Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
03/04/201392000
 Had a squeaky clutch pedal for the past few months. yesterday it became very hard to shift into gear. i noticed when the clutch was depressed, both the brake and clutch pedals moved about 2 to the left. looking further, it looks like the sport weld have given way where the brace mounts to the firewall. researching i found many people with the same issue. car is almost undriveable and unsafe.
08/15/2012620001
 My clutch bracket broke on the welds. this is an oem product that has a defect and it is well known on the internet and forums. subaru of newton nj refuses to fix the problem and was well aware. this was very dangerous for me since it happened on a highway at speeds of 65 mph. the bracket is broken and the clutch will not engage. i have noticed the firewall is cracking also. the brake pedal moves inches to the side when the clutch is pressed. this is a very dangerous problem. i am very disappointed with subaru and the car only has 73k miles on it. i also filled with subaru and i am awaiting answers. *tr
08/15/201262000
 My clutch bracket broke on the welds. this is an oem product that has a defect and it is well known on the internet and forums. subaru of newton nj refuses to fix the problem and was well aware. this was very dangerous for me since it happened on a highway at speeds of 65 mph. the bracket is broken and the clutch will not engage. i have noticed the firewall is cracking also. the brake pedal moves inches to the side when the clutch is pressed. this is a very dangerous problem. i am very disappointed with subaru and the car only has 73k miles on it. i also filled with subaru and i am awaiting answers.
12/21/2012583001
 My 2008 subaru impreza wrx has had a hard clutch pedal. im an auto tech at a dealer so i took a look at it. i checked the spring and the pedal. i found the pedal would bend the mounting location under the dash when pushed in. i looked on the firewall under my wiper arms where the welds are at. the weld that holds the clutch and brake pedals to the firewall is cracked and now is cutting a hole in the firewall. i checked online for some help with the problem, and i found out im not the only one with this problem. i took the car to my local subaru dealer. the dealer told me i needed a clutch. i ask them to look at the firewall welds that hold the clutch and brake pedals to the car. they told me to go away and not bring my car back to them! i called subaru of america after this all happened. they told me to take it to another dealer. so i did to one 3 hours away . the next dealer told me the car is not safe to drive and weld is cracked on the firewall, and they called subaru of america (soa.) soa never called the dealer back and i took the car home and waited. they called me 5 days later and told me i would have to pay 1/2 of the bill to fix the oem defect on the firewall welds. i feel as though they don't care about this safety issue even though after some research online it is clear that im not the only one having this same issue. i have videos and pictures showing the defective welds and can produce them for you. i noticed this issue around 58000 miles. vehicle now has 60500 miles. *tr
10/01/2012850001
 Clutch pedal on 2008 wrx has developed a creaking noise every time it is depressed. brake pedal shifts forward and to the left upon depression of clutch pedal. this is a reasonably well documented problem of the clutch pedal assembly spot weld joints failing. *tr
12/21/2012583001
 My 2008 subaru impreza wrx has had a hard clutch pedal. im an auto tech at a dealer so i took a look at it. i checked the spring and the pedal. i found the pedal would bend the mounting location under the dash when pushed in. i looked on the firewall under my wiper arms where the welds are at. the weld that holds the clutch and brake pedals to the firewall is cracked and now is cutting a hole in the firewall. i checked online for some help with the problem, and i found out im not the only one with this problem. i took the car to my local subaru dealer. the dealer told me i needed a clutch. i ask them to look at the firewall welds that hold the clutch and brake pedals to the car. they told me to go away and not bring my car back to them! i called subaru of america after this all happened. they told me to take it to another dealer. so i did to one 3 hours away . the next dealer told me the car is not safe to drive and weld is cracked on the firewall, and they called subaru of america (soa.) soa never called the dealer back and i took the car home and waited. they called me 5 days later and told me i would have to pay 1/2 of the bill to fix the oem defect on the firewall welds. i feel as though they don't care about this safety issue even though after some research online it is clear that im not the only one having this same issue. i have videos and pictures showing the defective welds and can produce them for you. i noticed this issue around 58000 miles. vehicle now has 60500 miles. *tr
10/01/2012850001
 Clutch pedal on 2008 wrx has developed a creaking noise every time it is depressed. brake pedal shifts forward and to the left upon depression of clutch pedal. this is a reasonably well documented problem of the clutch pedal assembly spot weld joints failing. *tr
12/21/201258300
