NHTSA Complaint #10597713 — 2009 SUBARU WRX

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