2009 Subaru WRX problems
The 2009 Subaru WRX has 72 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (47%) concerns drivetrain & axles. Next are body & structure (18%) and brakes (15%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 72 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 47% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 74,000 miles 71 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 15 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 33 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 13 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 71 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 74,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 66,000 miles (33 complaints with mileage).
None of these complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 100% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 11 model years of the Subaru WRX with enough data (59 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 10 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Some time last summer my clutch pedal began making a light squeak upon disengagement. I played it off for a good bit of time as a hinge or spring on the pedal assembly, but after lubing it some, I noticed it was the bulkhead flexing. The noise is also becoming more of a constant as time goes on. After some research I noticed the quantity of people having this issue and was shocked with the typical subaru dealership response that was reported.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 subaru wrx. The contact stated that while stopped, he noticed a popping and creaking sound coming from the clutch assembly bracket. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
The clutch pedal makes a loud pop or click sound accompanied by a creaking sound every time the clutch pedal is depressed. Upon further inspection the brake pedal moves to the left at the same time the clutch pedal is depressed. From the engine compartment, it is visible where the metal has broken where the spot welds hold the pedal bracket to the firewall. If the rest of the welded spots break, the brakes and clutch may become inoperable during driving, potentially causing an accident.
When depressing clutch pedal; a creaking noise is evident. Upon inspection 2 spot welds holding clutch pedal bracket assembly to firewall are broken. This allows clutch slave cylinder to move as well as brake pedal movement when clutch is applied.
The clutch pedal on my 2009 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 spot welds securing the clutch pedal bracket to the forward firewall seem to be broken. This allows the entire clutch pedal bracket assembly to move, causing the creaking noise.