 My 2008 subaru impreza wrx has had a hard clutch pedal. im an auto tech at a dealer so i took a look at it. i checked the spring and the pedal. i found the pedal would bend the mounting location under the dash when pushed in. i looked on the firewall under my wiper arms where the welds are at. the weld that holds the clutch and brake pedals to the firewall is cracked and now is cutting a hole in the firewall. i checked online for some help with the problem, and i found out im not the only one with this problem. i took the car to my local subaru dealer. the dealer told me i needed a clutch. i ask them to look at the firewall welds that hold the clutch and brake pedals to the car. they told me to go away and not bring my car back to them! i called subaru of america after this all happened. they told me to take it to another dealer. so i did to one 3 hours away . the next dealer told me the car is not safe to drive and weld is cracked on the firewall, and they called subaru of america (soa.) soa never called the dealer back and i took the car home and waited. they called me 5 days later and told me i would have to pay 1/2 of the bill to fix the oem defect on the firewall welds. i feel as though they dont care about this safety issue even though after some research online it is clear that im not the only one having this same issue. i have videos and pictures showing the defective welds and can produce them for you. i noticed this issue around 58000 miles. vehicle now has 60500 miles
10/01/2012850001
 Clutch pedal on 2008 wrx has developed a creaking noise every time it is depressed. brake pedal shifts forward and to the left upon depression of clutch pedal. this is a reasonably well documented problem of the clutch pedal assembly spot weld joints failing. *tr
10/01/201285000
 Clutch pedal on 2008 wrx has developed a creaking noise every time it is depressed. brake pedal shifts forward and to the left upon depression of clutch pedal. this is a reasonably well documented problem of the clutch pedal assembly spot weld joints failing.
12/01/2011300001
 For at least 20,000 miles now (i'm at 55,000) i have had a very stiff clutch pedal and terrible squeak with every depression of the clutch. my clutch is slipping in 3rd, 4th and 5th. this was reported and diagnosed under warranty around 30,000 miles by the pembroke pines subaru dealership. subaru of america requested that the pressure plate and possibly the clutch be replaced (ignoring my statement that the tack welds holding the clutch assembly in place were snapped -- which they are, effecting engagement and likely damaging the clutch/pp/flywheel). after moving to asheville, nc right at the time of soa making this request, the subaru dealership (prestige) refused to honor soa's request stating they were a franchise dealership and did not have to listen. i expect the pressure plate & clutch, along with the firewall welds, to be repaired under soa warranty. *tr
12/01/201130000
 For at least 20,000 miles now (i'm at 55,000) i have had a very stiff clutch pedal and terrible squeek with every depression of the clutch. my clutch is slipping in 3rd, 4th and 5th. this was reported and diagnosed under warranty around 30,000 miles by the pembroke pines subaru dealership. subaru of america requested that the pressure plate and possibly the clutch be replaced (ignoring my statement that the tack welds holding the clutch assembly in place were snapped -- which they are, effecting engagement and likely damaging the clutch/pp/flywheel). after moving to asheville, nc right at the time of soa making this request, the subaru dealership (prestige) refused to honor soa's request stating they were a franchise dealership and did not have to listen. i expect the pressure plate & clutch, along with the firewall welds, to be repaired under soa warranty.
01/05/201028000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2008 subaru impreza. the contact stated that after engaging and releasing the clutch, he heard a loud noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician stated that the throw out bearing and clutch were defective and needed to be replaced. the remedy failed to repair the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 28,000 and the current mileage was 49,000. kmj
01/05/201028000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2008 subaru impreza. the contact stated that after engaging and releasing the clutch he heard a loud noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician stated that the throwout bearing and clutch were defective and needed to be replaced. the remedy failed to repaired the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 28,000 and the current mileage was 49,000. pm
02/06/2012700001
 The clutch pedal on my 2008 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 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...i also have a vide file if needed. *tr
07/30/201075000
 There started to be a clicking / squeaking sound when depressing the clutch. brought the car to multiple dealerships to diagnose the problem without any answers - they continued to apply lubricant. made it to 106,000 miles on the original clutch, had it replaced as routine maintenance with the goal of the sound going away. the sound and clicking continued, yet the car continued to drive normally. at the time of clutch replacement, the entire pedal assembly moved as one unit when depressing the clutch - this continued to be an undiagnosed problem (yet the car continued to drive normally). brought car to dealership for routine maintenance, again complained about the noise - was informed about the firewall weld issue being the cause for the noise. firewall welds were replaced without cost to me. upon picking up the car, the squeaking and clicking noise was still present. upon inspection under the steering column / dash, it was noted that a connecting bar (clutch / brake) was fractured and flexes upon depression of the clutch. estimated cost of repair is about $1000. i have called subaru of america, and they are investigating about whether or not this will be covered. i will not purchase a subaru again. this is my first subaru, and it will be my last.
