5250 High Performance Dyno Shop Blog

Subaru Impreza Firewall weld repair help | Denver Colorado repair shop

[fa icon="calendar"] Jul 16, 2015 7:30:00 AM / by Mike Wiener

  • Do you have an 2008 or newer Subaru Impreza?
  • Does your clutch make a squeaking or popping noise when you press it in?
  • You might have a serious firewall weld failure problem that may be covered under warranty!Broken_firewall_welds

Reports have been coming in for a few years now, and in increasing numbers, that there might be a problem with the welds on the clutch pedal assembly that hold it to the firewall.  

As a Denver Colorado professional repair shop with experience in this, You have 3 options:

  • Go to the dealer and pay them to repair it (and of course see if it is 100% covered under their new warranty).
  • Ignore it (eventually the added stress on the remaining welds will cause them to fatigue and break causing your clutch pedal to drop to the floor and become inoperable).
  • Find a shop that has properly identified the issue and has a cost effective solution (hint, hint).  


Ok, here is the real issue that needs attention:

The upper two spot welds have cracked and separated from the firewall on quite a few cars, resulting in a serious problem. 

The squeak you hear is the crack forming and growing. The sound is made by the two pieces of metal sliding between each other. The popping sound that follows is the metal catching an edge, then releasing. 

A spray of WD-40 will make the squeak go away, especially early on. But it is only delaying the inevitable. The weld will still tear, although, quietly. And once it has torn, the popping will come. Some more WD-40 will turn the pop into a thud, but the damage is done.

Subaru Impreza Clutch Bracket Repair | I have heard quotes from the dealership in the $2800 range to repair this problem. But you may be in luck! This issue has become so widespread, Subaru extended the warranty on affected cars by 12 months and 12,000 miles.

  • Some of you probably wish someone told you that a little earlier. 

I encourage anyone who has this issue to confirm that they do indeed have a failed weld from the factory. If you do, I encourage you to contact your dealer or Subaru of America and ask what they are going to do for you.

If you have an aftermarket clutch, you might be out of luck... but these failed welds are showing up on non-performance oriented non-turbo models as well. Even with an aftermarket clutch, they should not be failing.

Even if Subaru agrees to assist you, you may still be left with 50% of a $2800 bill. It's worth it to have a properly functioning vehicle, but an issue you shouldn't have had to deal with in the first place.

  • Here is your best choice:  Check with the dealer, (to see if they will fix 100% of it)
  • and then connect with us to correctly repair it for a fraction of the cost while still improving the structure of the firewall and clutch bracket to firmly hold it in place.  We have experience in this situation, and the cost is 1/5 of the dealer cost.


Subaru recommends removal of the entire dash assembly, front carpet, pedals and steering for proper access to re-weld the broken welds. Most of the items removed are so they are protected from welding sparks.  Here is how we tackle the issue and why it is a cost-effective best alternative:

  • note:  Most of the items removed at the dealership are so they are protected from welding sparks, that is time consuming and adds to the expense.

We use stainless steel mechanical fasteners with nylon locking nuts instead of welding the broken firewall welds, therefore we don't have to remove nearly as much of the interior and reduce the repair time significantly.

 

Broken Weld Repair

 

O8 Subaru Impreza Repair | The fasteners spread the load over a greater area than spot welds would can be inspected and adjusted (if needed) at a later date. This leads to a better repair in less time, which is a considerable benefit (lasting value for a much lower price) for the customer. 

Topics: Broken Weld Repair, Subaru Firewall Clutch Pedal Repair

Mike Wiener

Written by Mike Wiener