NHTSA Complaint #10526107 — 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA

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. *TR