10/16/2012495001
 The car began making a loud squealing noise when the clutch was depressed, it stalled out 5 times in 11 blocks, and it started to smell. i stopped at the nearest mechanic to my work and they were nice enough to let me leave it there for the day even though they do not do clutch work. after numerous discussions with subaru service, they finally seemed to agree to work with me and investigate why this happened. at first, they seemed to want to disregard the problem because i am a woman and they really made it sound like i was to blame (ie, bad driving). i explained to them over and over that my other car is a 15 year old manual jetta with the original clutch, so the problem is not bad driving. after much back and forth, subaru paid for the entire replacement of the clutch and throwout bearing, as well as some hydraulic hoses and even the tow to the dealer. in the end, i was happy with the end result, but i really think that subaru needs to own up and admit that something is wrong with the 2008 impreza clutch. *tr
10/16/201249500
 The car began making a loud squealing noise when the clutch was depressed, it stalled out 5 times in 11 blocks, and it started to smell. i stopped at the nearest mechanic to my work and they were nice enough to let me leave it there for the day even though they do not do clutch work. after numerous discussions with subaru service, they finally seemed to agree to work with me and investigate why this happened. at first, they seemed to want to disregard the problem because i am a woman and they really made it sound like i was to blame (ie, bad driving). i explained to them over and over that my other car is a 15 year old manual jetta with the original clutch, so the problem is not bad driving. after much back and forth, subaru paid for the entire replacement of the clutch and throwout bearing, as well as some hydraulic hoses and even the tow to the dealer. in the end, i was happy with the end result, but i really think that subaru needs to own up and admit that something is wrong with the 2008 impreza clutch.
07/01/2011478001
 This car is a lemon. i previously owned 2 subarus (both used), that i had virtually zero problems with, then bought this new from apple subaru in york, pa. it has experienced problems before it even hit 50,000 miles. the tranny they replaced under warranty; but it took them 3 weeks to do so, and only completed job when they needed the loaner car back within 24 hours. less than 6,000 miles later, on christmas eve, the clutch throw out bearing failed, i had to pay for towing to and from the dealership. they called on12/26, and informed me that it would not be covered under warranty ( even though they easily could have rushed the tranny job and caused this), that it was a wear point. when i heard $1700, asked to speak with the service mgr., who inferred that i was ignorant, and hung up on me! i have never replaced a clutch in nearly 40 years of driving manual transmission autos. motor now taps at 69,000 mi.; needs replacement because one of the connecting rods is bent, and i am beginning to lose oil. because of this, i am going to take a 50-75% reduction on the sale/trade value of this haunted vehicle. i am the third family member that subaru has screwed, sure hope they treat their other loyal , decades-long customers better than they have treated us. *tr
07/19/2012460001
 A loud squeak is occurring when i press and release my clutch. i had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. i brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. the tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the dash. after a few hours of research, i have found numerous posts about this issue and it lies with the welds holding the bracket being faulty and breaking. this causes the firewall to flex and your whole pedal assembly, clutch and brake, to move around while in operation. *tr
07/19/2012460001
 A loud squeak is occurring when i press and release my clutch. i had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. i brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. the tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the dash. after a few hours of research, i have found numerous posts about this issue and it lies with the welds holding the bracket being faulty and breaking. this causes the firewall to flex and the whole pedal assembly, clutch and brake, to move around while in operation. *tr
11/05/2011359981
 I bought my car used, 38 months old and 33,000 miles, and noticed the clutch was very hard to press down. i thought since its a performance driven car, that's just the way it was. after driving for about 3000 miles i was shifting from 1st to 2nd and when i pressed in the clutch there was a loud pop. the throwout bearing seized and completely disabled the clutch assembly. i was told that the throwout bearing wasn't sliding all the way out so the clutch was always somewhat engaged and this is what caused the failure. they said everything needed to be replaced; throwout bearing, clutch plate, pressure plate, and flywheel. *tr
07/19/2012460001
 A loud squeak is occurring when i press and release my clutch. i had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. i brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. the tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the dash. after a few hours of research, i have found numerous posts about this issue and it lies with the welds holding the bracket being faulty and breaking. this causes the firewall to flex and your whole pedal assembly, clutch and brake, to move around while in operation. *tr
