Spot welds on firewall that support the pedal assembly have cracked/broke causing the brake pedal to flex and move while pushing down on the clutch.
2008 Subaru Impreza brakes problems
21 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 62,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 21
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 62,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Subaru Impreza brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Subaru Impreza brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia that were remedied under recall 14V‑311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
- Risk
- Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQQ-52. Notes: This recall is specific to affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI customers who had their car remedied under the federal safety agency recall no. 14V‑311 prior to December 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers. Affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles that were not repaired under the federal safety agency recall no. 14V‑311 prior to December 23, 2014 will continue to be processed under the federal safety agency recall no. 14V‑311. Affected vehicles not currently, or formerly, registered in the salt belt states identified in this recall are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
Recall number 14V830000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
- Risk
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V‑110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
Recall number 14V311000 · Recall details
What 2008 Subaru Impreza owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Blew 3 valve gaskets within two weeks after buying car. Blew 2 tires within 2 months of having the car. They 'fixed' an oil control valve and then it needed another. Sway bar links needed replaced, cv joints need replaced, brake pads are extremely low. Ac doesn't work. Had to buy all new tires.
Problem began with a squeaking sound and would click when depressing clutch. Then the clutch pedal would stick and not come back up. Clutch pedal unable to completely engage making it difficult to get the car into gear. Movement in clutch/brake pedal causing hazard while driving due to displacement. Welds in clutch/brake assembly at the firewall are broken.
We had a new clutch installed and the brake pedal and clutch pedal now move together. Simultaneously this not only is a safety issue but has potential to cause premature clutch and brake failure.
I own a 2008 subaru impreza wrx with a stock clutch. For approximately 2 years I have been hearing creaking and/or clicking noises when engaging the clutch pedal. In april of 2013 chatham subaru in ga replaced my clutch due to the metal clutch fork wearing through at the pivot point within the bell-housing. They also noted a very hard clutch pedal and spongy brakes before the repair. They replaced the clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, fork and master cylinder (I replaced the slave cylinder before I brought it in) all of which I paid for. Initially the clutch felt great (brake feel was unchanged), but has since began to harden again. I began to look online for a solution and found that there are spot welds that break between the firewall and the mounting bracket the clutch pedal assembly is attached to (https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=wrx+spot+welds). I removed the necessary items to inspect the welds and they did unfortunately fail.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 subaru impreza. While driving 50 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the stopping distance was increased. In addition, the clutch became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the bracket that holds the clutch and brake assembly needed to be re-welded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,834.
As many others have noted regarding the subaru impreza wrx, the welds that connect the clutch to the firewall have been broken. Took it into a local dealer and he said that this was a common problem and that I would need to take it to an auto body shop.
My brake pedal / clutch assembly is separating from my firewall on my 2008 wrx sedan at the spot welds. I can see this through my cowl support under the windshield washer motor. I heard lots of squealing and popping and now the assembly moves under light braking and clutch depression. It is now past a noise issue, and now is safety issue. My car only has 42,5000 miles.
This car was purchased by myself brand new with a few miles on the odometer. The clutch pedal was always stiff and squeaky and two local dealerships reassured me this is normal and nothing to worry about. Since about 50k miles my clutch pedal has been unresponsive and requires constant lubrication and bleeding of clutch master and slave cylinder. When pressing either clutch or brake pedal, the other would also move which causes loss of rod travel thus reduced fluid volume to necessary hydraulics. With clutch pedal fully depressed and in gear, the car will roll as if clutch is dragging. With clutch depressed and in gear, the car would lurch forward when turned on. While shifting normally the gears would grind and I'm certain this has worn my synchromesh gears. Dealer continued blaming one part, another part, and my driving habits. They charged me out of pocket for repairs and replacement with no actual progress fixing the issues. Today I stopped by the closest dealership requesting more information on this common clutch pedal assembly to firewall problems. They acknowledged this is an issue and gave me a verbal estimate of at least $900 to fix the broken welds. In my neighborhood I am leaving a stop sign as usual and go to shift into second gear. The clutch pedal linkage broke completely with pedal stuck on the floor. Clutch is now 100% inoperable, luckily I was on a quiet street and this did not break while on the highway. This is a very real safety issue and the manufacturer should fix this without charging we the customers. There were numerous symptoms for years on this exact problem, each getting progressively worse until this final breakage.
For several months now on my wife 2008 subaru impreza wrx when the clutch is depressed I have heard a cracking/squeaking noise. I brought it to a mechanic and he told me that he sees the firewall flexing when the clutch is beginning to engage. It looks as if the welds on the firewall are cracked and no matter what parts he changes it will not fix the problem that is why it is hard to get the car in gear and will eventually break completely. We looked online and this is a common problem with this car, dealerships are changing several parts and nothing will fix this safety issue. This is most definitely a manufacturer issue and should be recalled since it is a major safety concern.
Questions about the 2008 Subaru Impreza brakes
Does the 2008 Subaru Impreza have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 21 complaints about the brakes of the 2008 Subaru Impreza, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2008 Subaru Impreza brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 62,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Subaru Impreza brakes?
Yes, 2 recalls: 14V830000, 14V311000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Subaru Impreza have bad brakes?
The Subaru Impreza model years with the most brakes complaints are 2002 (60 complaints), 2013 (25 complaints) and 2008 (21 complaints).
Other 2008 Subaru Impreza problems
Transmission 59Airbags 37Engine 27Visibility 25Body 24Electrical 8Acceleration 7Fuel system 5Driver assistance 4Lights 4Seat belts 3Steering 2Suspension 2Locks 1Seats 1Wheels 1
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