RoadVitals

2013 Subaru WRX Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
Latest Nov 1, 2018
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Apr 1, 2014

What this page shows

Our database holds 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Subaru WRX. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–7 of 7

Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 1, 2018

CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING (AKA THROW OUT BEARING) IN THE VEHICLE PREMATURELY WEARS OFF, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. MY WRX MADE SQUEAKY NOISE IN THE COLD MORNING, BUT DISAPPEARS IN AFTERNOON. IT JUST COMES AND GOES, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST NOISE AT FIRST. FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, AND AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON MY CLUTCH, I FELT SOME GRINDING NOISE, AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM MY FRONT HOOD. MY CLUTCH WAS NOT ENGAGING ANYMORE AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO CRUISE AND PULL THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. MY TECHNICIAN SAID THE THROW OUT BEARING MAY SLIPPED OUT, CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. SUBARU RELEASED NEW DESIGN FOR THEIR BEARING AND THERE IS A TSB FOR 2015-2017 SUBARU WRX, BUT NOT FOR 2011-2014, WHICH SHOULD BE FIXED TOO! HTTP://WWW.SUBISPEED.COM/INSTRUCTIONS/TSB-CLUTCH-RELEASE-BEARING.PDF THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT "THROW OUT BEARING" ON ONLINE FORUMS FOR SAME MODEL YEARS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ISSUE IN US ROADS...

NHTSA ID
11144668
Incident
Oct 13, 2018
Mileage
61,000 mi
Body & structurePowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 29, 2016

THE CLUTCH PEDAL ON MY 2013 WRX MAKES A LOUD CREAKING NOISE EVERY TIME IT'S DEPRESSED. WHEN I INVESTIGATED THE NOISE, I NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY (ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL) SHIFTS APPROX 1/4 INCH EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. I FOUND THAT THE THREE SPOT WELDS SECURING THE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET TO THE FORWARD FIREWALL COULD BE BROKEN. FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE FIREWALL, JUST UNDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, I SAW THE SPOT WELDS PULLING AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL EVERY TIME THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THIS ALLOWS THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PEDAL BRACKET ASSEMBLY TO MOVE, CAUSING THE CREAKING NOISE. IF THE BRACKET COMPLETELY SEPARATES FROM THE FIREWALL, THE CLUTCH MAY BECOME COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE - ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE ALSO READ ONLINE THAT THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT CAN ALSO CAUSE YOUR CLUTCH TO GO OUT QUICKER. THE FIREWALL NEEDS TO BE RE-WELDED AND REINFORCED AND A NEW CLUTCH NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED. REFERENCE LINKS: HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2535257 HTTP://WWW.CLUBWRX.NET/FORUMS/TRANSMISSION-AWD/134367588-FIREWALL-WELDS-BREAKING-2.HTML HTTP://CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/SUBARU/IMPR...S-PROBLEMS.PHP HTTP://WWW.FAQS.ORG/CAR/SUBARU-IMPRE...POWER-TRAIN/#B HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...ON-NEEDED.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/37-C...INKAGE-45.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...EWALL-FIX.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/37-C...BLY-ISSUE.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...S-STORY-2.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...L-PROBLEM.HTML HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/84-D...OLT-STYLE.HTML HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOW....PHP?T=2128617 HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOW....PHP?T=2184210 HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOW....PHP?T=2305937.

NHTSA ID
10910647
Incident
Sep 29, 2016
Mileage
60,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 2, 2016

BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT CLUTCH FAILED AFTER 500 MILES. REPLACED AT NO COST, BUT DEALER ACCUSED 76-YEAR-OLD DRIVER OF BURNING RUBBER. SECOND CLUTCH GOOD, BUT STILL ENGAGES VERY HIGH AND QUICK. FREQUENT STALLS RESULT.

NHTSA ID
10853049
Incident
Mar 1, 2014
Mileage
500 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 28, 2015

I PURCHASED A MY 2013 WRX WITH ONLY 7MILES ON IT AND AFTER THE 'BREAK-IN" PERIOD OF 1000 MILES THE ENGINE THROUGH A CONNECTING ROD. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. GRANTED THE EFFORT TO HAVE SOA TAKE CARE THIS MAJOR FAILURE WAS PAINFUL. AT MILE 29K THIS PAST MAY. I HEARD A FAINT KNOCKING/TICKING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER 20 MINS THE NOISE GOT LOUDER, BY THE TIME I WAS HOME IT SOUNDED LIKE MARBLES WERE IN MY ENGINE. THE DEALER HAD TO DO "TEAR-DOWN" AND TOLD ME THE ENGINE FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED,THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THE CLUTCH WAS "ABUSED' AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY WANTED ME TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS RIDICULOUS( I AM POSITIVE THAT SOMETHING FROM THE ENGINE CAUSED THE DAMAGE) THEN THEY TOLD ME THE AWD TRANSFER CASE HAD TO BE REPLACED!!.ALL IN ALL, A NEW ENGINE, TURBO,CLUTCH AND TRANSFER CASE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR HAS NO MODIFICATION AND IS DRIVEN MINIMALLY. NOT HAPPY WITH HOW THIS EVENT UNFOLDED WITH SOA. 2 FAILED ENGINES IN 2 YEAR.

NHTSA ID
10744338
Incident
May 26, 2015
Mileage
29,500 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 19, 2014

WHILE IDLING WITHOUT CAR IN GEAR OR CLUTCH ENGAGED, HOT SMELL NOTED. INTERMITTENT ISSUE UNTIL FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AND 25,000 MILES UNTIL CONSTANT BURNING SMELL AS WELL AS NEW-ONSET SEVERE CLUTCH SLIPPAGE. NO RACING OR LAUNCHING, ONLY EASY DRIVING, WITH MAJORITY HIGHWAY MILES. APPEARS TO BE BURNT CLUTCH WITH FLYWHEEL DAMAGE POSSIBLE. THIS BEGAN WITH THE CAR NEW AND WHILE ONLY HIGHWAY MILES. IT WAS INITIALLY EXPLAINED AWAY AS AN ASSEMBLY COATING COOKING OFF AND NORMAL AND TO BE EXPECTED. IT NOW IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND MINIMAL POWER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10637435
Incident
Apr 15, 2013
Mileage
500 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 4, 2014
Crash reported

DRIVING EAST BOUND ON THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY NEAR EXIT 38 IN THE LEFT LANE, SUDDENLY TRAFFIC WAS BECOMING A DEAD STOP AGAIN AND I PRESSED DOWN ON THE FOOT BRAKE AND NOTHING HAPPENED SO I HIT IT AGAIN AND LOOKED TO MAKE SURE I HAD HIT THE CORRECT PEDAL AND THEN AT THE LAST SECOND PULLED THE E-BRAKE BEFORE THE COLLISION DOING ABOUT 35 MPH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10608211
Incident
Jul 3, 2014
Mileage
10,500 mi
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 1, 2014

THE CLUTCH FIREWALL WELDS HAVE BROKEN LOOSE, CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO FEEL SOFT AND FLEX. OVER TIME THIS WILL BECOME A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN AN INOPERABLE TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10576207
Incident
Oct 31, 2013
Mileage
7,800 mi

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .