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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2008 Subaru Impreza STI Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
11about this part
Share
33%of 33 total for the year
Median mileage
53,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 Subaru Impreza STI, 33% of the 33 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 53,500 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Main rod bearing failed while driving due to Subaru redesigning their bearings and not using copper. Car has 30,000 miles on engine. Between all the piston failures and bearing failures Subaru should own up and take care of its loyal customers as I don't know if I will ever buy one again.”

NHTSA complaint #10348399, filed 2010-08, 30,000 miles

“Clutch and brake master cylinders have poor design. My clutch pedal currently squeeze and wobbles while my brake pedal is wobbley. The minimal/poor spot welds for the master cylinders on the firewall have cracked.”

NHTSA complaint #10663123, filed 2014-12, 19,000 miles

“The clutch bracket on the firewall has only 4 small tack welds from the factory. This bracket takes all the force of your leg pushing in the clutch every time you change a gear. It appears to be very common on the Subaru wrx sti for these small tacks to break away from the firewall and cause accelerated clutch wear and eventually clutch failure. My clutch failed and the dealer is now telling me that there is no knowledge of the problem and the repair for this manufacturing defect will not be covered by Subaru. …”

NHTSA complaint #10669278, filed 2014-12, 60,500 miles

“My clutch pedal began clicking and creaking this summer. I finally found out that the welds that held the clutch to the firewall were broken. The clutch bracket has only a couple of spot welds that attach it to the firewall, and the firewall is very flimsy. The welds tore away and allowed the firewall, clutch assembly,. Brake assembly, and dash to move and shift whenever I clutched in, causing premature clutch failure and a very dangerous driving condition. This has happened to many gr/gv chassis. This is a known issue and Subaru needs to institute a recall about this dangerous issue.”

NHTSA complaint #10566217, filed 2014-02, 40,000 miles

“Firewall spot welds broke, resulting in movement of the brake pedal assembly and clutch assembly. This is causing the clutch to not disengage fully and also making it very difficult to shift due to the flex. As this has the potential to be dangerous and is most definitely a manufacturing defect, it should be subject to a recall.”

NHTSA complaint #10651518, filed 2014-10, 65,453 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20081133%

Other parts of the 2008 Subaru Impreza STI

Engine cooling
13 complaintsBrakes
6 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Subaru Impreza STI

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology