Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Subaru Impreza submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
09 WRX HATCH, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND HILL ASSIST LIGHTS WILL ILLUMINATE SPORADICALLY. AFTER THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON , EVERYTHING WORKS FINE. I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY VARIABLES THAT ARE CONSISTENT. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S RAIN OR SHINE, HOT OR COLD, BOTH LIGHTS WILL JUST RANDOMLY COME ON.
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 *TR
THE O2 SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY RESALE DEALER, AFTER FILLING CAR WITH GAS THE CHECK ENGINE, TRACTION CONTROL, AND FLASHING CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. SENSOR WAS RECHECKED BY DEALER, AND IT IS OKAY, CODES WIPED AND RESET. CAR WAS FILLED WITH GAS, LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER COMMUTING BACK HOME. DROVE UNTIL THERE WAS 1/4 TANK LEFT, LIGHTS WENT OFF, FILLED BACK UP WITH GAS ALL THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. SENSOR STILL TESTS BACK AS THE PROBLEM, BUT THE SENSOR IS OKAY.
CLUTCH WELDINGS ON FIREWALL CRACKING AND CAUSING MALFUNCTION OF BRAKE PEDAL. LOST OF THE ABILITY TO SHIFT UP OR DOWN.
I HAD JUST TURNED AND PUSHED ON THE GAS TO GET UP TO SPEED-ABOUT 45MPH. THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP ACCELERATING/REVVING. I WAS HEADING TO A LIGHT TURNING RED. I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD AND ALSO BUT ON THE EMERGENCY BREAK. BETWEEN THE TWO, I OVERCAME THE ACCELERATION. ONCE STOPPED, I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN INTO PARK. AT THAT POINT THE ACCELERATION FINALLY STOPPED AND THE CAR SEEMED TO RESET ITSELF. I TOOK IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT-IT HAD NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE-VERY SCARY. I HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA'S, BUT NEVER SUBARUS.
MY CAR STARTED MAKING THIS REALLY LOUD POPPING NOISE EVERYTIME I WOULD ENGAGE THE CLUTCH. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL MY FOOT HAS SHIFTED OFF THE PEDAL DUE TO A FAST SUDDEN MOVE FROM THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY. I DROVE THE CAR TO TEXAS TO VISIT FAMILY AND DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR FOR OIL CHANGE BEFORE RETURNING TO CALIFORNIA. THERE THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SUBARU IN TEXAS, WHICH DROVE MY CAR TO THE SERVICE AREA, ASKED ME IF I HAD NOTICED THE CLICKING NOISE AND I TOLD HIM YES. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT MANY 2008-2009 IMPREZA WRX HAVE PROBLEMS WITH WELD SPOTS WHICH HOLD THE BRAKE AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY TO THE FIRE WALL THAT THEN FAIL AND BRAKE OFF. HE GAVE ADVICE ON HOW TO LOOK FOR BROKEN WELDS, SO AS SOON AS I ARRIVED TO CALIFORNIA I FURTHER INSPECTED FOR THE BROKEN WELDS AND SURE ENOUGH HE WAS RIGHT. SO I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND DESCRIBED THE DEFECT ON MY CAR TO HAVE THEM REPAIR IT SINCE IT'S A SAFETY DEFECT, SPECIALLY WITH CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE CAR WHICH ARE THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDAL. AS OF TODAY 11/5/2014 THEY HAVE YET TO DECIDE IF THEY ARE COVERING THE REPAIRS BECAUSE MY CAR IS CURRENTLY 85K AND ITS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. ALSO, THEY ARE BLAMING THE CLUTCH BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THE CAR WITH AN OEM REPLACEMENT CLUTCH. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH A NIGHTMARE WITH ANY VEHICLE THAT I HAVE EVER OWNED. I REALLY HOPE NHTSA DOES SOMETHING BEFORE ANY FATALITIES OR ACCIDENTS OCCUR. I AM CURRENTLY GOING THREW THIS RIGHT NOW, SO I HAVE YET TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO WITH MY CAR. I REALLY NEED HELP FROM NHTSA, EVEN IF THEY FIX MY CAR, SUBARU NEEDS TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS YEAR AND MODELS OF THIS PROBLEM. ALL OVER THE INTERNET THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND OTHERS THAT ARE YET TO GO THREW. OWNERS NEED TO BE AWARE AND CAUTIOUS ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT FABRICATION DEFECT. *TR
I AM EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE FIREWALL WHERE EVERYTIME I DEPRESS THE CLUTCH THE FIREWALL FLEXES AND IT IS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SHIFT GEARS UNDER NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT WORK THE HILL ASSIST LIGHT, VDC LIGHT, AND ABS LIGHT ALL ILLUMINATED. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND LATER TURNED IT ON AND THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND AS I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY THE LIGHTS ILLUMINTATED AGAIN. *TR
THE BRACKET THAT ATTACHES THE CLUTCH AND BRAKE PEDALS TO THE INSIDE FIREWALL HAS SEPARATED FROM ITS SPOT WELDS AND IS CAUSING A LOUD CREAKING NOISE, AS WELL AS DIFFICULTY WITH SHIFTING GEARS, AND DECREASED BRAKING ABILITY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS IT AFFECTS YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. *TR
THE SPOT WELDS HOLDING THE CLUTCH, BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO THE FIREWALL FAILED ENTIRELY, ALLOWING THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND MOVE TOWARD THE FIREWALL WITH ANY PEDAL ACTION. I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND THE BRAKES DELIVERED INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCE. *TR
WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PRESSED, A SQUEAKING SOUND APPEARS AS IF AN OLD WOODEN DOOR IS OPENING. UPON SEARCH WAS FOUND THAT THE WELDS HOLDING THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY ARE BREAKING. THERE ARE ONLY SPOT WELDS HOLDING THE ASSEMBLY DOWN AND IS A SAFETY PROBLEM IF ALL WELDS BREAK. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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