2008 Subaru WRX Complaint Log

I WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC WHEN I PUSHED DOWN ON CLUTCH PEDAL AND REALIZED I HAD NO CLUTCH. I HAD TO REV CAR TO 2,500 RPM TO PUT IN GEAR TO DRIVE. THEN EVERY TIME I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR FELT WIRED TO STOP. AS I LOOKED BY MY FEET I NOTICED MY CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS MOVING QUITE FREELY TO SIDE TO SIDE. IT WAS TO LATE IN DAY TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER AND BEING A MECHANIC I CHECKED CAR OUT MYSELF. THAT'S WHEN I SAW THAT THE BRACKET THAT IS WELDED TO MY FIREWALL BROKE COMPLETELY OFF. AFTER DEALING WITH SUBARU AND THE DEALER FOR A WEEK NOW I HAVE TO PAY $500 TO HAVE THEM FIX THE CAR AS A COURTESY THEY SAID. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE AND WHAT IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO STOP SUDDENLY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO FIX THE FLAW IN THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF MY VEHICLE THAT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT! *TR

AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A FEW WEEKS I NOTICED THE CLUTCH PEDAL STARTED MAKING NOISES. I INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER WAS MOVING A LOT FOR A PART THAT SHOULD NOT MOVE. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ONLINE AND ON FORUMS AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE VEHICLE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE WELDS ON THE FIREWALL HAVE CRACKED. IT CAUSE MY BRAKE PEDAL TO SHIFT WHENEVER I DEPRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL. IT ALSO HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT SHIFTING INTO GEAR AT ANY SPEED OVER THE 3400 RPM RANGE BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT AND IN SOME CASE IMPOSSIBLE! I DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK 60 MILES A DAY 5 DAYS A WEEK AND HAVE NOT MODIFIED THE CAR IN ANY WAY SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE WINTER SEASON IS COMING UP AND THIS WILL BE MY FIRST WINTER WITH THE CAR. I WOULD HOPE THE COLD WEATHER DOES NOT MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE BUT IS HIGHLY LIKELY! THIS ISSUE HAS CAUSED STOPPING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I WOULD NOT LIKE THIS ISSUE TO CAUSE A POSSIBILITY THAT SOMETHING CAN GO WRONG DURING THIS UPCOMING WINTER TO MAKE MY CAR FAIL DRASTICALLY IN PERFORMANCE AND LAND ME IN A HOSPITAL OR WORSE. PLEASE I ADVISE YOU TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AS MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. OTHERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO RE WELD BUT FOUND THAT IT IS COSTLY AND ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX UNTIL IT BREAKS AGAIN. *JB

THE FIREWALL IS BREAKING AND/OR COMING APART. THERE IS A DISTINCT KNOCKING OR CRACKING NOISE WHEN RELEASING THE CLUTCH. *TR

I OWN A 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX WITH A STOCK CLUTCH. FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS I HAVE BEEN HEARING CREAKING AND/OR CLICKING NOISES WHEN ENGAGING THE CLUTCH PEDAL. BEGAN TO LOOK ONLINE FOR A SOLUTION AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE SPOT WELDS THAT BREAK BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND THE MOUNTING BRACKET THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY IS ATTACHED TO (HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/?GWS_RD=SSL#Q=WRX+SPOT+WELDS). I REMOVED THE NECESSARY ITEMS TO INSPECT THE WELDS AND THEY DID UNFORTUNATELY FAIL. LIST OF REFERENCES REGARDING ONGOING ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.FAQS.ORG/CAR/SUBARU-IMPREZA-2009/POWER-TRAIN/#B HTTP://CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/SUBARU/IMPREZA/SERVICE-BRAKES-PROBLEMS.PHP HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-DRIVETRAIN-TRANSMISSION-GEAR-BOX/21478-FIREWALL-WELD-BREAK-INFORMATION-NEEDED.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/37-CAR/8781-CLUTCH-PEDAL-SQUEAK-NOT-CLUTCH-TOB-LINKAGE-45.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-DRIVETRAIN-TRANSMISSION-GEAR-BOX/20639-POPPING-CLUTCH-BROKEN-FIREWALL-FIX.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/37-CAR/13265-HELP-PLEASE-CRACKED-FIREWALL-NOISY-CLUTCH-CRACKED-PEDAL-ASSEMBLY-ISSUE.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-DRIVETRAIN-TRANSMISSION-GEAR-BOX/22130-MY-CLUTCH-SQUEAK-BROKEN-WELDS-STORY-2.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-DRIVETRAIN-TRANSMISSION-GEAR-BOX/11134-ANOTHER-08-CLUTCH-PEDAL-FIREWALL-PROBLEM.HTML HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2128617. *TR

THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL BOTH MOVE LATERALLY AND ARE MAKING NOISE WHEN PRESSED. RESEARCH HAS YIELDED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2008+ WRX. THE ISSUE IS THE CLUTCH BRACKET SEPARATING FROM THE FIREWALL. THERE ARE SPOT WELDS THAT HAVE FAILED, AND THE PART NEEDS TO BE REWELDED TO PREVENT THE MOVEMENT/NOISE. *TR

FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO I HAD SMELLED GAS FUMES PERIODICALLY WHEN THE MY CAR WAS IDLING. A FEW DAYS AGO THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE. I HAD THE ECU CODE READ AT A LOCAL STORE AND THE TECHNICIAN THERE STATED THAT THE ENGINE CODE WAS "P0171 SYSTEM TOO LEAN (BANK 1)". ON MONDAY I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS DETERIORATING AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING. THEIR EXPLANATION FOR THE ENGINE CODE WAS THAT WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING THE FUEL PRESSURE EXPANDED THE FUEL LINE. THIS EXPANSION EVENTUALLY REDUCED THE FUEL PRESSURE TO THE POINT THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE NOT RECEIVING ADEQUATE FUEL AND THE ECU THREW A CODE. WHILE I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE FUEL LINE DEGRADED, AND THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF CAUSES, IT DOES SEEM PREMATURE. *TR

PROBLEM STARTED WITH A SQUEAKING/CLICKING WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED. RECENTLY THE WHOLE CLUTCH/BRAKE ASSEMBLY SHIFTS DOWN AND TO THE LEFT ABOUT 1/4-1/2" WHEN THE CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED. LOOKING UP THE PROBLEM, I SEE I HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS MANY OWNERS, THE WELDS THAT HOLD THE ASSEMBLY TO THE FIREWALL HAVE BROKEN FREE. NOW IT IS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT AT TIMES. *TR

METAL ON METAL POPPING STARTED FOR APPARENTLY NO REASON. INTERMITTENT, INCONSISTENT AND DIFFICULT TO REPLICATE. NOISE STOPPED AFTER WARMER WEATHER STARTED. NOTICEABLE CHANGES IN SHIFTING BEGIN TO OCCUR. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, SHIFTING BEGINS TO BECOME DIFFICULT. SYNCHRONIZATION OF GEARS WHEN SHIFTING BEGINS TO FAULT AND GEAR SCRATCHING CAN BE HEARD. STILL INCONSISTENT, NO IMMEDIATE INDICATION REPAIRS ARE NEEDED. SEVERAL WEEKS GO BY AND SUDDENLY SHIFTING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. GEAR MATCHING AND SYNCHRONIZATION IS NO LONGER SMOOTH AND SCRATCHES GEARS OFTEN. OFTEN NOT POSSIBLE TO SHIFT IN TO REVERSE WHILE CAR IS RUNNING. IT HAS NOW BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT THE SPOT WELDING THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY HAS BROKEN FREE FROM THE MOUNTING POINTS UNDER THE DASHBOARD. THE ENTIRE PEDAL ASSEMBLY NOW BENDS AND FLEXES PREVENTING PROPER CLUTCH PLAY AND THROW, PREVENTING CLUTCH FROM COMPLETELY DISENGAGING TRANSMISSION. *TR

I HAVE BEEN NOTICING A CREAKING AND POPPING NOISE FROM MY CLUTCH/BRAKE PEDAL ASSAY FOR SOME TIME NOW AND HAVE FOUND IT TO BE THE BRACE THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FIREWALL OF VEHICLE IS SPOT WELDED IN 2 PLACES AT TOP OF BRACKET AND THE SPOT WELDS HAVE CRACKED AND BROKEN AND THE BRACE NOW MOVES AROUND AND THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL BIND AND STICK. I HAVE SINCE NOTICED IT GETTING WORSE AND NOTICED THE 4 SPOT WELDS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BRACE HAVE CRACKED AND BROKEN ALSO. AS A AUTO TECHNICIAN I SEE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE ALL THE TIME AND THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN IF THE BRACE AS TO BREAK OFF COMPLETELY THE VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE BRAKING CAPABILITIES AND THE ABILITY FOR THE CLUTCH TO DISENGAGE THE ENGINE FROM THE TRANSMISSION IN AN EMERGENCY I HAVE NOTICED ON MULTIPLE FORUMS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL AS SUBARU SHOULD PERFORM A RECALL/REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE AS TO NOT HAVE VEHICLES BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IF NEEDED I CAN SUPPLY PICTURES OF MY VEHICLE AND THE POINT OF FAILURE. *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2008 IMPREZA WRX FEELS GRITTY AND MAKES A LOUD CREAKING NOISE EVERY TIME IT'S DEPRESSED. WHEN I INVESTIGATED THE NOISE, I NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY (ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL) SHIFTS APPROX 1/4 INCH EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. I FOUND THAT THE THREE SPOT WELDS SECURING THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL WERE BROKEN. FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE FIREWALL, JUST UNDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, I SAW THE SPOT WELDS PULLING AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THIS ALLOWS THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY TO MOVE, CAUSING THE CREAKING NOISE. IF THE BRACKET COMPLETELY SEPARATES FROM THE FIREWALL, THE CLUTCH MAY BECOME COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE - ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING.

