The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the transmission failed to properly shift. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and shut off the vehicle. Once the contact restarted the vehicle, the vehicle started operating normally; however, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the clutch pedal bracket had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was under recall however, the recall had expired. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 54,000.

- Worcester, MA, USA

The firewall prevents the vehicle from engaging in gears while driving

- El Paso, TX, USA

09 WRX hatch, when the clutch is depressed it will make a creaking noise. Upon further inspection, the firewall flexes a lot while the clutch is pressed in. It is getting louder and is starting to affect the brake pedal by moving it everytime the clutch is depressed.

- Ruskin, FL, USA

Subaru of America Inc. Should recall 2008-2014 Impreza, Impreza WRX, and Impreza WRX sti. These vehicles just above the drivers feet, use 6 spots welds to hold a mounting bracket for the pedal assembly to the inside of the firewall.this design flaw, where the pedal mounting box is spot-welded to the firewall using only a handful of tiny spot welds is dangerous. The firewall itself is of a weak design and inherently has quite a bit of flex and over time and normal use these spot welds fail from too much stress and the pedals will begin to squeak, creak, pop and eventually the pedals will move away from the firewall when depressed. Once this happens the clutch and other pedals will no longer properly engage or disengage and the car will no longer be drivable. In the event of this failure at highway speeds potentially catastrophic loss of life and endangering the public. Safety risk firewall failure potential result in loss of vehicle control. The sudden loss of function of pedal assembly including clutch, brake, and acceleration pedals. Loss of vehicle control may lead to occupants having serious injury or death especially at highway speeds. Remedy Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will facilitate the, permanent solution which involves properly welding the pedal assembly box to the firewall with a continuous seam weld along the circumference of the mounting tab, free of charge. Sources: www.circuitmotorsports-blog.com/2015/04/the-2008-2014-Subaru-Impreza-clutch.html https://www.5250performance.com/blog/Subaru-firewall-repairs-less-money-better-repair https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php"S=745C2ff65D52924B49418232894051cd&T=2700583 https://bit.ly/2ssk3ij https://bit.ly/37flmp4 https://www.youtube.com/results"search_query=2008+Subaru+WRX+firewall

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

Motor went out with 72000 miles while on the highway driving. Transfer case bearings shot. Power steering rack done and firewall has cracked for a 2nd time. Subaru are probably the most unsafe vehicles on the road.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

During normal use of the clutch on the street, the firewall welds brake off causing the firewall to bend. Also effects the clutch pedal making it 'click' if not fixed can cause more damage.

- Lyons, IL, USA

Chassis fatigue and cracking resulting in damage/potential compromise of driver controls. Clutch pedal assembly broke and will no longer dissengage the clutch(drivetrain system). This happened while driving on a local highway at a speed of approximately 45mph. I was forced to drive the vehicle off of the road to avoid a potential collision with another vehicle. The whole assembly is comprised of both the clutch and the brake pedals. Due to the assembly failure the brake pedal has significant play in it as well and doesnt function properly. Upon inspection I found that structural welds on the firewall, where the assembly is mounted, have failed. I called subaruofamerica about the issue on 08 May 2018. I referenced two different tsb's regarding this issue on my year range of vehicle. 1) NHTSA id: 10090413 tsb id: We 2) NHTSA id: 10090409 tsb id: 12-184-15 I was told that the extension to the warranty expired in 2013 and there was nothing they could do for me. Even though these tsb's are date 03 February 2017.

- Clarksville, TN, USA

Due to the firewall flexing every time the clutch pedal is depressed, over time the spot welds connecting the clutch pedal mounting bracket to the firewall fail. This allows for play in the entire clutch/brake pedal assembly. Given enough of the welds break, the vehicle can no longer by put into gear. I became unable to put the car into reverse or first gear from a dead stop. It took about 5 minutes of trying to get it into 1st to get home. Luckily this did not occur while at speed.

- Houston, TX, USA

The clutch pedal on my 2009 WRX constantly requires adjustment to enable the release of the clamp pressure on the driven plate of the clutch assembly when the clutch foot pedal is depressed. Upon investigating a creaking noise, I noticed that the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly (attached to the forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch to the left and down each time the clutch pedal is activated. This clutch pedal bracket assembly has three broken spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall. From the outside of the firewall, underneath the driver's side windshield wiper, I confirmed the manufacturer's spot welds are pulling away from the firewall each time the clutch pedal is depressed. This weld defect stemming from the manufacturer allows the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move unsecured, ultimately preventing the transmission to engage the vehicle into 1st, 2nd, or reverse gear. I have been able to make clutch pedal adjustments to temporarily engage the gears, however if the bracket completely separates from the firewall, the clutch may become inoperative. This notorious defect is well known among Subaru car owners and is indeed a safety issue that can directly cause a vehicle collision.

- Citrus Heights, CA, USA

When I push clutch in its popping and flexing. I found that the whole pedal assembly is moving back and forth causing firewall to flex at spot welds.its causing clutch engagement difficult.

- Roanoke Rapids, NC, USA

I bought my 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX hatchback a little over a year ago because it is supposedly a reliable vehicle. I have always noticed a slight shift in the brake pedal when engaging the clutch. We were told by many Subaru owners that that is normal. About a month ago it became very hard to put the car into reverse. It is now almost impossible to put my car in reverse as well as shift between gears. We were going to replace the clutch but after looking online noticed the hundreds of complaints about the same exact thing. The clutch will not engage because the firewall is cracking where the master brake cylinder mounts for it are. Apparently Subaru is aware of this defect but has not done anything to remedy the situation.

