2008 Subaru Wrx

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2008WRX MAKES A LOUD CREAKING/CLICKING 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. THIS ALSO HAS INCREASED WEAR ON MY TRANSMISSION GEARS AND SYNCHROS. *TR

I RECOGNIZED A SQUEAKING SOUND EVERY TIME I DEPRESSED MY CLUTCH TO SHIFT THE CAR. HAVING HAD AN OIL CHANGE, I WASN'T SCHEDULED FOR CAR MAINTENANCE FOR 3 MONTHS OR 3,000 MILES. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR SERVICE, I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE SQUEAKING SOUND. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND A THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIREWALL AT THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WAS FAILING - THE SPOT WELDS WERE SHATTERED. THE TECHNICIAN REMOVED THE WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY AND FOUND THAT THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY FLEXES TO THE POINT OF MOVING THE FIREWALL OUT AT THE CLUTCH MASTER AND THAT THE FIREWALL IS CRACKED AT THE CLUTCH CYLINDER. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, THE TECHNICIAN LEARNED THE PROBLEM IS INHERENT IN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODEL, AS WELL AS IN THE 2009 MODEL. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDS REMOVING THE DASHBOARD, BRAKE BOOSTER, MASTER CYLINDER, AND CLUTCH CYLINDER IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY AND WELD THE BROKEN PIECES OF THE BRACKET THAT SHOULD BE HOLDING THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY IN PLACE. THIS REQUIRES ONLY WELDING AND REPLACING THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY, AS WELL AS FLUSHING THE BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID. THE OVERALL CONCERN WITH THIS STRUCTURAL FAILURE IS THAT THE DEGRADATION OF THE FIREWALL AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WILL CREATE AN ISSUE WHERE MY SAFETY IS AT RISK WHEN I LOSE THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHIFTING WILL FAIL. IN A LOW OR HIGH SPEED SITUATION, I WOULD NEED TO DOWN OR UP SHIFT MY CAR TO HELP AVOID COLLISION OR LESSEN THE IMPACT OF A COLLISION. WITHOUT THIS ABILITY, I PUT MY LIFE, MY PASSENGER'S LIFE AND OTHER DRIVERS' LIVES IN DANGER. GIVEN THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR, I BELIEVE SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. I AM ESPECIALLY CONCERNED TO FIND THAT MY PARTICULAR CAR IS ON THE PULL DOWN MENU WITH THE NTSB, AND UNTIL MY CAR STARTED TO FAIL, I HEARD NOTHING FROM THE NTSB, SUBARU OR THE DEALERSHIPS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. RESPONSE EXPECTED. *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 CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND I NOTICED SIGNIFICANT SIDE WAY BACK AND FORTH MOVEMENT IN THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. IN THE LAST WEEK IT HAS BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND GET THE CAR IN GEAR. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND THEY KNEW RIGHT AWAY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SPOT WELDS ON THE PEDAL MOUNTS TO THE FIREWALL WERE FAILING. THEY THEN SENT ME TO A BODY SHOP, WHICH HAS HAD EXPERIENCE MAKING THE NECESSARY REPAIR. APPARENTLY THE BODY SHOP HAS REPAIRED SEVERAL SUBARU WRXS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. OF COURSE THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *JS

WHEN I PUSH MY CLUTCH PEDAL IN, MY BRAKE PEDAL MOVES TO THE LEFT ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF. IT HAS ALSO SQUEAKED SINCE 20,000 MILES BUT I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS A PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY CONFIRMED MY FIREWALL IS FLEXING BECAUSE OF CRACKED WELDS. I NOTICED THIS HAPPENING AROUND 85,000 MILES ON A STOCK CLUTCH. THE DEALERSHIP IS CLAIMING THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE ISSUE AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $125 JUST FOR THEM TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE. *TR

THE CLUTCH PLATE MOUNTED TO THE FIREWALL FLEXES AND SQUEAKS WHEN DEPRESSED AND WAS TOLD THIS IS FROM THE SPOT WELDS THAT HOLD THE CLUTCH PLATE TO THE FIREWALL NOT A SQUEAKY PEDAL LIKE I THOUGHT. IF LEFT IN THIS STATE I'M TOLD IT COULD LEAD TO THE CLUTCH PEDAL FAILING BY THE SPOT WELDS BREAKING AND THE PLATE AND PEDAL COMING OFF THE FIREWALL. I'M TOLD THAT THIS ONLY HAPPENS A LOT WITH THIS SPECIFIC YEAR AND MODEL SUBARU FROM A SUBARU MECHANIC YET NO RECALL OR ADVISORY HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED *TR

I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM SHIFTING GEARS AND NOTICED THAT WHEN I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS MOVING ALSO. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE PEDAL MOUNTING BRACKET THAT IS SPOTWELDED TO THE FIREWALL HAD BROKEN AT THE WELDS. I WAS QUOTED $1200 FOR THE REPAIRS AS THE DASH & STEERING COLUMN HAVE TO BE REMOVED. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION AS IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I FEEL THAT SUBARU SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AS THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN DEFECT AND A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

SPOT WELDS ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL HAVE CRACKED CAUSING A DISTINCT SQUEAKING NOISE AND HARD SHIFTING. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE BRACKET SEPARATION IS PUSHING AGAINST THE CLUTCH, CAUSING A SIDEWAYS PUSH INTO THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW FOR FULL ENGAGEMENT OF THE CLUTCH WHEN SHIFTING GEARS AND IS FLEXING THE MASTER CYLINDER, CAUSING ADDITIONAL STRESS AND DAMAGE. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS BEING DEPRESSED BY APPROXIMATELY 1/2" DURING EVERY CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT. SUBARU OF AMERICA IS ONLY OFFERING TO COVER 50% OF THE WORK TO CORRECT THEIR DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. NO VEHICLE SHOULD EXPERIENCE FIREWALL DAMAGE AT ANY MILEAGE, LET ALONE A DEFECT SO DANGEROUS THAT IT IMPACTS SHIFTING AND BREAKING. *TR

MY CLUTCH STARTED SQUEAKING FOR A MONTH AND HALF. WHEN THE SQUEAKING STOPPED, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE SQUEAKING STOPPED ONLY BECAUSE THE WHOLE FIREWALL HAD BROKEN. THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED TOMORROW, AND I AM OUT OF WARRANTY FOR MY 2008 STI. I AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH INCLUDES THE CLUTCH AND THE BRAKING AND THE TRANSMISSION. THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WILL NOT FIX IT FOR ME AND HAS REFERRED ME TO A COLLISION SHOP BUT I AM NOW BEING FORCED TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS OUT-OF-POCKET. *TR