This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
My car just broke on me. The shop showed me how the firewall was built on these models and how it was changed from previous models. I shouldn't have to worrry about the firewall breaking on me with only 100K miles on my car. This is dangerous the firewall broke on me while driving and rendered the car undriveable. Luckily I was able to get off the road before potentially causing a major accident. This is a hazard for anyone who buys these cars because the firewall can break anytime really depending on how hard the car is driven although it should realistically never break.
Had a clutch repair done on car after the repair was finished the mechanic noted that the firewall on car was cracked. The car was stationary after looking on the internet and noted that the Subaru WRX impriza from 2009-214 had a problem with fire wall fatigue when the clutch and brake were being used under normal operation condition.
I called Subaru almost 5 months ago when I came across there was a recall on brakes since we were having the issue of the brakes flashing and the vehicle not shifting. Manufacturer recall #: wue90 on 2-28-19. NHTSA recall #: 19V149000. When I called they said they did not have the parts yet to fix. On 8-29-19 the car was in an accident and brakes light was chiming and flashing earlier and may be related to why it did not stop in time and was involced in a rear end crash when driver in front slammed on brakes. A auto shop then tells me after the car was reported in the accident sommers Subaru called them on 9-4-19 to tell the car had a brake safety recall. I have made a previous complaint about this vehicle on 4-19-19. Complaint # 11197303
Today (July 10, 2019) I discovered that the driver's side rear door of my 2009 Impreza will not open from the inside even when the child lock is in the free position. I have a similar problem with the same door on my 2014 outback, in that the child lock is stuck in the locked position and the door cannot be opened from the inside. I don't think it's a coincidence that both of my Subaru are having a problem with the child safety locks and I would like this investigated.
The firewall welds have failed and broken, resulting in structural failure of the clutch and brake pedal mounts. This leads to the clutch not being able to be fully and properly depressed, resulting in hard gear shifts, grinding, excess transmission wear, as well as the brake pedal and clutch pedal moving when depressed, which is obviously a safety hazard if the pedals move where they shouldn't without being purposefully adjusted. When the clutch is depressed, the brake pedal moves to the left, toward the clutch pedal at least an inch. This is an incredible safety hazard because in an emergency situation, if the brake needs to be applied while the clutch is depressed, the brake pedal is not where it should be and can be missed by my foot while trying to apply the brake quickly. There is also an incredibly distracting and annoying squeaking sound every time the clutch is depressed. Subaru is well aware of this problem as it is relatively common. However, they quoted me $900 to fix it. This is a manufacture defect and something that should be taken care of by the manufacturer. My car has approximately 105, xxx miles with the problem starting at 90, xxx miles.
- Lindsay, CA, USA
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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.
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.
08-14 manual Subaru have an issue where the firewall welds break and causes a significant safety risk as the pedal assembly either sags or eventually completely breaks off. It starts creaking and popping and there is excessive movement of the clutch master cylinder when the pedal is pushed. The brake pedal also noticeably moves to the left when pressing the clutch. After the creaking starts it's essentially a ticking time bomb and is scary to think about happening mid shift or in traffic.
Sun visor droop...causes visibility issues. Has been pretty well documented in various Subaru forums. Mine is in the driver side, but I have seen both sides droop being an issue.
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.
Fire wall where the clutch master cilinder sits moves in and out when clutch is depressed making a cracking noice, and causing fire wall metal tomexpand
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.
Structural defect of the spot weld of the clutch brake pedal assembly to the firewall. Assembly shift left when clutch pedal is depressed. Now it is very hard to put the car in reverse.
Excessive body flex when turning right, can feel air coming in. I recently noticed that my windshield was cracked. The weird thing about this crack is that the cracks started at the very top of the windshield, dead center where the roof meets the windshield. When I inspected the crack to see if a rock had hit it, the crack is absolutely smooth with no chip in it. I immediately thought of the excessive body flex as being the cause. I also have the same clutch issues of getting the car into reverse. My clutch also makes a popping noise when shifting and releasing the clutch. I noticed this immediately after purchasing it and informed the service department and was told that they couldn't any issue and inferred that I wasn't driving the car properly. I am a former us navy seabee heavy equipment operator and have operated numerous types of construction equipment and I had never had a clutch make this sound. On the next service appointment, I again informed the service department that the clutch was making a popping sound when it released. They again told me that they could not reproduce the issue. After reading all of these complaint, I finally feel justified and I will be immediately getting rid of my car before having the clutch firewall issue. I have also had to have to replace the head gasket, which is a known common issue with Subaru. Thankfully, I had bought a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty and the $1800 repair was covered at 98000 miles.
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!
I am experiencing issues with the firewall where everytime I depress the clutch the firewall flexes and it is making it difficult to shift gears under normal operation of the vehicle.
Excessive firewall flex and possible broken welds have lead to premature clutch failure, movement of brake pedal during clutch operation, and loud clicking sound whenever clutch it released. Subaru of America have refused to take any responsibility for this known manufacturing defect, despite my car still being covered by a Subaru added security warranty plan.
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.
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.
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).
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Casselberry, FL, USA