lash	SOHC: 0.008, DOHC: 0.079 in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	38.3 ft-lbs / 59 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.060; Rear: 0.059 in
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0028 in / 0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.394 in / 0.944 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	0.394 in / 0.944 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.335 in / 0.866 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 8 stages

1	21.5 ft. lbs.	21.5 ft. lbs
2	51 ft. lbs.	51 ft. lbs
3	Loosen 180 degrees in the reverse order of installing.	180 degrees
4	Loosen 180 degrees in the reverse order of installing.	180 degrees
5	31 ft. lbs.	31 ft. lbs
6	80-90 degrees.	80–90 degrees
7	40-45 degrees.	40–45 degrees
8	40-45 degrees.; Lightly lubricate new cylinder head bolt, threads and flanges with engine oil.	40–45 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 8 stages

1	21.5 ft. lbs.	21.5 ft. lbs
2	51 ft. lbs.	51 ft. lbs
3	Loosen 180 degrees in the reverse order of installing.	180 degrees
4	Loosen 180 degrees in the reverse order of installing.	180 degrees
5	31 ft. lbs.	31 ft. lbs
6	80-90 degrees.	80–90 degrees
7	40-45 degrees.	40–45 degrees
8	40-45 degrees.; Lightly lubricate new cylinder head bolt, threads and flanges with engine oil.	40–45 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 3,000 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi.

At 3,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 7,500 mi	Cabin Air Filter (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
At 15,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 mi	Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Clutch Assembly (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect) · Parking Brake System (inspect) · Power Steering System (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Brake System (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
At 105,000 mi	Drive Belt (replace) · Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2008 Subaru Forester generated only 50 federal complaints, one recall, and one investigation, continuing a decline from 72 complaints in 2007 and standing well below the 219-complaint peak recorded in 2004. Positioned at the trough of a downward trend that began after the elevated 2003-2004 period, 2008 immediately precedes a sharp escalation to 178 complaints and 18 recalls in 2009. The data does not specify root causes, but the top complaint categories for 2008 are suspension (10), engine (6), unknown or other (4), and vehicle speed control (4), with five crash-related and three fire-related complaints also logged. Against the backdrop of the subsequent 2009-2010 spike, the 2008 model represents an outlier of low federal activity rather than part of a high-recall cycle. Consequently, based strictly on the federal record, 2008 is a comparatively favorable year to purchase within this model sequence.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

149

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

5 involved a crash · 3 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07’08’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25 ’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 50 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Suspension10

Engine6

Unknown Or Other4

Vehicle Speed Control4

Air Bags3

Steering3

Electrical System2

Fuel System, Gasoline2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

11V464000Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower ArmReported 06/09/2011

SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR… Remedy: SUBARU WILL HANDLE THEIR VEHICLES AND SAAB WILL HANDLE THEIRS. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DEGREE OF CORROSION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, AND WILL EITHER RUSTPROOF OR REPLACE…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 149 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
SubaruNet Annoucement (E	2026-06-11	Unknown Or Other	This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood…
01-167-08R	2026-05-18	Unknown Or Other	This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the…
SubaruNet Announcement (R	2026-05-04	Power Train	This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
07-240-26R	2026-04-30	Unknown Or Other	This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide interim guidance for vehicles…
03-97-26	2026-04-24	Power Train	This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Forester. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 35 battery Vehicles taking 4.4 qt

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Forester take?

4.4 qt of 5W-30 API SM, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Forester have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Forester get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 23 highway / 20 combined mpg.