- Juneau, AK, USA

Car used as daily driver to commute less than 14 miles round trip for work. Clutch began to develop a pop noise which then turned into a loud squeak followed by more than a 1/2" of movement to the left that the brake pedal would start to move when the clutch would be depressed. After further investigation of reading local owners threads and asking around I have found that the welds that hold my brake and clutch together have broken and are continuing to break which could lead to my clutch pedal assembly falling down to the floor board which could potentially render me from using my brake pedal. This is a common issue with all Subaru Impreza WRX and sti owners which can be found on multiple local owners club websites and could affect bodily harm to drivers of the cars and other drivers on the road! Subaru refuses to acknowledge that this is a problem and in most cases will not cover repair costs!

- San Diego, CA, USA

Starting to have problems shifting into gear especially getting into reverse. I took my vehicle to a local auto repair shop. The tech wanted to replace the entire box pedal clutch assembly. After the pedal box was received they noticed it wasn't the box at all, but the firewall welds holding the clutch/break pedal box were broken on the firewall. Because the welds snapped the clutch/brake cage moves and it can't let the clutch travel far enough to properly engage causing the clutch to work properly and also the breaks cant be pressed correctly to stop the car. The mechanic told us not to drive the car for safety sake till the welds were repaired or we could have an accident.

- Oak Harbor, WA, USA

Was starting to have problems shifting into gear especially getting into reverse. Took my vehicle to a Subaru dealership for a cause. The tech wanted to replace the entire clutch assembly for 1800 bucks. I took my vehicle to another shop for a second answer, immediately was told it was the firewall.the welds have snapped. Because the welds have snapped the clutch can't engage properly causing one to have either terrible shifts or possibly grinding of gears!

- Hill Afb, UT, USA

When attempting to fuel the vehicle (the tank was less than one-quarter full), the gas splashed back out of the vehicle on me and allover the ground. I tried several times to fuel, but the tank will not accept gas. This issue can cause injuries from the gasoline splash, and it can cause stranded drivers because the vehicle cannot be refueled. It must be investigated. There are plenty of forums online where people complain of the same issue in their 2009 Imprezas... there must be a known defective part, but Subaru is not recalling it? please investigate.

- Royal Oak , MI, USA

Started having issues getting the car into gear. Thought it might be the clutch brought it into a shop to get the clutch disc replaced. They determined that the issue was from a broken weld on the firewall.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

Welds attaching the clutch pedal to the firewall broke. The clutch is now nearly impossible to engage and the brake pedal moves 3/4 of an inch when the clutch pedal is depressed. According to the mechanic, the car is now at risk of losing ability to brake if the welds completely detach from the firewall. The welds hold the entire pedal assembly in place.

- Sugar Grove, IL, USA

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX - clutch pedal started to malfunction, began making a creaking noise when depressed, and wouldn't shift cleanly into most gears. We originally thought it was something that needed to be lubricated or adjusted but this was not the case. Over a short time, this creaking noise turned into a clicking noise when the clutch was depressed. We took the vehicle to the dealership where it was purchased 8 months prior - the dealership service foreman and service manager both advised us that some of the spot welds that hold the pedal assembly to the forward firewall have broken. Both men insisted that they had never seen anything like this before (not comforting coming from trained Subaru service specialists) and had no indication as to how it had happened (other than being in a serious accident since we purchased it, which is not the case and there is no evidence to the contrary, I.e. body damage, vehicle history reports, etc). Upon researching further, we found that there have been many instances of this issue happening. Stohlman Subaru of vienna, va told us that it was our problem and that if it was their car, they wouldn't even bother fixing it! I find this very hard to understand, as the car is not cheap, it is made for rallying and racing, and while the repair is extensive (so we were told), it definitely would not be more than the vehicle is worth. Why would they recommend to us to not fix the car? this appears to have been a relatively common issue on Subaru Impreza wrxs, and just that fact alone points to defective equipment. Although there has been no official recall on these parts, it is a huge safety concern. Each time the clutch is engaged, we run the risk of breaking the final welds, which leaves you with zero control of the car. The vehicle is currently not being driven. The dealership has been utterly worthless for any help or guidance.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

I noticed a consistent squeak when the clutch pedal was depressed, at all speeds, at all times, even when the car was off. I tried to lubricate it, but the noise did not go away. I took it to the dealer and they also tried to lubricate it, but the noise did not go away. The dealer asked to keep the vehicle for a day so the clutch could be disassembled to determine the cause. I had purchased a new clutch from the dealer for $1600 in September, 2012 which was still under warranty. The dealer determined the cause was broken welds between the clutch assembly and firewall. The dealer and I both called Subaru of America to find a resolution. My case number was sr #:[xxx]. I told the Subaru rep that this was a common and widespread problem with this model of Subaru based on my own internet research, but the rep denied any knowledge of similar problems with imprezza wrxs. The repair is expensive (>$2000) because the entire dash of the vehicle must be removed in order for the broken welds to be fixed by a third party body shop. Then, the dash must be replaced. The repair took two full weeks. Others have reported repair times of up to two months. With new welds, the clutch squeak is gone. Subaru informed me that the dealer would cover the repair expense as a "one time good will gesture" and I am grateful about that, but concerned for other owners that Subaru is sweeping this problem under the rug. If the clutch completely breaks apart from the body at highway speeds, the transmission could be severely damaged and loss of vehicle control may result. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Aliso Viejo, CA, USA

My 2009 Subaru WRX has a broken clutch pedal bracket, this has led to extremely hard shifting. I took my car to a clutch shop and they did not want to touch it, they suggested I take it to the dealer. They called the dealer for me and asked if there were any recalls, to which the dealer said no. I believe Subaru is being dishonest as I have found many consumers on online forums experiencing the same problem I am.

- La Habra, CA, USA