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!!
Subaru Impreza grinding brakes problems
66 of the 2,655 owner complaints about the Subaru Impreza describe grinding or squealing brakes, most of them for the 2008 model year.
- owner complaints
- 66
- worst model year
- 2008
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,100
- typical mileage
- 46,000
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 4Stalling 2Fire or smoke 2Ball joint 2Won't start 1Wipers 1
What owners say
The brakes on this car squeak constantly. Even after replacing brake pads and rotors the car still squeaks every time the brakes are used. After searching the issue I have found multiple Reddit forums of 2019 Impreza owners complaining of the same issue. I have filed a complaint with Subaru and the dealership I bought the car from (brand new) and they refuse to address this issue. It is extremely concerning to have a car that squeaks constantly as if there is an actual brake issue I would not know it since the car sounds like it has an issue already. If even replacing the rotors and brake pads does not fix this issue, I am concerned that there is a bigger issue at play that may reveal itself later. I ask that Subaru be required to fully look into this issue and correct the brakes for all owners as this is not unique to me and my vehicle.
The wheel system has some kind of squealing in it
On the night of 12/6/2020 I was backing out of a friends driveway to drive home, when I reached the street, I heard a loud clunk and a grinding noise. I got out of my car to investigate what had just happened and the front portion of my passenger side front lower control arm had completely lost all structural integrity. Fortunately my car was at a low speed and I did not lose control (pictures attached). Had this happened while driving down the highway, this would have been a catastrophic failure and I would have lost control of the vehicle the events on 12/6/2020 indicates the remediation steps proposed by subaru are not acceptable as this part failed catastrophically after these steps had been performed. The safety recall remediation steps in question are that of: "type: safety | safety recall: wvx34 | the federal safety agency campaign: 11v464000" according to subaru's website for this vehicle, the safety recall was completed: https://www.subaru.com/vehicle-recalls.html/VIN=[xxx] according to the carfax report, the safety recall was performed on 2/7/2012 only 5 months after the recall was issued. (screenshot attached) the nature of the failure and the description of the original safety recall show that the testing steps and remediation steps are not suitable for a completed safety recall as the part did end up failing after the additional coating of anti-corrosive had been applied to the lower control arm of my vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
When depressing the clutch pedal, there is a squeak coming from under the dashboard within the footwell area. Squeak is constant. For subaru has issued a service bulletin #12-190-15r to fix the clutch & brake pedal assembly for model years 2015-2016 but not before. It is my understanding that a crack in the assembly is causing this issue and if left unattended, ultimately could cause decreased or complete failure of the clutch and/or brake functionality. Subaru has redesigned the original part (#36004fg050) with a new one (#36004fg051) but has not offered to fix under an extended warranty. I feel this should be a lifetime part, which is critical to safely operating the vehicle, and any replacement cost to fix should be paid for by the manufacturer regardless of the vehicle's age. The attached picture is not from my car. I was able to find many of these photos on the internet as this is a very common problem.