07/19/2012460001
 A loud squeak is occurring when i press and release my clutch. i had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. i brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. the tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the dash. after a few hours of research, i have found numerous posts about this issue and it lies with the welds holding the bracket being faulty and breaking. this causes the firewall to flex and the whole pedal assembly, clutch and brake, to move around while in operation. *tr
11/05/2011359981
 I bought my car used, 38 months old and 33,000 miles, and noticed the clutch was very hard to press down. i thought since its a performance driven car, that's just the way it was. after driving for about 3000 miles i was shifting from 1st to 2nd and when i pressed in the clutch there was a loud pop. the throwout bearing seized and completely disabled the clutch assembly. i was told that the throwout bearing wasn't sliding all the way out so the clutch was always somewhat engaged and this is what caused the failure. they said everything needed to be replaced; throwout bearing, clutch plate, pressure plate, and flywheel. *tr
07/19/201246000
 A loud squeak is occurring when i press and release my clutch. i had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. i brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. the tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the dash. after a few hours of research, i have found numerous posts about this issue and it lies with the welds holding the bracket being faulty and breaking. this causes the firewall to flex and the whole pedal assembly, clutch and brake, to move around while in operation.
11/05/201135998
 I bought my car used, 38 months old and 33,000 miles, and noticed the clutch was very hard to press down. i thought since its a performance driven car, that's just the way it was. after driving for about 3000 miles i was shifting from 1st to 2nd and when i pressed in the clutch there was a loud pop. the throwout bearing seized and completely disabled the clutch assembly. i was told that the throwout bearing wasn't sliding all the way out so the clutch was always somewhat engaged and this is what caused the failure. they said everything needed to be replaced; throwout bearing, clutch plate, pressure plate, and flywheel.
07/19/201246000
 A loud squeak is occurring when i press and release my clutch. i had my clutch replaced about 10k miles ago due to a seized throwout bearing. i brought it to the dealer, they lubed it all up but squeak is still there. the tech said the noise is actually coming from the bracket that is mounted to the firewall under the dash. after a few hours of research, i have found numerous posts about this issue and it lies with the welds holding the bracket being faulty and breaking. this causes the firewall to flex and the whole pedal assembly, clutch and brake, to move around while in operation.
11/05/201135998
 I bought my car used, 38 months old and 33,000 miles, and noticed the clutch was very hard to press down. i thought since its a performance driven car, that's just the way it was. after driving for about 3000 miles i was shifting from 1st to 2nd and when i pressed in the clutch there was a loud pop. the throwout bearing seized and completely disabled the clutch assembly. i was told that the throwout bearing wasn't sliding all the way out so the clutch was always somewhat engaged and this is what caused the failure. they said everything needed to be replaced; throwout bearing, clutch plate, pressure plate, and flywheel.
01/01/2010
 I bought used 11/2009 with approximately 27,000 miles. the clutch was always very stiff which i assumed was normal. shortly after purchase i began to notice a squeak when i depressed the clutch. the squeak was fairly intermittent but became progressively worse for a time and then turned into a clicking noise. it was frequent enough to be annoying but i just assumed the clutch assembly was squeaky and there was no other problem. over the last few months i have been having more and more difficulty engaging the clutch and assumed that i needed a new one. i took the car into a mechanic to replace the clutch but was turned away because of what he found: when the clutch pedal is depressed, it, along with the brake pedal, move to the left and forward. furthermore, the slave cylinder inside the engine compartment moves out and up when the clutch pedal is depressed. after doing some research online i have found that this is not an uncommon problem for the subaru clutch assembly, though no recall has be initiated. what happens is that the welds on the firewall break, causing the abnormal movement of the clutch and brake pedals and even a warping of the firewall, not allowing the clutch to disengage.
04/10/2012130000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2008 subaru impreza wrx. the contact stated that he experienced difficulty shifting gears at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the clutch assembly broke loose from its weld. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. the failure mileage was 130,000. sm.
