Severe fuel smell in and around vehicle when temperature is below 30 degrees fahrenheit. Not a safe situation as I need to heat the car up to bring my infant to daycare. Possible detrimental effects to infant's respiratory system as well. This of course does not exclude the possibility of fire or explosion.
2002 Subaru WRX fuel system complaints
Page 5 of 11: complaints 101 to 130 of 295, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I live in maine and in cold weather my my 2002 subaru impreza wrx leaks fuel from a fuel line on the passenger side of the vehicle. Subaru of america has issued a technical service bulletin for this problem.
Tl* - the contact stated that there was service bulletin 09-36-03 on the 2002 subaru wrx regarding a fuel smell in cold weather. The failure, which was actually a leak in cold weather appeared when the temperature got to be 10 degrees or less. There was a strong smell of fuel in the passenger compartment, and the contact found a fuel leak which dripped once a second on 1/24/07. The failure was caused by a misalignment between two fuel hoses near the manifold. The contact will have pictures available. The failure mileage was 25000 and the current mileage was 50000.
Recently low temperatures in my area dropped to 32 degrees below zero and lower. When starting my vehicle in the morning, I smelled a strong fuel odor that came from the engine compartment as if there was a fuel leak. After running the vehicle for a period, the gas smell went away. This happened on three separate occasions. I took the vehicle into the local subaru dealership for repairs. Repairs are expected to be completed by january 26, 2007.
Subaru 2002 impreza wrx wagon raw fuel smell in cabin on cold days below 0 deg f. Tsb # 09-36-03 issued on this 4/1/03 for all engine #'s prior to 673467 when they changed fuel pipe and hose sizes under the intake manifold for the 03 wrx's. Pooling fuel on the engine block is a safety hazard and this should be considered a recall. Dealer cost to get this fixed is anywhere between $350 -$500. Soa should be held accountable for this fix before engine fire occurs.
Have notice a strong fuel smell when temperatures drop below freezing in my 2002 subaru imprezza wrx.
Very strong odor of fuel in cabin.
Current outdoor temperatures ~35 degrees f. Strong smell of gas coming from fuel lines under intake manifold on passenger side of engine compartment. Also, gas smell inside car. I am aware of and have read subaru tsb #09-36-03. Although the tsb states it occurs <14 degrees f, the fuel leakage problem is occuring in my vehicle well above that temperature. I am extremely concerned that this problem is a safety/health issue.
2002 subaru impreza wrx toxic fuel being forced into the cabin air intake and ingested/inhaled by passenger which is causing a health and safety risk. Possible fire risk.
2002 subaru impreza wrx wagon fuel leak. ~81000 miles. Leak description consistent with subaru internal bulletin 09-36-03 with the exception that quantity of fuel was significantly more than 1 drop. A pool of fuel was visible and dripped later onto garage floor. Outside temperature was approximately 24f when the leak occurred. Leak has continued to occur when temperature at similar range. Subaru dealer is claiming this will not be covered by subaru (or subaru extended warranty which I am currently covered on) since it is only an advisor and not a recall. The fuel concentration was strong enough that a fire could have occurred. I am surprised there was no preventative recall of this problem after researching the number of other 2002 wrx owners affected already.
Severe raw fuel smell coming from passenger side of the engine.
2002 subaru impreza wrx leaks "raw gas" coming from the engine bay. The fumes are so strong that they'll travel through the fire-wall even with the windows closed. The gas leaks very close to the turbo set up where temperatures are extremely high. Headaches occur while smelling these fumes. Gas mileage is severely affected and the risk of fire is a major concern. Subaru of america won't recognize this as a recall and will charge customers for regular repairs at dealerships, sometimes in excess of $600.00 when this should be treated as a recall service. I am a disabled/handicapped person and this subaru is my only means of transportation. I cannot drive the car due to this problem and I cannot afford to pay for the repair...it should be a recall item. I won't sacrifice my two children and put them at danger inside this car when it's leaking gasoline and potentially create a deadly accident/fire. I can't even park the car inside the garage because I'm concerned that the fumes could reach the house water furnace and trigger a fire when it encounters the pilot light. You can verify this problem/complaint at the forums of nasioc...hundreds/thousands are affected.
