2009 Subaru WRX Powertrain & Transmission Problems

FAILED WELDS CONNECTING PEDAL PANEL TO THE FIREWALL. RESULTS IN LOUD SQUEAKING WHEN CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED/RELEASED AND CAR IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET IN OR OUT OF GEAR. CAUSES MOVEMENT OF BRAKE PEDAL AS WELL WHICH COULD CAUSE MAJOR ISSUES. THIS HAPPENS MOVING AND PARKED

WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR USED AT A DEALERSHIP, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD DRIVEN A SUBARU WRX. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE BRAKE TO MOVE SLIGHTLY WHEN PRESSING DOWN ON THE CLUTCH. THEN, RECENTLY, I STARTED GETTING A CLICKING SOUND FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR, TOWARDS THE ENGINE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE WRX OWNER FORUMS. I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT MANY PEOPLE WERE AND ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR WRX. AND, THAT THE SOURCE OF THEIR PROBLEMS WERE THE FIREWALL WELDS FOR THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE WOULD GET LOOSE AND CAUSE THE CLUTCH TO NOT ENGAGE FULLY.

**CLUTCH SPOT WELDS** AFTER REPLACING 2 CLUTCHES AND HEARING A CLICKING NOISE I TOOK IT TO A SUBARU SHOP. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE SPOT WELDS ON THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE ARE STARTING TO BREAK LOOSE FROM THE FIREWALL. I THEN RECEIVED A SAFETY BULLETIN FROM SUBARU ABOUT THE SPOT WELDS. SUBARU EXPECTS THE OWNERS TO PAY FOR THIS HAZARDOUS WELL KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM.

THE WELDS CONNECTING THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO THE FIREWALL HAVE BROKEN. VERIFIED WITH PHOTO PROOF.

I PURCHASED MY WRX IN 2009 FROM THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER HERE IN CHICAGO. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. A YEAR AGO I FIRST NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL. WHEN FULLY PRESSED IT MADE A LOUD CREAKING NOISE. WHEN I INVESTIGATED THE NOISE I NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE CLUTCH + PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY MOVES AND SHIFTS APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH. WHEN I REMOVED WINDSHIELD WIPERS I NOTICED THAT 4 SPOT WELDS THAT SECURE THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL ARE BROKEN. I CAN SEE HOLES IN THE FIREWALL SHEET METAL EVERY TIME I PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE ENTIRE CLUTCH BRACKET ASSEMBLY MOVES OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING THIS CRACKING NOISE. FINALLY TWO WEEKS AGO THE NOISE WENT AWAY ALL BY ITSELF. I NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY SHIFTS EVEN MORE TO ONE SIDE WHEN CLUTCH IS PRESSED AND I HAVE EXTREME TROUBLE SHIFTING INTO A GEAR. I THINK THAT ENTIRE BRACKET SEPARATED FROM THE MOUNTING POINTS. I FEAR THAT CLUTCH MAY BECOME INOPERABLE. *TR

THIS IS THE WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED FIREWALL WELD ISSUE FOR THE PEDAL BRACKET. THE WELDS HAVE BROKEN AND THE PEDAL BRACKET NOW SHIFTS WHEN I PRESS DOWN ON THE CLUTCH. IT MAKES A LOUD POPPING NOISE AS WELL AS CREAKING AND SQUEAKING. IF LEFT UNCHECKED, THE ISSUE WILL WORSEN AND THE ENTIRE BRACKET MAY BREAK OFF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. SUBARU NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO RECALL THIS AND PAY TO FIX ALL OF THEM.

