Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Subaru Impreza owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I called Subaru almost 5 months ago when I came across there was a recall on brakes since we were having the issue of the brakes flashing and the vehicle not shifting. Manufacturer recall #: wue90 on 2-28-19. NHTSA recall #: 19V149000. When I called they said they did not have the parts yet to fix. On 8-29-19 the car was in an accident and brakes light was chiming and flashing earlier and May be related to why it did not stop in time and was involced in a rear end crash when driver in front slammed on brakes. A auto shop then tells me after the car was reported in the accident sommers Subaru called them on 9-4-19 to tell the car had a brake safety recall. I have made a previous complaint about this vehicle on 4-19-19. Complaint # 11197303
Excessive body flex when turning right, can feel air coming in. I recently noticed that my windshield was cracked. The weird thing about this crack is that the cracks started at the very top of the windshield, dead center where the roof meets the windshield. When I inspected the crack to see if a rock had hit it, the crack is absolutely smooth with no chip in it. I immediately thought of the excessive body flex as being the cause. I also have the same clutch issues of getting the car into reverse. My clutch also makes a popping noise when shifting and releasing the clutch. I noticed this immediately after purchasing it and informed the service department and was told that they couldn't any issue and inferred that I wasn't driving the car properly. …
The clutch pedal on my 2009 wrx constantly requires adjustment to enable the release of the clamp pressure on the driven plate of the clutch assembly when the clutch foot pedal is depressed. Upon investigating a creaking noise, I noticed that the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly (attached to the forward firewall) shifts approx 1/4 inch to the left and down each time the clutch pedal is activated. This clutch pedal bracket assembly has three broken spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall. From the outside of the firewall, underneath the driver's side windshield wiper, I confirmed the manufacturer's spot welds are pulling away from the firewall each time the clutch pedal is depressed. …
The firewall welds have failed and broken, resulting in structural failure of the clutch and brake pedal mounts. This leads to the clutch not being able to be fully and properly depressed, resulting in hard gear shifts, grinding, excess transmission wear, as well as the brake pedal and clutch pedal moving when depressed, which is obviously a safety hazard if the pedals move where they shouldn't without being purposefully adjusted. When the clutch is depressed, the brake pedal moves to the left, toward the clutch pedal at least an inch. This is an incredible safety hazard because in an emergency situation, if the brake needs to be applied while the clutch is depressed, the brake pedal is not where it should be and can be missed by my foot while trying to apply the brake quickly. There is also an incredibly distracting and annoying squeaking sound every time the clutch is depressed. …
Chassis fatigue and cracking resulting in damage/potential compromise of driver controls. Clutch pedal assembly broke and will no longer dissengage the clutch(drivetrain system). This happened while driving on a local highway at a speed of approximately 45mph. I was forced to drive the vehicle off of the road to avoid a potential collision with another vehicle. The whole assembly is comprised of both the clutch and the brake pedals. Due to the assembly failure the brake pedal has significant play in it as well and doesnt function properly. Upon inspection I found that structural welds on the firewall, where the assembly is mounted, have failed. I called subaruofamerica about the issue on 08 May 2018. I referenced two different TSB's regarding this issue on my year range of vehicle. …
My car just broke on me. The shop showed me how the firewall was built on these models and how it was changed from previous models. I shouldn't have to worrry about the firewall breaking on me with only 100K miles on my car. This is dangerous the firewall broke on me while driving and rendered the car undriveable. Luckily I was able to get off the road before potentially causing a major accident. This is a hazard for anyone who buys these cars because the firewall can break anytime really depending on how hard the car is driven although it should realistically never break.
Due to the firewall flexing every time the clutch pedal is depressed, over time the spot welds connecting the clutch pedal mounting bracket to the firewall fail. This allows for play in the entire clutch/brake pedal assembly. Given enough of the welds break, the vehicle can no longer by put into gear. I became unable to put the car into reverse or first gear from a dead stop. It took about 5 minutes of trying to get it into 1st to get home. Luckily this did not occur while at speed.
08-14 manual subarus have an issue where the firewall welds break and causes a significant safety risk as the pedal assembly either sags or eventually completely breaks off. It starts creaking and popping and there is excessive movement of the clutch master cylinder when the pedal is pushed. The brake pedal also noticeably moves to the left when pressing the clutch. After the creaking starts it's essentially a ticking time bomb and is scary to think about happening mid shift or in traffic.
Today (July 10, 2019) I discovered that the driver's side rear door of my 2009 Impreza will not open from the inside even when the child lock is in the free position. I have a similar problem with the same door on my 2014 outback, in that the child lock is stuck in the locked position and the door cannot be opened from the inside. I don't think it's a coincidence that both of my subarus are having a problem with the child safety locks and I would like this investigated.
Had a clutch repair done on car after the repair was finished the mechanic noted that the firewall on car was cracked. The car was stationary after looking on the internet and noted that the Subaru wrx impriza from 2009-214 had a problem with fire wall fatigue when the clutch and brake were being used under normal operation condition.
Body complaints in other Impreza years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2009 Subaru Impreza?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the body & structure of the 2009 Subaru Impreza, 21% of the model year's 104 complaints. The component named most often is body (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Subaru Impreza body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2009 Subaru Impreza, though it has 14 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Subaru Impreza body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.