Fuel leak in cold weather, resulting in raw fuel smell in the cabin of the car and the danger of fuel igniting in the engine bay. There has been a technical service bulletin issued by subaru of america, but I can't believe this isn't a recall. This is a serious problem and can have disastrous consequences. For people out of warranty, this is absolutely absurd to have to pay for the repairs. *nm+
1. None, it's a factory defect. See subaru technical service bulletin 09-36-03 "fuel smell in cold weather". 2. Anytime it gets below freezing there is raw fuel leaking from the fuel rail onto the top of the engine. This has to be a serious defect! What is the risk of my car starting on fire when fuel is being leaked onto the top of my motor??? On top of that, when this is happening you have two choices if you want to freeze yourself. 1. Turn on the heater and let all the raw fuel fumes blast you in the face (it's a great way to start off your day) or 2. Leave the heater off and freeze (both choices are unacceptable). 3. I have taken it to beardmore subaru in bellevue nebraska 13 times while my car was under warranty and 4 times while out of warranty. I don't know how a dealership can be so clueless since the tsb was issued before I even bought my car. I told them over and over, "raw fuel smell in cabin on days it's below freezing". The would wash the engine, or put in an new air filter, or do nothing and say they can't find anything wrong. This is totally unacceptable! Please help!
On cold days I get a strong fuel smell in the cabin. If you look at the lower part of the intake manifold you can see yellow stains from where fuel has leaked as well as displacement of grim from areas below the fuel hose. I have researched this issue and it is common with my year vehicle yet subaru has not issued a recall despite issuing a service bulletin (#09-36-03). In this bulletin it states that the replacement of a fuel line and hose is needed to correct the problem and partial disassembly of the engine is required to make the fix. It also states that this fix is required to achieve better alignment of the fuel lines.
Http://members.nasioc.com/userpics/4832/tsb.jpg.
2002 subaru wrx 1. Cold weather 2. Raw fuel smell when idling when vehicle is warming up to the extreme where I have to air out my vehicle before driving. 3. Nothing as of yet, waiting for a recall this is happening with almost all 2002 wrx's.
There is a recurrent problem with 2002 subaru wrx models. With a small fuel hose under the air intake manifold. In cold temperatures it contracts and begins to leak filling the cabin with a strong raw fuel smell also. I have recently found with the cold weather that this problem is happening to my car. There are many blogs on the internet on this problem. However subaru of america has not submitted a recall on any 2002 models. If you have time please visit this link: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138069&highlight=raw+fuel+smell you will be able to read others interactions with subaru of america. It is a problem with many other's too.
I own a 2002 subaru wrx. Starting in the winter of 2005 (and recurring in the winter of 2006), a strong gas smell inside the cabin and around the car is present. This only happens with the ambient outside temperature is cold; usually below 35 degrees. During the winter of 2005, I believed the smell was nothing major but when it recurred in 2006, I decided to do something about it. I did research on the federal safety agency website, along with subaru web forums (www.I-club.com; www.nasioc) and come to find out that this is a common occurrence with this model. I took my car to my local subaru on 11/13/06. It sits overnight so they can check the car on the morning of the 14th when the temperature is cold enough for the problem to arise. They do find a gas leak concurrent with the manufacturer's technical service bulletin (# 09-36-03 dated 04-01-03). The tsb replaces the fuel pipe assembly and hose as a set. The leak comes from the rubber hose connector, located under the intake manifold, between the two direct fuel-feed metal lines to the injectors. When the temperature is cold, the metal fuel line contracts more than the rubber fuel line, thus creating a "hole" for the gas to leak out of. The repair was quoted at $380.38. I am outraged over this repair for two reasons: I am not happy with having to spend money on a repair that is essential a design flaw. Though I am past the warranty period, I feel that this repair should be covered by subaru as it is not a "repair;" it is a fix for their mistake. I am most upset, however, over the fact that subaru and the federal safety agency have not created a recall campaign for this fix. This is a very dangerous problem as leaking fuel in a hot engine compartment is dangerous. It's a problem that could prove to be fatal for some owners. I however am fortunate to fix this problem before anything happened to me. I ask that both subaru of america and the federal safety agency take a serious look at this problem and initiate a recall before any deaths or injuries occur.
When its very cold outside very strong odor of gasoline in the passenger compartment .. 2002 subaru wrx sedan.
I own a 2002 subaru wrx impreza wagon. I, like many, many of fellow owners of this car experience fuel leaks around the cars engine when the ambient temperature falls below ~40 degrees f. I have contacted subaru about this problem many times, and each time I take the car into the dealership for diagnostics they state "they can not reproduce the problem." this is patently false since the car reeks of gasoline fumes before and after I leave the dealership. Apparently the clamps that hold the fuel line assembly together fail when the outside temperatures are cold. Subaru will not repair/replace these clamps (even when the car is under warranty) and repairs total approximately $350-400. This problem is very similar to that issue that resulted in the challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986, cold temperatures leading to fuel leaks, which could lead to fire and explosions. A brief look at an online complaint website revealed about 150 other people with this problem, and that's just the number that took the time to send in a message. It is only a matter of time before one of the vehicles catches on fire and kills someone. Subaru is aware of this problem and tacitly acknowledge the faulty manufacture of this car part, but will do nothing to help the owners of these cars. Please investigate this matter, I do not want anyone to die because subaru is too cheap to replace a 50 cent o-ring. Thank you.
Noticed a fuel leak in engine bay. You could smell it in the engine bay and the cab not to mention out side the vehicle. It only happens on really cold days. Did research on internet and found hundreds of people complaining of the same thing. Took it to the local subaru dealer they said they wouldn't cover it. Out of warranty by 1000 miles. I think this should be a safety recall they put faulty parts on the car. It is totally unsafe.
Several times during this winter (past 2 to 3 months) we have noticed an overwhelming smell of fuel with our 2002 subaru wrx. The smell is most noticeable when the weather is below freezing temperatures. The smell was overpowering last weekend when we experienced temperatures below zero. I've searched online and found other wrx owners have experienced the same thing. I called my local dealer today (2/24/06) and was informed that they are well aware of the issue. They explained the problem was due to a leak in the fuel line which would need to be replaced as well as a fuel rail. Furthermore, this problem is not a safety recall even though it involves fuel! Though we barely have over 20,000 miles on the car, we have owned it since december 2001 and it is, therefore, out of warranty. I was told the cost for this 'highly recommended' repair to be scheduled 'as soon as possible' was around $600.00! The discussion threads encouraged filing a complaint as an investigation into this matter has been launched. It would be a shame that a repair involving a fuel leak would have to result in injury and lawsuit before subaru decides to issue a safety recall. Can't something be done about this beforehand?
During cold starts (<35f), there is a very strong raw fuel smell leaking into the cabin. This is resolved by switching to recirc. The smell is even stronger outside towards the front of the car. The fuel smell goes away about 10-15 minutes of driving. *jb this has happened during the last two winters in seattle.
Raw fuel smell in cabin when outside temperature below freezing. Bringing car to dealer 02/20/2006.
Cold temperature below 40 degrees f. Fuel smell in cabin, and in engine compartment. Causes passengers to be nauseous. Took to dealership the next day or two, and they tightened the fuel line clamps. Occurs every winter when temperatures are below 40.
Fuel odor / leak from engine bay in cold temperatures.
Car was out side over night, temps dropped below 35, raw fuel smell in cabin and around car.
I have a 2002 subaru wrx sedan. When the weather is cold, there is a strong fuel smell in the passenger compartment. Went to dealer to have it diagnosed, they said there was a fuel leak, which is common a problem with my model year and that it would ~$350 to fix. I would think that if leaking fuel was a "common problem", then there would be a recall to get this fixed. Inhaling gas fumes and the possibility of a car fire seems more of a severe safety issue, more than just a quick fix item.
Shortly after starting car when outside temperature is cold the smell of gasoline overwhelms the cabin of the car.
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