There is a rubber fuel line linking the injector fuel rail to the hard steel fuel line leading from the fuel tank, that contracts at a different rate than the fuel rail nipple. This causes a fuel leak on the turbo side of the engine. This is a problem that subaru and it's dealers are well aware of as it happens on the 2002-3 subaru wrxs in cold climates. The most alarming aspect of this is not just a leak, but the leak is on the turbo charger side of the engine. The amount of heat in the turbo would ignite vaporized/liquid fuel rather quickly. To me it is really amazing that these things are not bursting into flames all over. The company is also charging their customers for the fix, which is expensive, to a problem that is clearly their fault. Not to mention that leaking raw fuel is an environmental problem.
2002 Subaru WRX fuel system complaints
Page 6 of 11: complaints 131 to 160 of 295, newest first, as owners wrote them.
When the outside temperature drops below 20f a very strong gasoline smell happens inside and outside the car. Subaru is aware of this and have tsb 09-36-03 to cover cars under warranty and expect the out of warranty owner to have the manufacturing defect repaired. This affects 2002 wrx cars and the design was changed per the tsb. The smell is severe and can also fill the garage where the car is parked. Subaru are aware of this and should recall the affected 2002 models. Gasoline leaking onto the area of the intake manifold has to be a safety concern.
During the winter months the car begins to emit the smell of gas into the passenger compartment - so much that I have to roll the windows down or I begin to gag. Most likely this is a fuel leak but I can't seem to locate it. This is on a 2002 subaru wrx sedan purchased in april 2001.
Vehicle is leaking fuel into the engine bay. The passenger side fuel rail is leaking. Subaru of america is not willing to fix the issue it is happening to a lot of people. The vehicle has gasoline fumes coming in through the vents. The condition is worsened in winter.
In regards to the federal safety agency action number : pe04002 I have a 2002 subaru wrx with 34000 miles and live in houston, tx. I first encountered the problem when visiting my family in ft. Worth several years ago. It was not very cold, but there was snow on the ground. I started the car and turned on the heater to let car warm up. When I returned about five minutes later, I detected a strong odor of gasoline before getting in. The fumes inside were unbearable and I had to air out the car before driving, but the order persisted for about an hour. I left for houston that evening and thought the fumes were just a one time occurrence. Last night I visited a friend for about 2 hours. It rarely gets very cold in houston, but at 9 p.m. Last night when I left the temperature was probably just a little above freezing. When I started the car all appeared normal, but when I turned on the heater, the smell of gas was overwhelming. I aired out the car while driving, but the got the same result every time I tried to use the heater. The car reeked of raw gasoline when I parked it after the 1.5 mile drive home. I got on-line after I got home and found out this was a very common complaint and that tsb had been issued. I also saw your action and believe subaru of america may have given you the impression that the defect is the result of "very cold conditions." from what I've seen on the internet, I do not believe that to be the case. Http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=675874&highlight=fuel+leak http://www.wrxforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=3;t=008039 http://www.daytonsubies.com/forums/index.php?act=st&f=3&t=185 http://64.119.173.9/forums/printthread.php?t=81610 http://clubwrx.net/forums/showthread.php?t=48256 anyway, I believe raw gasoline leaking onto the top of the engine in the quantities that would cause that strong of odor has to create a significant safety hazard; and that it happens more often than soa has admitted.
Gasoline fuel smell in cabin of car, when driving and warming it up in the morning. Had just had car serviced by dealership for 60,000 mile check up. Was afraid to drive car since I could see gasoline pooled on engine block and was smoking as it evaporated. Took to dealership where I purchased vehicle to have it serviced. Was informed of a service bulletin subaru published 4/1/03 - bulletin no. 09-36-03 concerning the problem and repair. Asked dealership if problem was covered under extended warranty. They said no. Since this problem was identified by the manufacturer of the vehicle before my purchase of the car and is in fact a safety issue, I am confused as to why this repair is not covered by the dealership/manufacturer of the vehicle. Paid for repair cost of $ 818. Dealership unwilling to try to help resolve my issue with the repair. Contacted auto manufacturer directly and am waiting for response.
Since the weather has gotten colder there is a strong smell of gasoline coming from the engine compartment. This is due to a leak in the fuel line between a rubber hose and a metal fuel line. Subaru is aware of the problem but has not issued a recall. (tsb 09-36-03) see post here: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131755&page=7&pp=25.
