2008 Subaru Impreza Sti

WHAT IS THE ISSUE? BASICALLY THE FIREWALL IS SO THIN THAT IT FLEXES TERRIBLY EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH OR BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. THE BIG PROBLEM IS THE WAY THE CLUTCH/BRAKE ASSEMBLY IS SECURED TO THE THIN FIREWALL. IT ONLY HAS 6 SMALL SPOT WELDS THAT RIP OFF THE FIREWALL AFTER TIME. THIS MAKES IT SO YOU CAN'T GET IN AND OUT OF GEAR. CLUTCH BECOMES USELESS. WHO? 2008-2014 GH/GR IMPREZA (2.5I/OBS/WRX/STI). I DON'T THINK THE ISSUE CAN BE LINKED TO A CERTAIN BATCH OF VEHICLES, CERTAIN CLIMATE/LOCATION, OR CERTAIN YEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL YEARS 08-14, AND ALL MODELS (WITHIN THE GH/GR CHASSIS).

THE CLUTCH BRACKET ON THE FIREWALL HAS ONLY 4 SMALL TACK WELDS FROM THE FACTORY. THIS BRACKET TAKES ALL THE FORCE OF YOUR LEG PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE A GEAR. IT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON ON THE SUBARU WRX STI FOR THESE SMALL TACKS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL AND CAUSE ACCELERATED CLUTCH WEAR AND EVENTUALLY CLUTCH FAILURE. MY CLUTCH FAILED AND THE DEALER IS NOW TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR FOR THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT WILL NOT BE COVERED BY SUBARU. TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND CHECKING THE STI FORUMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SUBARU HAS PAID FOR FOR SOME PEOPLE. THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THIS FOR ME. *JS

THERE IS A LOUD SQUEAK NOISE WHEN THE CLUTCH IS BEING PRESSED, AND AT TIMES WHEN THE STRUCTURE FLEXES,IT INTERFERES WITH CHANGING GEARS. NOT ONLY DOES IT INTERFERE WITH CHANGING GEARS BUT,IT ALSO CAUSES THE BREAK PEDAL ASSEMBLY MOVES WHEN PRESSING THE CLUTCH. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT SOME WELD SPOT HAVE BROKEN OFF AND HAVE BECOME LOOSE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM SEEING AS HOW IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN IT COMPLETELY SEPARATES, DUE TO SHOTTY WELDING, NOT ONLY COULD THE CLUTCH GO OUT WHILE DRIVING BUT IT COULD CAUSE THE BREAKS TO GO OUT AS WELL. THIS IS NOT WEAR AND TEAR, I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT A 1.5 YEARS. WELDS SHOULD NOT BUST THAT QUICKLY. I HAVE VERIFIED IN THE SUBARU COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM MANUAL TRANSMISSION IMPREZAS. *TR

FIREWALL SPOT WELDS BROKE, RESULTING IN MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THIS IS CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO NOT DISENGAGE FULLY AND ALSO MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT DUE TO THE FLEX. AS THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DANGEROUS AND IS MOST DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL. *TR

MY CLUTCH PEDAL BEGAN CLICKING AND CREAKING THIS SUMMER. I FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT THE WELDS THAT HELD THE CLUTCH TO THE FIREWALL WERE BROKEN. THE CLUTCH BRACKET HAS ONLY A COUPLE OF SPOT WELDS THAT ATTACH IT TO THE FIREWALL, AND THE FIREWALL IS VERY FLIMSY. THE WELDS TORE AWAY AND ALLOWED THE FIREWALL, CLUTCH ASSEMBLY,. BRAKE ASSEMBLY, AND DASH TO MOVE AND SHIFT WHENEVER I CLUTCHED IN, CAUSING PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE AND A VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY GR/GV CHASSIS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND SUBARU NEEDS TO INSTITUTE A RECALL ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF, FLASHING CRUISE CONTROL, AND FLASHING DIFFERENTIAL SELECTION [S] CODE. BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND HAD IT CHECKED OUT. THE ERROR CODE IS P1410 WHICH TRANSLATES TO SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM. MOST LIKELY ONE OF THE VALVES (OR BOTH) THAT OPERATE WITH THIS SYSTEM IS RUSTED STUCK THE OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION (WORSE IF ITS STUCK OPEN). CHECKING MULTIPLE FORUMS THIS IS HAPPENING REGULARLY AND SUBARU IS CHOOSING NOT TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY AND/OR RECALL. THE PART WAS POORLY DESIGNED AND IS SUBJECT TO RUST/FAILURE IN HUMID, RAINY, OR SNOWY ENVIRONMENTS. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AS IT PUTS YOUR CAR IN A LIMP MODE TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL UNEXPECTEDLY AND POSSIBLY FORCING YOUR CAR OUT OF ITS MULTIPLE DRIVING MODES (VIA SELECTOR IN THE CENTER CONSOLE NEAR THE ARMREST BELOW THE SHIFTER). I AM NOT SURE HOW DAMAGING THAT COULD BE TO HARD SWITCH THE MODE WHILE RUNNING AT HIGH SPEEDS BUT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL. WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE SUBARU WRX STI (WHICH IS THEIR TOP DOG SPORTS CAR) THERE IS NO REASON FOR THERE NOT TO BE SOME KIND OF RESOLUTION/RECALL FOR THIS FAULTY PART/DESIGN. TO TOP IT OFF, THE REPAIR COSTS FOR THIS IS ASTRONOMICAL IN THE $1000+ RANGE FROM THE ESTIMATES I AM GETTING. *TR

THE FIREWALL IS FLEXING UNDER CLUTCH PEDAL MOVEMENT OR BRAKING. UPON RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS CLAIMS BY 08/09 IMPREZA OWNERS OF SOFT WELDS ON THE FIREWALL CRACKING AND CAUSING THE FIREWALL TO FLEX UNDER OPERATION OF THE BRAKES OR CLUTCH. FURTHER FAILURE OF THE WELDS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF BRAKING OR CLUTCH OPERATION IS FURTHER DEGRADED. SUBARU OF AMERICA DENIES THAT THERE ARE CLAIMS TO THIS EFFECT THOUGH THERE IS DOCUMENTATION ON THE INTERNET TO THE CONTRARY. ISSUE SHOULD CAUSE A RECALL AS IT IS QUITE COMMON AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR