Broken or damaged welds on the firewall of some Subaru models is a topic we have discussed many times before.
Getting it repaired correctly so that you don’t have to worry about it coming back isn’t as easy as some shops claim. Not all firewall repair techniques are the same.
How the damage takes place: The factory uses spot welds on the firewall to secure the clutch and brake pedal assemblies.
Over time the spot welds fail and the bracket separates from the firewall allowing the pedal assembly to move around. In the early stages, this causes an annoying squeaking or clicking noise whenever the clutch is depressed.
As the damage becomes worse, the clutch will not operate properly, causing damage to the clutch and transmission.
This is not a new Subaru repair problem as it effects models from 2008 through 2014. Even though it has been an issue for 10 years, there are many shops that don't know how to properly fix this issue.
Unfortunately, the dealerships tend to be the worst offenders. No offense dealerships, oftentimes the best remedies are the ones where real expertise in the real world using fabrication skills that add strength to the damaged area allowing the car to work properly.
For those who drive their car hard, adding performance parts along the way, this is going to fail.
- Get it fixed right and before it tears up the clutch and transmission.
We have had several customers who had the spot welds repaired by a dealership, only to have them fail again shortly after. In many of these cases, the dealership refused to warranty their repair, leaving the vehicle owner with a broken car and an empty wallet.
Here is one example:
One specific owner took their beloved Impreza to the dealership to have the pedal assembly repaired.
After 2 weeks, they got their car back. There was still a clicking sound whenever they depressed the clutch pedal, but the transmission shifted much better. After only a few thousand miles, things got worse.
The squeaking was back and the transmission was difficult to get into gear. The owner took their vehicle back to the Subaru dealership only to be told that the repair was not warrantied, but they could fix it again for $1800 and they would need the vehicle for another 2 weeks.
The owner was not amused and opted to take the vehicle to an independent repair shop. This small shop was considerably cheaper and only needed the vehicle for a few days.
They then performed one of the worst repair jobs I have ever seen. They attempted to re-weld the spot welds from outside the vehicle, without taking anything on the interior apart. We found lots of burnt insulation inside the vehicle. It's a miracle that the interior was not set on fire.
Really? All they succeeded in doing was burning through the sheet metal. None of the welds were solid. This must have been apparent to them as they then tried using self tapping sheet metal screws to reattach the pedal bracket. In an attempt to cover up one of the large holes they created with bad welding, they used a plastic trim retaining rivet to secure the bracket. A quick paint job with a spray can covered everything up.
This repair wasn't a repair. The vehicle owner said it wasn't any better when they got their car back. A quick inspection showed that the screws simply pulled out and the plastic rivet was useless.
We were able to repair this damaged firewall utilizing the repair method we developed just for the Subaru firewalls.
- Our process uses strong stainless steel hardware and structural adhesive to reattach the bracket to the firewall. This bonds the panels together and makes your firewall stronger than the factory spot welds holding / sealing it for the life of the vehicle.
The bottom line here is that if you take the time and create a repair that is structurally sound, improving clutch pedal performance (especially if you plan on having an aftermarket performance clutch), the results are to be expected.
Our proven repair process only takes only one full day and your car is up to the standards you expect. Get repairs done correctly, enjoy your driving experience.