Raw fuel smell during colder weather. The smell is from the engine compartment and is due to poorly designed fuel delivery piping/hoses. Raw fuel is leaking from the fuel delivery piping/hoses and then puddles on the engine block. This is a known defect and subaru of america still will not acknowledge any issues nor fix the problem. The threat of engine fire is very real as is personal injury and/or death. I strongly encourage the federal safety agency to investigate this problem before someone is seriously hurt or killed. To fix this problem would be much better for soa than to deal with lawsuits involving injury & death.
This is a follow up to complaint 10144181. I tried to call in a follow up and was treated with total indifference. The weather is now in the -8 to +5 range here in western ne and the fuel leak does not stop, ever. After driving 20 miles to work and parking the smell is so strong I felt light headed, headache and nauseous. A co-worker parked 2 spaces away could smell it getting out of his car. I have parked the car. I will not subject myself of my family to the health and fire risk. I guess I will wait until someone dies from a fire or asphyxiation and then see if there is any recall or reaction from the federal safety agency. This is cut directly for your web site. What are examples of safety defects? Examples include: problems with fuel system components, particularly in their susceptibility to crash damage, that result in leakage of fuel and possibly cause vehicle fires. Forget crash damage, this thing leaks fuel sitting still. Reviewing this model year on your site I notice people are logging complaints under the impreza model and the wrx model and if you look through the complaints on these symptoms there are hundreds of complaints. I am shocked that no recall has been forces considering it is, by your own definition, a safety hazard.
With regards to the investigation listed below, I would like to attest that this problem has not been addressed. As regards the leaking of fuel into the engine compartment, it is a more serious hazard than indicated in your impoverished data. In many cases, the fuel does not cease to leak when the car has warmed up, and will continue to leak fuel steadily. This produces puddles on the hot intake manifold, and toxic conditions for passengers and bystanders. As mentioned in subaru tsb 09-36-03, under cold weather conditions, fuel will leak from a rubber-metal joint in the fuel line. The reason given is that the stiffening of the rubber in cold weather deprives the material of the resiliency needed to provide strain relief for the high pressure rubber-metal joint, this stressing the joint, and allowing fuel to leak from it. In my case, and in the case of many others I have researched, the fuel will continue to leak even after the engine is warmed up, contrary to your report. I believe that your report has understated the problem, and believe that a recall should be strongly recommended. == the federal safety agency action number : pe04002 the federal safety agency recall campaign number : n/a make / models : model/build years: subaru / impreza 2002-2003 subaru / wrx 2002-2003 manufacturer : subaru of america, inc. Component : fuel system, gasoline fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings date investigation opened : january 7, 2004 date investigation closed : may 27, 2004.
Extremely strong raw fuel smell inside cab of car and in engine compartment. Found fuel leaking from a line and pooling on the engine block. Have read numerous posts about this on the multiple subaru wrx and related web forums. The problem appears to be coming from a loose clamp where a rubber hose meets a metal fuel line....I can visibly see fuel dripping onto the engine!. I cannot get at all the hose clamps and cannot afford the $400 - $600 others on the forums have been quoted for the fix. Subaru has released a tsb for this problem on 2002 wrx's like mine but for some reason has not issues a recall. I guess it's going to take a burnt up family to get it taken care of....I just hope it's not mine.
1) failure: severely leaking fuel on my 2002 wrx whenever the weather gets cold. 2) consequences: potential engine fire. Gasoline pools on the intake manifold. *jb 3) this is addressed under subaru tsb 03-51-02 but it has not been recalled as of yet. I called my local subaru service department and they were unaware of the problem.
In reference to subaru service bulletin number 09-36-03, I have a fuel leak in the engine compartment due to faulty hoses/clamps. Although no deaths or accidents have occurred as a result, this problem has great potential to cause harm from fumes to possible fire. Please urge subaru to perform a safety recall on the necessary parts!
While the vehicle was parked, the driver noticed fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. While starting the vehicle, the consumer noticed fumes coming from the rear. The vehicle was taken to a body shop for inspection. The mechanic informed the driver that the fuel hose needed to be replaced. *jb when the vehicle was at altitude and the temperature was below 32 degrees fahrenheit, fuel would leak out of the line due to the rubber connection on the metal valves. The cabin would fill up with fuel odor's which were very strong. *sc
Fuel smell during cold starts.
When it is cold outside, there is a strong gas odor inside the cabin.