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2008 WRX WOULD MAKE A LOUD CREAKING NOISE EVERY TIME IT'S DEPRESSED. RECENTLY, THE CREAKING WENT AWAY, BUT IT BEGAN TO BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO GEAR AND SHIFT GEARS. I INVESTIGATED THE NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY (ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL) SHIFTS APPROX. ONE HALF INCH EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. I FOUND THAT THE THREE SPOT WELDS SECURING THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL WERE BROKEN. FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE FIREWALL, JUST UNDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, I SAW THE SPOT WELDS PULLING AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THIS ALLOWS THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY TO MOVE ALONG WITH THE FIREWALL. IF THE BRACKET COMPLETELY SEPARATES FROM THE FIREWALL, THE CLUTCH WILL BECOME COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE - ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING. MY VEHICLE IS A 2008 WITH ONLY 70,000 MILES. *TR

WELDS HOLDING PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO FIREWALL ARE BROKEN, SQUEAKING CLUTCH, VERY HARD TO GET INTO GEAR, BREAK PEDAL MOVING WHEN USING CLUTCH. *TR

THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE, PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED THIS CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ADJUSTED THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY. THE NOISE CAME BACK SHORTLY AFTER SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND THEY REPLACED THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY. ONCE AGAIN, THE NOISE CAME BACK, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS WORSE THAN EVER. THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYING THE CLUTCH PEDAL MOUNT HAS HAD ALL WELDS FAIL THAT ATTACH IT TO THE FIREWALL. SUBARU NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS AS IT SEEMS MANY OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO I STARTED HEARING A CREAKING NOISE. ONLY RECENTLY THE NOISE HAD GOTTEN WORSE SO BEING A MECHANIC MYSELF I DECIDED I WOULD TAKE A FEW DAYS AND REMOVE MY DASH BOARD TO PINPOINT THE NOISE SINCE IT HAD GOTTEN WORSE LATELY. AFTER REMOVING THE DASH I COULD CLEARLY SEE THAT THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WAS BOLTED TO A THIN BRACKET THAT WAS WELDED TO THE MAIN BODY FRAME. WHEN I REMOVED THE PEDALS THE BRACKET JUST FELL RIGHT OUT. NO WELD WAS HOLDING MY CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS AMAZED THAT THE ASSEMBLY NEVER FELL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT FOR A YEAR. MIND YOU THE CLUTCH WAS ORIGINAL AND MODIFICATIONS WAS A SIMPLE AIR CLEANER. I DECIDED TO RESCUER IT TO THE FRAME WITH MACHINE NUTS AND BOLTS. AFTER I ASSEMBLED IT THERE WAS STILL PLAY IN THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND ONLY A FEW WEEKS LATER THE NOISE HAD RETURNED. I GUESS THE BRACKET NEEDS TO BE SECURED BETTER BUT THIS IS WHY I'M CONCERNED. ONE THE NOISE IS UNBEARABLE AND TWO IT'S JUST NOT SAFE IT COULD BRAKE OFF AGAIN THE MOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL ENOUGH TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO MISS THE PEDAL AND ACCELERATE INTO AN ACCIDENT. *JS

MY CLUTCH PEDAL HAS BEEN CLICKING AT THE EXTENT OF DEPRESSING THE PEDAL SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A SUBARU DEALERSHIP TWO YEARS AGO. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT BECAUSE OF HOW REGULARLY IT HAPPENED. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, IT STARTED TO GET LOUDER AND ALSO BEGAN SQUEAKING. I TOOK IT TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS PROBABLY A CRACKED WELD ON THE FIREWALL, WHICH THEY HAD SEEN BEFORE. MY CAR IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN HAPPENING LONG BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME $1,200 - $1,500, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS FOR SOMETHING THAT IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL SUBARU. I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE AND I AM GOING TO TAKE MY CASE UP WITH SUBARU. *TR