ABOUT 6-8 MONTHS AGO I HAD MY WRX IN FOR WORK AND POINTED OUT A LOUD CLUNK THAT WAS HAPPENING AS I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NO CONCERN BUT THAT THEY COULD DIAGNOSE IT FURTHER FOR A COST. THINKING IT WAS FINE I CONTINUE USE, AND EVENTUALLY THE NOISE WENT AWAY. RECENTLY, MY CAR WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND MY CLUTCH FELT RATHER STIFF. HAVING LOOKED AT IT THE SPRING BEHIND MY PEDAL WAS BENDING SIDEWAYS AND MY ENTIRE FIREWALL WAS FLEXING AS I PUSHED IN THE CLUTCH. I TOOK THIS BACK TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT TOLD ME THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED. TO REPLACE MY CLUTCH, THEY NEEDED TO R&R MY DASH TO LOOK FOR BROKEN WELDS AND POSSIBLE REPLACE THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY. TO THE PRICE OF $3500.00. I THEN CAME ONLINE TO SEE QUITE A FEW POSTS IN MULTIPLE PLACES OF THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE HAD A LOSS OF POWER AS THE SPEED REDUCED TO 30 MPH INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH AND THE FLY WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

I RECENTLY STARTED HAVING A CREAKING NOISE EVERY TIME I WOULD DEPRESS THE CLUTCH ON MY 2009 WRX SEDAN. WHEN I PUSH THE CLUTCH IN I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD ALSO MOVE APPROXIMATELY A OF AN INCH. WHAT REALLY GOT ME WORRIED WAS SEEING THE FIREWALL FLEXING AND MOVING. THE MASTER CYLINDER BRACE WAS ALSO MOVING AROUND AS THE CLUTCH WAS BEING PRESSED. I WAS ABLE TO SEE BOTH BY HAVING THE WINDOW COWL OFF AND HOOD OPENED. AFTER THAT HAPPENED I WENT ONLINE AND SAW THAT OTHER 2008+ WRX OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS FAILING/BROKEN FIREWALL SPOT WELDS. *TR

I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF A 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX SEDAN. I NOTICED MY CLUTCH SQUEAKING ABOUT 10,000 MILES AGO. I BROUGHT IT INTO A SUBARU DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECK OUT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE AND THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. ABOUT 3000 MILES AGO, THE CLUTCH STARTED TO "CLICK" INSIDE THE VEHICLE. FOR MY 50,000 MILE SERVICE, I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO CHECK OUT THE NOISE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAME BACK TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT MY FIREWALL HAS TORN. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE AND THAT IT WAS A RESULT OF POOR SPOT WELDS ON THE FIREWALL DONE BY THE FACTORY. AS A RESULT, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID MY CLUTCH WILL NEED REPLACING BECAUSE THE TEAR IN THE FIREWALL HAS MESSED UP THE CLUTCH ALIGNMENT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ALSO TOLD ME THAT I AM LUCKY I CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM EARLY BECAUSE IN A SIMILAR CASE THEY SAW IT DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION OF A DIFFERENT WRX. CURRENTLY, SUBARU IS TRYING TO BRUSH THIS UNDER THE RUG OFFERING TO FIX THE FIREWALL FOR FREE BUT WANTS TO CHARGE ME $1000 TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH. I HAVE CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO REPORT THE ISSUED AND TO SEE IF THEY WILL COVER THE REPAIR. SUBARU OF AMERICA SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS BEING AN ISSUE WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND WILL INVESTIGATE THIS SPECIFIC CASE. I AM AN AVID SUBARU ENTHUSIAST AND HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF OTHER IMPREZA OWNERS FACING THE SAME ISSUE AS MINE. *TR

CLUTCH PEDAL STARTING SQUEAKING AND GEARS WOULD NOT SYNCH WELL DURING SHIFTING WHICH INDICATED THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT FULLY DISENGAGE. BROUGHT TO DEALER AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL MOUNTING BRACKET HAS BROKEN FREE OF THE FIREWALL, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE INOPERABLE. SUBARU WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR AND THERE IS NO RECALL ON FILE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM THE USED CAR LOT I NOTICED THE CLUTCH PEDAL WHEN BEING PRESSED AND DEPRESSED MADE A SQUEAKING NOISE. I FIGURED IT WAS PROBABLY LACK OF LUBRICATION SO I WENT AHEAD AND LUBRICATED THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND THE NOISE STAYED THE SAME. COUPLE MONTHS GO BY AND THE NOISE GOT MUCH LOUDER AND SOMETIMES A LOUD POP WOULD OCCUR. RECENTLY I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHER WRX OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. SO I FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES TO CHECK THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE AND IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE WELDS ON THE FIREWALL HAVE BEEN BROKEN AND ARE CAUSING THE NOISE.I ALSO NOTICED MY BRAKE PEDAL SHIFTS EVERY TIME I PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL. AS TIME PROGRESSES IT FEELS AS IF ITS GETTING HARDER TO SHIFT. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS ISSUE IS CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE TRANSMISSION. EVERY TIME I PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL I FEAR THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY IS GOING TO RIP OFF THE FIREWALL. *TR

