NHTSA Complaint #10702898 — 2008 SUBARU WRX

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2008 WRX MAKES A CREAKING AND POPPING NOISE WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED/RELEASED. I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN MAKING THIS NOISE, AND ORIGINALLY I HAD THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. AFTER READING SOME FORUMS ONLINE, I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT THE SPOT WELDS ON THE FIREWALL WERE BROKEN. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR. I CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND TRY TO GET THE ISSUE RESOLVED. WHEN I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, AND REQUESTED THAT I TAKE THE CAR IN TO A DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS INDEED THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT MY SPOT WELDS WERE BROKEN. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AS THE FIREWALL IS FLEXING EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS ENGAGED. THE BRAKE PEDAL MOVES TO THE LEFT DUE TO THE WAY THE FIREWALL FLEXES WHEN THE PEDAL IS ENGAGED. IF THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY SEPARATES FROM THE FIREWALL ENTIRELY, THIS COULD CAUSE THE CLUTCH TO BECOME INOPERABLE, WHICH COULD BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS IF IT OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN USE. REFERENCE LINKS: HTTP://CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/SUBARU/IMPR...S-PROBLEMS.PHP HTTP://WWW.FAQS.ORG/CAR/SUBARU-IMPRE...POWER-TRAIN/#B HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...ON-NEEDED.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/37-C...INKAGE-45.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...EWALL-FIX.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/37-C...BLY-ISSUE.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...S-STORY-2.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...L-PROBLEM.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...OLT-STYLE.HTML HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOW....PHP?T=2128617 HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOW....PHP?T=2184210 HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOW....PHP?T=2305937. *TR