What 57 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Impreza

THE 2008-2014 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX AND STI HAVE A DESIGN FLAW WHERE THE PEDAL MOUNTING BOX IS SPOT-WELDED TO THE FIREWALL USING ONLY A HANDFUL OF TINY SPOT WELDS. 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 WILL NO LONGER PROPERLY ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE AND THE CAR WILL NO LONGER BE DRIVABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10891732

CLUTCH PEDAL SQUEAKS WHILE BEING DEPRESSED. CLUTCH PEDAL IS ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL. FIREWALL JOINT IS WEAK. BRAKE PEDAL WILL SLIGHTLY SHIFT WHEN CLUTCH IS DEPRESSED. THERE IS CURRENTLY ONLY MINOR MOVEMENT BUT IT HAS BECOME WORSE AND WORSE. THERE ARE SHOPS THAT OFFER A "REPAIR" BY RE-WELDING THE FIREWALL BUT IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX. I FORESEE THIS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. THE FIREWALL SEAMS COULD BREAK AND WE COULD LOSE OUR BRAKING. ALSO, THE FIREWALL WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO ITS JOB OF PROTECTING US FROM A POTENTIAL FIRE. PLEASE ADVISE. I WANT THIS REPAIRED BEFORE IT BECOMES A MAJOR OR CATASTROPHIC ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10606350