I GOT OFF WORK AND WAS ON MY WAY HOME, PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN TO HEAR A WONDERFUL SNAP AND I HAD ZERO CONTROL OF MY CLUTCH CAUSING ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT INTO OR OUT OF ANY GEAR. CHASSIS FATIGUE AND CRACKING RESULTING IN DAMAGE/POTENTIAL COMPROMISE OF DRIVER CONTROLS. WELDS ON THE FIREWALL ARE POOR AND ITS A MANUFACTURER FAULT THAT MANY HAVE BROUGHT TO SURFACE WITH THE NHTSA AND THE SOA (SUBARU OF AMERICA) BUT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH OF THE CARS PRODUCED FOR ANYONE TO TAKE ACTION OR FOR SUBARU TO CARE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE OWNERS OF THE VEHICLE. LOSING COMPLETE OPERATION OF THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY DUE TO THE WELDS OF THE VERY POOR SPOT WELDED FIREWALL GOING OUT IS A MAJOR CONCERN AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS A HIGH RISK SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE OPERATOR AND OTHERS ON PUBLIC ROADWAYS. I NEED SUBARU TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAT THEY CAUSED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE MANUFACTURE PROCESS OF MY VEHICLE. *TR

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM MY CLUTCH EVERY TIME I WOULD GO TO SWITCH GEARS. I THEN CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND FILED A CASE IN THERE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY THEN TOLD ME TO TAKE IT INTO A DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. AFTER TAKING MY SUBARU TO A LOCAL DEALER AND HAVING MY CAR LOOKED AT THE MECHANIC IN HIS SERVICE WRITE UP SAID "CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY LOOSE AND MOVING". I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE REASON FOR THIS ISSUE WAS BECAUSE THE WELDS HOLDING THE ASSEMBLY TO THE FIREWALL HAD BROKEN OFF AND NOW NEED TO BE RE-WELDED BACK TOGETHER SO THAT THEY WILL WORK AGAIN. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS THAT BIG OF A SAFETY ISSUE AND RELEASED ME WITH THE CAR TO GO BACK HOME IN. HOWEVER EVERY TIME THE PEDAL IS PRESSED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY MOVES SIDE TO SIDE MAKING THE WELDS EVEN LESS STRONG. AFTER LOOKING THIS ISSUE UP ONLINE I NOTICED THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY OTHER PERSON THAT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE AND MANY FEEL LIKE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SUBARU IS FAILED TO LOOK INTO. *TR

ON MY 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX, I'VE DEALT WITH A SQUEAKY CLUTCH PEDAL FOR QUITE SOME TIME, CLOSE TO 30K MILES NOW. WITHIN THE PAST 5K MILES, A CLICKING SOUND HAS OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME AND WITHIN THE PAST 1K MILES THE SOUND HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE WITH A GRINDING SOUND IN ADDITION TO ALL PREVIOUS SOUNDS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE ENTIRE PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY MOVES UPON CLUTCH OR BRAKE PEDAL ENGAGEMENT. IN ADDITION, CLUTCH CYLINDER MOVES WHEN IT SHOULD BE STATIC. THIS IS ALL DUE TO THE FIREWALL BEING TOO THIN, FLEXING, AND ULTIMATELY THE METAL ENDURED ENOUGH FATIGUE TO BREAK AROUND THE PEDAL BRACKET SPOT WELDS. THIS ISSUE IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD NEVER MOVE, NOR SHOULD IT SEPARATE FROM THE FIREWALL. NO RECALL AS OF YET, DESPITE THIS BEING A KNOWN ISSUE TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 56,740 MILES. *TR

