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2004 Subaru Forester: gas smell in the cabin

87 of the 219 complaints about the 2004 Subaru Forester describe gas smell in the cabin.

owner complaints
87
of this car's complaints
40%
typical repair cost reported
$700
typical mileage
115,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.

Gas smell in the cabin by model year

What owners say

Filed Apr 6, 2021 · Fuel system · 140,200 miles · NY

There is a fuel leak on the low and high pressure fuel rubber hoses, and they cause fuel odor to enter the cb via climate control. It is a very strong odor, that requires me to either drive with the windows down or wait for the car to clear out the fuel odor out of the cabin. Mostly occurs during cold weather days. Once engine warms up, odor fades away. Many people with similar cars say is a common issue with subarus.

Filed Jan 10, 2020 · Fuel system · 101,000 miles · WI

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. The contact stated that at start up, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside of the vehicle. After exiting the vehicle, the contact became aware of a fuel leak under the front of the vehicle. Schlossmann subaru city of milwaukee located at 4640 s 27th st, milwaukee, wi 53221, (414) 459-3677 was contacted by phone and informed of the failure. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.

Filed May 7, 2019 · Fuel system · 130,650 miles · NY

Have gas smell which I cannot find that is ongoing. I did have a gas line repair on a gas pressure line that burst that was located behind the rear seat but still have an ongoing gas smell when I fill the gas tank. I see many complaint regarding gas smell for this year vehicle so I am also posting. I do not see a recall regarding gas smell but with all the coplaints there should be one. Its unknown as to what is the problem.

Filed Dec 8, 2018 · Fuel system · 65,000 miles · MI

During cold weather, while at a stop and in motion, there is a strong fuel smell inside the cabin. The source was determined to be the fuels lines and specifically the fittings on the lines. During cold weather, either the fittings or the hoses contract, causing fuel to leak in the engine bay, near the hot headers and hot turbo.

Filed Nov 13, 2018 · Fuel system · 160,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. While attempting to start the vehicle in cold weather, the contact noticed an abnormal fuel odor under the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Filed Oct 5, 2018 · Engine, Fuel system · OR

Anytime the temperature drops below 60 degrees fahrenheit there's a strong smell of gasoline inside the cab of the vehicle. When looking under the hood I can see it dripping out of something underneath the intake manifold. Severe gas leak. Nauseous and dangerous fumes.

Filed Mar 18, 2018 · Fuel system · 145,000 miles · WA

My forester has begun to smell like gas when it is turned on while it is cold outside. A fuel line is leaking on the right side fuel rail. The fuel is leaking right next to the exhaust manifold and the turbo (see, really hot parts, see also, dangerous). This is a well known issue with the car and is a serious safety hazard. I do not believe it is right to require owners to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to keep their cars from bursting in to flames. Please see all the other complaints on this same issue and do something to protect and reimburse the owners of the vehicles for this safety issue. Thank you.

Filed Feb 8, 2018 · Fuel system · IA

Leaking fuel line under manifold, fuel smell very strong and leaks into engine bay.

Filed Jan 4, 2018 · Fuel system · 201,000 miles · MI

Got up to and started my car to get it warmed up since it was 8 f outside. 20 minutes later when I got into the car there was a strong smell of gas. Upon inspection of the engine compartment I found that there was a fuel line on the drivers side dripping gasoline onto the engine block, where it was pooling. While searching online for info on this, I found that this is a common issue with early 2000's subarus, even to the extent that they recalled the wrx models for this exact reason, but made no mention of their other models.

Filed Dec 30, 2017 · Fuel system · 160,000 miles · NY

Gas smell cold weather car idoling

Filed Nov 24, 2017 · Engine, Fuel system · 120,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. Whether the vehicle was parked or being driven, a fuel odor was detected in and outside the vehicle. The fuel odor was most noticeable while operating the heater. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to mid-hudson subaru (1715 u.s. 9, wappingers falls, ny 12590 (866) 678-2048) several times, but no leaks or failures were detected. The contact stated that the dealer finally detected a fuel odor and diagnosed the failure as a malfunction with tubing or piping within the engine. The parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they would contact the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. *tt

Filed Sep 25, 2017 · Fuel system · 60,000 miles · NY

Car has a strong gas odor in the cab when temperature drops to 20 degrees and below. Occuring on cold start and continuing in motion on local and highway driving. After a few unsuccessful fixes by authorized subaru service problem still exists for three years soa needs to recognise this gas leak for this model and year as a recall and perminent fix please help

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the 2004 Subaru Forester fuel smell

Is gas smell in the cabin a common problem on the 2004 Subaru Forester?

87 of 219 owner complaints about the 2004 Subaru Forester (40%) mention gas smell in the cabin. The model year with the most reports is 2004.

How much does it cost to fix gas smell in the cabin on the 2004 Subaru Forester?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $700 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Subaru Forester?

There is no recall or service bulletin for this area of the car on record.

Other symptoms on the 2004 Subaru Forester

Fuel leak 47Ball joint 19Airbag light 13Fire or smoke 7

All model years of the Subaru Forester

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