Clutch Pedal/linkage 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.

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.

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 noticable 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.

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 ¼ 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.

Clutch petal 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.

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 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.

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. . Read more...

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.

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.

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.

The clutch pedal on my 2009 wrx makes a loud creaking 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 spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall seem to be broken. This allows the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move, causing the creaking noise. I am afraid that if the problem gets worse the clutch will fail to disengage completely. If the bracket completely separates from the firewall, the clutch may become completely inoperative - especially dangerous while driving. It is especially disconcerting to watch the brake pedal move back and forth when the clutch pedal is depressed.

I have an '09 wrx that I took in to hace oil changed and mentioned having a squeaky and clicking clutch pedal. Mechanic found bulkhead welds were broken. The issue is a broken welds between the mount for the pedal and the firewall. The firewall actually gaps when the clutch is depressed.

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.

When I depress the clutch pedal there is a very noticeable, audible, "clicking" noise, and a stiff clutch pedal. It appears to be broken spot welds and a defective clutch. Have had this issue repaired by Subaru once but has returned multiple times. Is a major safety concern because clutch assemply is directly tied to brake and gas pedals, and when the welds fail completely it is a potential life threatening situation. If you do a simple goolge search for Subaru clutch clicking it is a huge problem and many many people are experincing this issue with there clutch's. It appears a recall is needed to fix this.

Car was in the shop for another service when this issue was brought to my attention. The tech showed me how the pedal assembly would move when the clutch pedal was pressed, caused by the welds on the pedal assembly breaking and becoming disconnected from the firewall. He informed me that this was an issue that had started occurring on several same make and model cars. The issue has progressively gotten worse, there is an audible click and squeak/creak when pressing and releasing the clutch pedal.

Said bracket ripped almost in half on one side. It's about a 3 inch tard from a factory drilled hole in bracket. Now the clutch pedal will not fully return and brake pedal moves sideways.

Some time last summer my clutch pedal began making a light squeak upon disengagement. I played it off for a good bit of time as a hinge or spring on the pedal assembly, but after lubing it some, I noticed it was the bulkhead flexing. The noise is also becoming more of a constant as time goes on. After some research I noticed the quantity of people having this issue and was shocked with the typical Subaru dealership response that was reported. The noise is still quite intermittent, but has been more common as of late. I intend to go to the dealership soon to see if this can be remedied. No tsbs have been released detailing this issue short of one tech tip back in 2009 that did not even point to the bulkhead mount as the source of a pedal noise. I do have to say it is rather disappointing that no measures have been taken to even attempt to get owners to bring cars in for an under the table recall, since this can result in serious issues such as a clutch that cannot be disengaged. The implications of that can go from bad (not being able to leave the drive way) to pretty catastrophic (cruising on the highway and not being able to shift to neutral or other gears).

2009 stock wrx with 66k miles on it, but problem (squeak) started at about 38k miles. I only drive surface streets and have never tracked/raced/etc my wrx. My clutch assembly squeaks and shifts whenever I depress/release the clutch pedal, regardless of vehicle speed or pedal speed. I've lubricated the various hinges with standard lithium grease which removed a very small portion of the noise, but the squeak is still prominent. Brake pedal moves to the left as I depress the clutch pedal more. Clutch master cylinder flexes in and out on the firewall whenever I depress/release the clutch pedal- this might also lead to early failure of the master cylinder due to misalignment of the piston from the supporting structure flexing (not to mention the supporting structure flexing way too much for standard operation). I'm concerned that my pedal assembly's supporting structure will fail, leaving the clutch pedal and possibly the brake pedal (if it's also supported by it which it seems it is) useless while driving: an extremely hazardous and life-threatening situation.