09/05/201152000
 Welds on clutch pedal assembly failed causing poor clutch feel and excessive noise. there are several spot welds on the assembly the clutch pedal mounts to which attach it to the firewall. some of these welds broke and now give the car an unusual feeling response to the pressing of the clutch. in addition there is now excessive noise from the clutch assembly that is persistent. with some of the welds no longer functioning the clutch assembly is no longer adequately secured to the firewall and there is a risk the remaining welds could break. this would cause complete clutch failure possibly during use on the road. with a sub-par connection to the firewall now there is noticeable bending and flexing of the firewall inside the engine compartment near the clutch cylinder and the brake master cylinder. the flexing of the firewall could eventually impact the ability of the brake master cylinder to performance at top performance or possibly fail.
09/21/201160000
 The pedal assembly of my vehicle has disconnected from my firewall due to faulty welds. my clutch and brake pedals now have an unsafe amount of play and is causing issues with braking and disengaging my clutch. subaru of america refused to repair the problem with my car.
09/05/201152000
 Welds on clutch pedal assembly failed causing poor clutch feel and excessive noise. there are several spot welds on the assembly the clutch pedal mounts to which attach it to the firewall. some of these welds broke and now give the car an unusual feeling response to the pressing of the clutch. in addition there is now excessive noise from the clutch assembly that is persistent. with some of the welds no longer functioning the clutch assembly is no longer adequately secured to the firewall and there is a risk the remaining welds could break. this would cause complete clutch failure possibly during use on the road. with a sub-par connection to the firewall now there is noticeable bending and flexing of the firewall inside the engine compartment near the clutch cylinder and the brake master cylinder. the flexing of the firewall could eventually impact the ability of the brake master cylinder to performance at top performance or possibly fail.
09/21/201160000
 The pedal assembly of my vehicle has disconnected from my firewall due to faulty welds. my clutch and brake pedals now have an unsafe amount of play and is causing issues with braking and disengaging my clutch. subaru of america refused to repair the problem with my car.
09/05/201152000
 Welds on clutch pedal assembly failed causing poor clutch feel and excessive noise. there are several spot welds on the assembly the clutch pedal mounts to which attach it to the firewall. some of these welds broke and now give the car an unusual feeling response to the pressing of the clutch. in addition there is now excessive noise from the clutch assembly that is persistent. with some of the welds no longer functioning the clutch assembly is no longer adequately secured to the firewall and there is a risk the remaining welds could break. this would cause complete clutch failure possibly during use on the road. with a sub-par connection to the firewall now there is noticeable bending and flexing of the firewall inside the engine compartment near the clutch cylinder and the brake master cylinder. the flexing of the firewall could eventually impact the ability of the brake master cylinder to performance at top performance or possibly fail.
09/21/201160000
 The pedal assembly of my vehicle has disconnected from my firewall due to faulty welds. my clutch and brake pedals now have an unsafe amount of play and is causing issues with braking and disengaging my clutch. subaru of america refused to repair the problem with my car.
08/23/2011111663
 Loud groaning noise coming from clutch pedal each time pedal is depressed to shift the car. on closer inspection of the noise come to find out that the entire (clutch and brake) pedal assembly is flexing and the firewall of the car is deflecting each time the pedal is actuated. looking at how the pedal assembly is attached to the vehicle believe that with enough cycles the pedal assembly could become displaced due to failure of the pedal assembly. while my vehicle has high mileage this is due to long distance travel for work. an owner living in an urban area may have a higher duty cycle with the pedals and experience issues sooner.
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
07/08/2010612/31/2008
 2008 subaru impreza. consumer states problem with vehicle clutch *tgw the consumer stated there was a screeching/rubbing noise when the clutch was applied and a loud pop noise from neutral to 1st gear. the vehicle would pop out of 6th gear at high speeds. the engine made a loud rattle noise on cold starts, the right rear window washer was inoperable, the passenger air bag occasionally did not recognize a passenger in the seat. the hood was loose and rattled, the right rear door was difficult to close, the left rear wheel studs would not secure the lug nut, the battery and power steering pump was pumping. *jb
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
06/04/200910000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2008 subaru wrx. the contact stated the clutch goes out randomly. the clutch will grip and then not grip causing the vehicle to be placed in neutral and the vehicle will not accelerate. the clutch plate does not seem to be grooved properly. when the contact had the dealer inspect the vehicle, they were told it was driver error and not a problem with the clutch. the failure mileage 10000 and the current mileage was 20000.rl
06/01/201030235
 Every time i push in my clutch, within the first few inches there is a click that occurs. to my knowledge the 08 subaru impreza has had an issue with the clutch peddle assembly breaking welds on the fire wall, thus causing the click sound.