The clutch on my 02WRX has started juddering like hell. The whole car sometimes shakes when moving from junctions and the pedal seems heavier.
I've never abused it or dropped the clutch for max take off etc.
Friend of mine said both his imprezas and then a forester did it. New clutch helped then same after 2K.
What the hell is it about them? You'd think they'd have sorted it by now. I'm sure not all powerful awd cars do it...

 

Had similar problems with mine (MY01)
Just had new kit fitted today under warranty (clutch, pressure plate, flywheel and release bearings).
Feels like a new car!

Be persistant with your dealer and get it sorted.

Paul

 

...on saying that, if it's a Euro import, you can probably expect to be told "they all do that, sir".
Paying the premium for a UK car has its advantages now and again I s'pose.

Paul

 

My has done about 1500 miles on new clutch. It judders when you take up drive not much but anoying it is . My bro-law scooby judders and judging by previous post an uprated plate cures the problem.

 

My MY99 does it, but only when the car is cold!- as long as i've been coming on scoobynet (bout 6mths), it seems it's just 'one of things' that scoobies do!

My advice is...dont worry bout it, just get used to it!

 

They do it because of posts like this suggesting that it's "normal" so don't worry. Rubbish !!!, the clutch set up on Scoobies is defective/cr*p/sub-standard/badly designed, you decide! Read the number of posts where people are having problems with the clutch on usually v.low milage examples, my previous 3 Fords had 75,000 on them each, mostly by me, and in all cases without a clutch replacement between them.
Along with the numerous cases of piston slap, how did they ever get away with that in a performance car costing punters £20,000+ !!!!!/rattly windows/leaking boots/cr*p lights/cr*p paint, I really wonder how Subaru ever got the JD Power vote, and then people wonder about the re-sale values !!!

 

yeah - my my99 does it too, after 5-10mins is fine ... wierd..

 

Both my '98 and P1 have done it slightly, at times, however, a couple of spirited starts have always sorted things out. I first read that suggestion back in 98 has always worked. I think it's a bit of a kill or cure affair though, and there's little doubt that they do have a bit of a problem with the clutch. With respect though, it's usually a warranty job.

On the other hand, JKJ2's complaints are not a regular feature on the BBS. My cars have never had leaking boots or rattling windows, neither have any of the other Scoob owners I know.

I don't wish to be rude, but I do get a bit fed up with postings like JKJ2's. Imprezas are not perfect, but you can hardly compare them with a Ford. I've had several Fords in the past, and although I admit that I never had a clutch problem, my last one (RS Turbo) had 6 sets of F pads & 5 pairs of F disks, 3 replacement exhausts, 1 replacement LSD and numerous other problems in the 3 three years I had it, and that was the most reliable one I had. To cap it all, most of the work wasn't under warranty, and it was worth nothing when I got rid of it.

When people complain about resale prices IMHO I feel they've lost the plot. Cars like these are not an investment. They will lose money. Subarus just lose less money than a great many others. Personally, I think getting something like 60% of the new value after 2-2.5 years (which is what I've received/been offered)is pretty good these days.

If you think Fords are superior then get one. If you already have, then go whine somewhere else.

Josh

 

Yup

All cars have SOME porblems. Before going back to a used 99MY, my new Audi A4 (List £27k, but didn't pay that !) had bullet-proof build quality - 3 times as strong in feel as the Impreza.

BUT - brakes were not up to the job, air vents kept coming off their runners and a couple of other things that it had to go back in for under warranty.

It comes down to how the dealers deal with you - my Audi dealer was excellent and so it should have been at £83 an hour inc vat.
My Subaru dealer is cheaper but helped me sorted out a potential £2500 bill.

I sold the Audi and bought the Subaru because I wanted some fun again, howevere excellent the Audi was in many areas.

There is no such thing as the perfect car

 

My MY98 Gt555 has the same problem. I agree with Josh L, a spirited start or a bit of diffing on a wet day can clean the cluth plate for a while. Solves the problem and puts a big smile on my face at the same time. Dont think the clutch feels the same way though.
p.s. the diffing solution was suggested to me by my dealer!!! maybe he has a big stock of clutches he has to shift them out of the workshop.

 

Does anyone know WHY the standard clutch set-up does this???
Mine does it too, only when cold, and is cured by a "spirited start"too.

 

Apparently, when cold, the pressure plate and clutch are not "true".
Either allowing the components to warm up or, as previously suggested, launching spiritedly sorts the juddering out as the set-up meshes better.

Previously, single components would be ordered to replace faulty clutches but now Subaru supply clutches as a complete kit (clutch, pressure plate, flywheel and release bearings), that is supposed to match up better and eliminate juddering.

I've no doubt there is a more technical explanation for the cause of clutch judder but I hope that's helped.

Paul

 

I think the root of the problem is the Scoob engine's lack of low down torque, meaning you have to use more revs than most other cars, therefore sticking more power at a higher speed through the assembly and creating more slip. When the pressure plate & flywheel are cold, the friction plate bounces and skips against the steel surfaces causing a judder as the take up springs try tro absorb it.
I can't comment on whether this is a feature of turbo cars, as my only other experience of 4x4's is my V6 Sierra which requires next to no accelerator when pulling away, even with a trailer carrying a rally car, and it's clutch never once juddered on me until it failed. But that was after over 100k abused miles. But as Josh L says, that doesn't make it the perfect car, It eats brakes, destroys front tyres, needs a new exhaust every MOT time, and it's fuel bills make even a hard driven P1's look acceptable

 

Just spent a couple of weeks in the south of France, daytime temps were a dry heat in the 40 Degree Centigrade range & the clutch judder when cold virtually disapeared. Back to the UK associated temps & back comes the judder. The Moral of this appears to be put up with it or get a Centrally Heated garage.

Stuart

 

A mates mates' StiUK did it after 1k (lots of dumping the clutch a 6k didn't help, I'd guess) got an uprated one fitted by Scoobysport and he loves it.

 

If he was dumping the clutch at 6000rpm when the engine had done 1000miles, I reckon a clutch will be the least of his worries!

Paul

 

I had the clutch replaced under warranty for this very problem. Dealer fitted a P1 clutch and pressure plate etc. No judder now.

Had to write a letter tor Subaru UK to get anything done after speaking to two different dealers who both said they all do that.
....

Jason

 

Thanks for the replies. I'm not happy to put up with it as it's quite severe.I'll get on to the dealer...