There is a weakness in the cars firewall around the master cylinder where the weld inside is breaking and it is cracking all around the master cylinder and I am unable to shift the car. I have taken the car to two different shops and both say the same thing that the firewall is failing. The brake pedal is shifting when you push down on the slutch and could compromise your ability to safely find the brake pedal in a braking event. Secondly, in the event of a crash, the clutch/brake pedal assembly could move in a direction not orginally designed causing injury to the legs/feet. If it breaks through all the way it will permanently damage the car beyond repair. I have gone online and read that this is happening to many many many people and their are class action lawsuits going on. I just want to be able to drive my car safely and not worry about killing myself or my kids and no one can fix it. IT NEEDS TO BE A SAFETY RECALL!! This is what I read online as soon as I looked it up: Some Subaru models have had issues with their firewalls, including the 2008–2010 Impreza and WRX. These issues can include broken welds that cause other parts of the clutch system to wear out. Some symptoms of a Subaru firewall issue include: Failed clutch, Failing pedal assembly, Sheet metal tearing, Heavy clutch pedal, and Squeaky clutch. Some Subaru owners have reported that the firewall is cracked where the master cylinder is attached, causing problems when shifting. Others have reported that spot welds under the cowl are either cracked or deformed, and that there are little spaces in the firewall where the master cylinder flexes. I just put $13000 into my car and now I can't even drive it because of this issue and it was not my fault. It is the fault of the manufacturer. PLEASE HELP ME!!
2008 Subaru Impreza: grinding or squealing brakes
22 of the 176 complaints about the 2008 Subaru Impreza describe grinding or squealing brakes.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 13%
- typical mileage
- 62,000
- recalls
- 2
Grinding or squealing brakes by model year
What owners say
My sons vehicle started off with a squeaking noise when he depressed the clutch. This went on for a couple of months he is now having difficulty shifting the car into gear and it nearly caused an accident the other day. When the vehicle is stationary, and the clutch is totally depressed it is extremely difficult to get the car into gear. When driving it is less difficult, but still very tricky to get into gear. We also noticed that when the clutch is depressed, if you raise the hood, you can see the firewall flexing quite a bit where the clutch master cylinder is located. We replaced the clutch slave cylinder and it did not help the issue. In my reading online, I have noticed many complaints from people related to the factory welds holding the clutch assembly to the firewall are failing. It seems to be a widespread issue for subaru imprezas 2008-2014. I would expect this to be a factory recall. My son can no longer use the car and we are unsure on how to fix the issue. Thank you for your assistance..
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.
Failed welds connecting pedal panel to the firewall. Results in loud squeaking when clutch pedal is depressed/released and the panel welds may fail entirely on my '08 sti.
While getting into gear and switching gears, the clutch pedal was squeaking. The squeaking would come and go. The clutch eventually gave out making the car undriveable. The car was difficult to put into gear at low speeds and experienced a slipping clutch at high speeds. I took it to the dealership and the mechanic discovered that the welds in the firewall were broken which caused the clutch failure. The mechanic estimated the cost of repairing the welds to be approximately $2,000 and the cost of repairing the clutch and flywheel approximately $1,600. The total approximate cost of the repair would be $3,600 for defective welds in the car's firewall. I have yet to have the car repaired as the dealership is attempting to contact subaru to find out if they will cover some of the costs of the repairs.
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.
The vehicle developed a crack in the fire wall. Every time I press my clutch pedal there is flexing in the assembly and makes a loud crack/squeak sound. Its a daily driver vehicle so its never been raced or tracked. Due to this fire wall crack (which might be dangerous in fire/accident) my transmission gears and syncros have been worn out due to the clutch not releasing properly. I know I am not the only one with this problem, I would hope that subaru of america will one day make a recall for this terrible problem because I don't think that I should be responsible for a huge defect like this, the vehicle is no longer safe for many reasons and is wearing out my internal components every day. Please help me!
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.
Since I have purchased this vehicle brand new with only 85 miles on it. I have been having issues with the clutch being extra tight, and after a month or 2 the clutch kept making a squeaking noise. I have sent it to subaru many times and they have always stated that the clutch is fine and they did not hear anything. I would like something to be done...it has cost me over 5,000.00 to try and fix the problem over the course of 5 years and I still have the same issue as when I first purchased the car.
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.
This 2008 subaru impreza has been plagued as have many others by a manufacturer chassis defect. The firewall/bulkhead between the driver and engine has 5 spot welds broken which initially are meant to secure the clutch and brake assembly. These weld breaks are a serious safety issue as they are causing difficulty in engaging clutch and brakes, as well as a squeak noise every time the clutch is depressed. As this is not an insignificant wear item but part of the chassis/frame which is a dangerous defect as complete failure during operation of the vehicle can cause catastrophic accidents, further investigation and action on this matter should be taken by the federal safety agency. This is certainly a recall issue.
This 2008 subaru impreza has been plagued as have many others by a manufacturer chassis defect. The firewall/bulkhead between the driver and engine has 5 spot welds broken which initially are meant to secure the clutch and brake assembly. These weld breaks are a serious safety issue as they are causing difficulty in engaging clutch and brakes, as well as a squeak noise every time the clutch is depressed. As this is not an insignificant wear item but part of the chassis/frame which is a dangerous defect as complete failure during operation of the vehicle can cause catastrophic accidents, further investigation and action on this matter should be taken by the federal safety agency. This is certainly a recall issue.
Service bulletins that may apply
- The repair instructions previously provided in the WQK-47 recall bulletin as been updated, the WQQ-52...
- This bulletin provides diagnosis and procedure information to be applied when diagnosing potential fluid...
- This bulletin announces availability of a new stop lamp switch for the models listed above equipped with LED
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza, and WRX vehicles to...
- This Service Information bulletin announces instruction for application of additional lubrication between...
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza, and WRX vehicles to...
- This Service Information bulletin provides a measurement and adjustment procedure for the stop lamp switch
- Annoucment to UPDATE ? Subaru Recall Campaign WQQ?52 Brake Line Corrosion
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
Questions about the 2008 Subaru Impreza grinding brakes
Is grinding or squealing brakes a common problem on the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
22 of 176 owner complaints about the 2008 Subaru Impreza (13%) mention grinding or squealing brakes. The model year with the most reports is 2008.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Subaru Impreza?
There are 2 recalls and 19 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Subaru Impreza
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