Body problems of the 2009 Subaru Impreza Wrx

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.

The firewall on my Subaru wrx hatchback is flexing so bad that my clutch will not fully engage nor disengage. I feel that it is a huge safety issues to myself and my family/friends that live in the vehicle due to the fact that my brake pedal or clutch pedal could penetrate the firewall due to the flexing/cracking. The firewall flex is preventing my car from getting routine service that is scheduled in the owners manual. I went to get my clutch looked at today (February 20 2017) at aamco transmissions in watertown, NY as the clutch was not engaging nor disengaging fully and they notified me that they found the firewall was flexing to the point that the clutch pedal assembly moving and could not complete its required engagement and disengagement points.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I was driving slowly through my neighborhood, put in the clutch and heard a loud crack. I couldnt figure out what it was so after taking a quick look I kept driving. Every time I put the clutch in I heard a loud creak or squeak. It got worse over the next months. Yesterday, I realized that the firewall had cracked where the clutch and brake pedal mount. The metal flexes when clutching or braking. If I use the clutch I can see the brake pedal move about half an inch back. I do not believe this allows the clutch to fully depress and I think that if I have to make an emergency stop the crack could get worse and tear not allowing the car to stop at all.

The clutch pedal makes a loud pop or click sound accompanied by a creaking sound every time the clutch pedal is depressed. Upon further inspection the brake pedal moves to the left at the same time the clutch pedal is depressed. From the engine compartment, it is visible where the metal has broken where the spot welds hold the pedal bracket to the firewall. If the rest of the welded spots break, the brakes and clutch may become inoperable during driving, potentially causing an acciedent.

2009 Subaru wrx. Noticed that there was a loud clicking noise when the clutch was pressed. Upon investigation, the clutch pedal assembly had sheared off the firewall causing the plate and brake/clutch pedals to move sideways. Upon investigation of removing wiper cowling, noticed that three welds had broken thru the firewall and entire clutch master cylinder was moving in the engine bay. Dash had to be removed and pedal assembly bracket had to be re-welded and reinforced.