10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 68,933 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Spot welds on firewall that support the pedal assembly have cracked/broke causing the brake pedal to flex and move while pushing down on the clutch.
- Brookfield, CT, USA
3 of 7 spot welds have failed for pedal assembly support bracket.
- New York, NY, USA
Firewall. Firewall broken, do not have the full range of motion that my clutch needs in order for the gears to go in.
- Hermiston, OR, USA
Vehicle was not stationary, it was being tuned and the fire wall got to hot and started to smoke. In addition the third cylinder in the motor went bad as well and the motor was replaced due to a rod knock and the 3rd cylinder going bad. The vehicle has 80000 miles on the vehicle.
- Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Failed welds connecting pedal panel to the firewall. Results in loud squeaking when clutch pedal is depressed/released and the panel welds may fail entirely on my '08 sti.
- East Greenville, PA, USA
Chassis fatigue and cracking resulting in damage/potential compromise of driver controls. Welds for clutch bracket have failed resulting in cracking of firewall.
- Langhorne, PA, USA
My brake pedal / clutch assembly is separating from my firewall on my 2008 WRX sedan at the spot welds. I can see this through my cowl support under the windshield washer motor. I heard lots of squealing and popping and now the assembly moves under light braking and clutch depression. It is now past a noise issue, and now is safety issue. My car only has 42,5000 miles.
- Chicago, IL, USA
This car was purchased by myself brand new with a few miles on the odometer. The clutch pedal was always stiff and squeaky and two local dealerships reassured me this is normal and nothing to worry about. Since about 50K miles my clutch pedal has been unresponsive and requires constant lubrication and bleeding of clutch master and slave cylinder. When pressing either clutch or brake pedal, the other would also move which causes loss of rod travel thus reduced fluid volume to necessary hydraulics. With clutch pedal fully depressed and in gear, the car will roll as if clutch is dragging. With clutch depressed and in gear, the car would lurch forward when turned on. While shifting normally the gears would grind and I'm certain this has worn my synchromesh gears. Dealer continued blaming one part, another part, and my driving habits. They charged me out of pocket for repairs and replacement with no actual progress fixing the issues. Today I stopped by the closest dealership requesting more information on this common clutch pedal assembly to firewall problems. They acknowledged this is an issue and gave me a verbal estimate of at least $900 to fix the broken welds. In my neighborhood I am leaving a stop sign as usual and go to shift into second gear. The clutch pedal linkage broke completely with pedal stuck on the floor. Clutch is now 100% inoperable, luckily I was on a quiet street and this did not break while on the highway. This is a very real safety issue and the manufacturer should fix this without charging we the customers. There were numerous symptoms for years on this exact problem, each getting progressively worse until this final breakage.
- Tomball, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the hood flew open and damaged the windshield. The contact stated that the hood was destroyed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that there were no recalls and the vehicle was outside of warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.
- Griswold, CT, USA
This 2008 Subaru Impreza has been plagued as have many others by a manufacturer chassis defect. The firewall/bulkhead between the driver and engine has 5 spot welds broken which initially are meant to secure the clutch and brake assembly. These weld breaks are a serious safety issue as they are causing difficulty in engaging clutch and brakes, as well as a squeak noise every time the clutch is depressed. As this is not an insignificant wear item but part of the chassis/frame which is a dangerous defect as complete failure during operation of the vehicle can cause catastrophic accidents, further investigation and action on this matter should be taken by the NHTSA. This is certainly a recall issue.
- Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
This 2008 Subaru Impreza has been plagued as have many others by a manufacturer chassis defect. The firewall/bulkhead between the driver and engine has 5 spot welds broken which initially are meant to secure the clutch and brake assembly. These weld breaks are a serious safety issue as they are causing difficulty in engaging clutch and brakes, as well as a squeak noise every time the clutch is depressed. As this is not an insignificant wear item but part of the chassis/frame which is a dangerous defect as complete failure during operation of the vehicle can cause catastrophic accidents, further investigation and action on this matter should be taken by the NHTSA. This is certainly a recall issue.
- Diamond Bar, CA, USA
The clutch pedal on my 2008 WRX makes a loud creaking noise every time it's depressed (it will also pop if cold out). After reading other complaints online I found the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly (attached to the forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch every time the clutch pedal is depressed, also causing the brake pedal to flex to the left. I can see at least two of my three spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall are broken. The whole clutch pedal assembly pulls away from the firewall every time the clutch pedal is depressed, the slave cylinder unit visibly moves. 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, it already frequently feels like I cannot push the clutch in far enough to get it into gear. Feedback from the online forums shows Subaru is not addressing the problem of the faulty welds leading to expensive consumer repairs or alternative diy fixes.
- University Place, WA, USA
My clutch bracket broke on the welds. This is an oem product that has a defect and it is well known on the internet and forums. Subaru of newton NJ refuses to fix the problem and was well aware. This was very dangerous for me since it happened on a highway at speeds of 65 mph. The bracket is broken and the clutch will not engage. I have noticed the firewall is cracking also. The brake pedal moves inches to the side when the clutch is pressed. This is a very dangerous problem. I am very disappointed with Subaru and the car only has 73K miles on it. I also filled with Subaru and I am awaiting answers.
- Blairstown, NJ, USA
My 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX has had a "hard clutch pedal". im an auto tech at a dealer so I took a look at it. I checked the spring and the pedal. I found the pedal would bend the mounting location under the dash when pushed in. I looked on the firewall under my wiper arms where the welds are at. The weld that holds the clutch and brake pedals to the firewall is cracked and now is cutting a hole in the firewall. I checked online for some help with the problem, and I found out im not the only one with this problem. I took the car to my local Subaru dealer. The dealer told me I needed a clutch. I ask them to look at the firewall welds that hold the clutch and brake pedals to the car. They told me to go away and not bring my car back to them! I called Subaru of America after this all happened. They told me to take it to another dealer. So I did to one " 3 hours away ". the next dealer told me the car is not safe to drive and weld is cracked on the firewall, and they called Subaru of America (soa.) soa never called the dealer back and I took the car home and waited. They called me 5 days later and told me I would have to pay 1/2 of the bill to fix the oem defect on the firewall welds. I feel as though they don't care about this safety issue even though after some research online it is clear that im not the only one having this same issue. I have videos and pictures showing the defective welds and can produce them for you. I noticed this issue around 58000 miles. Vehicle now has 60500 miles. Updated 02/19/13
- De Soto, IA, USA
Clutch pedal on 2008 WRX has developed a creaking noise every time it is depressed. Brake pedal shifts forward and to the left upon depression of clutch pedal. This is a reasonably well documented problem of the clutch pedal assembly spot weld joints failing.
- Saint Louis, MO, USA
I was out all morning running errands. I came home from about 4 hours of doing the run around. At 12:25 pm I got home, took my babies out of the car and put them down for a nap. I went out about 40 mins later to the car and the key fobs were not working so I then went to unlock the driver door with the key and when I opened it black smoke started rolling out. I then called 911 and reported the fire. The fire itself was out but the inside of the car all under the driver seat was burned up. The fire department started going threw the car and said they are claiming it as electrical. I reported it to my insurance company and now they are investigated it as well. The car was totaled out by the insurance company since there was so much damage to the inside.
- Cameron, NC, USA
The pedal assembly of my vehicle has disconnected from my firewall due to faulty welds. My clutch and brake pedals now have an unsafe amount of play and is causing issues with braking and disengaging my clutch. Subaru of America refused to repair the problem with my car.
- Littleton, CO, USA
- El Monte, CA, USA