I began the lease of my 2018 subaru impreza wagon in march of 2018. In september of 2019, I brought my vehicle in for brake issues I was having. My brakes were making a squealing noise, and considering that my mileage was 20,527, I found this to be odd. Dealership had my car until 10/5/19, and had to bring in a new tech to remedy the problem. I was told that this was a known problem with my car, and that my car would be the "guinea pig" to figure out the solution. Brought my car in again on 2/26/20 for an open recall for the brake hoses swelling. Replacement happened then. Mileage at that time was 25,908. Less than 5,000 miles later, I bring my car in again to have the brakes looked at, as they were squealing. 9/19/2020, mileage 30,770. Dealership looked at the brakes then, and said there was no issue. Contacted the dealership again after leaving, as the brakes continued to make the noise, and had started to smell like burning rubber. I emailed videos of the noise on 9/25, and 9/30. I called and I was told to bring the car in on 10/6/2020, though they didn't look at it then. The brakes also started to vibrate while braking at higher speeds, and the smell of burning rubber was quite strong. Went in on 10/17/2020, and had my car until 10/22/2020. Mileage in was 31,908, mileage out was 32,044. Inspection by the tech found that the rotors were hot spotted and pads were discolored. Replaced front pads and rotors. On 10/27/2020 I emailed again with more videos of the brakes continuing to squeal. I was asked if I could bring the car in, and I did again, same day. Mileage was 32,482. I was then told at pickup on 11/4/2020 that they believe that the noise was being caused by a "slag grease buildup on the caliper pins." I was told that should remedy the problem. On the drive on 11/4/2020, the brakes began to squeal again. Continues to squeal daily on all drive terrains.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 subaru impreza. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal grinding sound was present coming from the driver's side front wheel well. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer faulkner subaru bethlehem located at 330 stoke park rd, bethlehem, pa 18017, to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the wheel bearing was and transmission were defective and needed to be replaced. The wheel bearing was repaired however, the failure persisted. The transmission was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000.
Factory clutch and break spot welds weak. Two have completely sheared from firewall and squeak when engaging\disengaging clutch petal. Entire pedal assembly flexes under pressure from the clutch or break pedal press.
Subaru of america inc. Should recall 2008-2014 impreza, impreza wrx, and impreza wrx sti. These vehicles just above the drivers feet, use 6 spots welds to hold a mounting bracket for the pedal assembly to the inside of the firewall.this design flaw, where the pedal mounting box is spot-welded to the firewall using only a handful of tiny spot welds is dangerous. The firewall itself is of a weak design and inherently has quite a bit of flex and over time and normal use these spot welds fail from too much stress and the pedals will begin to squeak, creak, pop and eventually the pedals will move away from the firewall when depressed. Once this happens the clutch and other pedals will no longer properly engage or disengage and the car will no longer be drivable. In the event of this failure at highway speeds potentially catastrophic loss of life and endangering the public. Safety risk firewall failure potential result in loss of vehicle control. The sudden loss of function of pedal assembly including clutch, brake, and acceleration pedals. Loss of vehicle control may lead to occupants having serious injury or death especially at highway speeds. Remedy subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will facilitate the, permanent solution which involves properly welding the pedal assembly box to the firewall with a continuous seam weld along the circumference of the mounting tab, free of charge. Sources: http://www.circuitmotorsports-blog.com/2015/04/the-2008-2014-subaru-impreza-clutch.html https://www.5250performance.com/blog/subaru-firewall-repairs-less-money-better-repair https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=745c2ff65d52924b49418232894051cd&t=2700583 https://bit.ly/2ssk3ij https://bit.ly/37flmp4 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=2008+subaru+wrx+firewall
When shifting quickly into 4th gear on the manual transmission at higher RPM's (above 3000), the gear grinds. If you shift slowly, it doesn't. It seems to be only the 4th gear doing this. My car has 1300 miles on it. I am wondering if it because the RPM's hang way too long. I have been driving a manual daily for 28 years. I am also a professional truck driver, so I know how to properly drive a stick shift. The RPM hang is very annoying and could potentially be the problem of the 5speed transmission.
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
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2012 impreza sedans and wagons (except wrx/sti models), manufactured from april 21, 2011, through november 15, 2011, and legacy and outback vehicles manufactured from october 17, 2011, through november 23, 2011. These vehicles may be equipped with a brake master cylinder that could malfunction and cause an increase in the amount of brake pedal travel distance required to slow or stop the vehicle.
- Risk
- The driver might misjudge the amount of brake pedal travel required to achieve the desired stopping distance. This could occur unexpectedly and without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 11V562000 · Recall details
Questions about the Subaru Impreza grinding brakes
Which Subaru Impreza years have grinding or squealing brakes problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2008 (22 complaints), 2009 (8 complaints) and 2002 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix grinding or squealing brakes on the Subaru Impreza?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,100 (median of 9 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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