FIRST AT ALL MERRY CHRISTMAS! ILL TRY MY BEST TO DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE CAR. ITS 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION . ON MY WAY HOME TO SEE MY FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS HEARD LOUD POP SOUND FROM UNDER THE DASH. KINDA SCARED ME BUT AFTER THE INSPECTION DIDN'T SEE ANY DAMAGE. TURNED THE ENGINE ON AGAIN BUT NOTICED RIGHT AWAY THAT MY CLUTCH PEDAL DOESN'T FEEL THE SAME. ( I HAVE STOCK CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION) RIGHT NOW CLUTCH PEDAL MAKES SQUEEZING NOISE, AND MY BRAKE PEDAL MOVES WHEN I PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL . AT HOME OPENED THE HOOD AND ASKED MY DAD TO PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL COUPLE TIMES, NOTICED THAT CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER IS NOTICEABLY MOVING ALL OVER THE PLACE. CHECKED ONLINE FOR THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND REALIZED MY FIREWALL WELDS ARE CRACKED FROM UNDER THE DASH , WELL NOT THE BEST FIND BUT ITS CHRISTMAS SO JUST TRIED TO GO OVER IT AND WRITE YOU THIS EMAIL. HERE'S THE SITE I WAS TALKING ABOUT HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2499917&HIGHLIGHT=08-10+WRX&PAGE=9 JUST COPY-PASTE THE LINK PLEASE. SAYING "CHASSIS FATIGUE AND CRACKING RESULTING IN DAMAGE/POTENTIAL COMPROMISE OF DRIVER CONTROLS." THIS IS MY FIRST SUBARU AND IM REALLY HAPPY WITH THE CAR , HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN HELP ME OUT , THANK YOU VERY MUCH! *TR

THE WELDS WHERE THE CLUTCH PEDAL ATTACHES TO THE FIREWALL ARE BREAKING. THE SAME BRACKET IS ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ENTIRE BRAKE & CLUTCH ASSEMBLY COULD BREAK OFF OF THE FIREWALL. THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF BRAKING.

WHEN DEPRESSING CLUTCH PEDAL; A CREAKING NOISE IS EVIDENT. UPON INSPECTION 2 SPOT WELDS HOLDING CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY TO FIREWALL ARE BROKEN. THIS ALLOWS CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER TO MOVE AS WELL AS BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT WHEN CLUTCH IS APPLIED. *TR

MY CLUTCH PEDAL HAS BEEN CREAKING HORRIBLY THE PAST 12 MONTHS. I'VE READ NUMEROUS PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT A FAULTY WELD ON THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY MOUNTING TO THE FIREWALL, BUT DIDN'T THINK IT COULD HAPPEN TO MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME $1500 JUST TO PULL OUT THE TRANSMISSION AND LOOK AT THE CLUTCH WHEN IT'S OBVIOUS THE WELDS ARE FAULTY AND HAVE GONE BAD! I TOLD HIM THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA WAS AWARE OF THE "KNOWN ISSUE" BUT NO DICE. THEY INSISTED ON A $1500 DIAGNOSTIC CHECK WHICH DIDN'T EVEN INCLUDE THE PRICE FOR AN ACTUAL FIX! SOA WASN'T MUCH HELP, THE SENT A TECH DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC HAD HIM CONVINCED THEY SHOULD PULL OUT THE TRANSMISSION BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE. MY BREAK PEDAL AND CLUTCH PEDAL BOTH MOVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN BEFORE, ALMOST 2-3 INCHES. I'M AFRAID ONE DAY I'LL BE DRIVING AND I'LL FIND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY LYING ON THE FLOOR IN MY CAR AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BRAKE. THIS IS REALLY POOR DESIGN AND I'M SURPRISED A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. THERE IS A SERIOUS RISK OF SAFETY HERE AND SUBARU SHOULD BE TAKING INITIATIVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE AND FOLKS START TOTALING CARS AND BRINGING RISK TO PEOPLE AROUND THEM. *TR

09 SUBARU WRX, SPOT WELDS IN FIREWALL BROKEN. CAUSES BRAKE PEDAL TO SHIFT OVER WHEN CLUTCH IS PRESSED IN. SAFETY HAZARD AND MANUFACTURER FAULT. ALSO CAUSES ANNOYING SQUEAK AND CLICKING NOISE. *TR