When it gets really cold out I get a very noxious smell of raw gas in the passenger compartment of my 2002 subaru wrx. The smell also fills my garage when I park the car. The fumes are very potent and I am fearful of a fire. From what I have learned it is due to fuel leaks at the fuel lines, but they can't be reached unless you remove the manifold and it is a $500 job. My vehicle has 95000 miles on it, but I know I reported it to the dealership when it was still under warranty, though they have no record of that. This is a safety and health issue.
There was a fuel leak from the hose, making it dangerous for a fire to occur. Consumer will take vehicle to dealer for repairs.*ak *eh
I have 2002 subaru wrx. In cold weather conditions a strong gasoline smell is present in the passeger compartment as well as the engine compartment of the vehicle. Subaru has issued a technical service bulletin (tsb 09-36-03), for the problem (so they recognise it does exist). I have inquired about the work necessary to correct this problem, issued under this bulletin. The cost with parts and labor reaches almost five hundred dollars, which I think is ridiculous. I also realize that your organization has completed an investigation (the federal safety agency pe4002), and found no safety problems. Even if there is no physical safety problem, I believe subaru should be required to cover the cost of the repairs, since it realizes that something is wrong. I don't believe that its healthy to be driving around breathing gasoline fumes.
Fuel leak, took to dealer gillman subaru in houston and they stated many cars have had the same problem but subaru of north america won't pay for repairs. I believe if they have many cars with this problem they should fix it at their expense and issue a recall. Fuel leaks can cause fires and put passengers in danger. I have a 2002 subaru wrx, VIN#[xxx]. Service manager(amir) at gillman subaru phone#713‑776‑6330. Subaru of north america phone#1800-782-2783. *jb *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Strong fuel smell in passenger cabin, temperatuer was about 10 f. This seems to be known problem, but I wish to add to the list. Dealer took 2 weeks to order parts, and it will cost me $475 dollars to fix a saftey/health issue that subaru knows about. The first day I developed a lot of excess mucus & headache before I figured out what was going on. I guess breathing 93 octane during a commute will do that to a person. Subaru should be pressures to make this a recall. I put the A/C on recirculate until the issued was fixed, but when I would get out to scrape ice off of the windows I could smell lots of fuel outside. Not safe.
The fuel lines have a faulty hose clamp that leaks fuel in cold temperatures.
Fuel leaking from fuel lines during cold starts (less than 32 deg. F ambient temps.). Extremely strong fuel oder being transmitted into passenger cabin from the air ventilation system. Can see visible fuel dripping onto engine from fuel lines. Had car repaired by dealer under subaru tsb in march of 2004 and problem was not corrected. Seems worse now than it was before the repair. I am concerned about the car catching fire and the dealers inability to fix the fuel leak.
Reference pe04002 . First leaked at 18 degrees f, jan.2004. The leak does't go away after engine warms. It goes away after the hose warms. When driving down the road and cold air is blowing on the hose, it keeps leaking. Not noticeable in cabin unless you come to a stop. Did not know of the service bulletin to get it fixed. Vehicle is over mileage for warranty work , so subaru want's to charge me $400 dollars to fix it. Now it starts leaking below 50 degrees.
Fuel odor in cabin during cold weather. I have searched the defects/recall pages for this issues and foudn that it has been closed due to the occurance only lasting for a few moments. This is not true! The fuell leakage continues during any cold weather use, not just at startup. I find this a huge safety issue as I had become extremely dizzy on a normal daily commute (15-20 minutes). The odor is continuous as long as the vehicle in not in motion (I.e. Stop and go traffic). I consider this fuel leak a major issue with driver safety, and for those on the road at the same time as anyone else with a 2002 wrx in cold weather. I am a mechanical engineer and a member of sae (society of automotive engineers), and consider any overlook of this problem by soa (subaru of america) to be an enormous reliability issue. I hope that the proper authorities can straighten this out and fix those vehicle manufactured with this very dangerous defect.
2002 subaru wrx 47k miles. On cold days when the vehicle is left outside and then started, there is a small fuel leak in the engine compartment. Fuel apparently drips off of a fuel rail and onto the intake manifold where it is heated and evaporates. On occasion the vapor/smoke could be seen when the hood was raised. This vapor results in a very strong gasoline smell in the cabin. The smell dissipates after fully warming up the car and driving for an extended period.
My 2002 wrx sedan has an extremely strong gas odor. I have seen there is a tsb about the fuel problem, but not a recall. There seems to be so many people that have had this same problem. Of course my vehicle is just out of warranty.
Fuel smell inside passenger compartment in a 2002 subaru wrx wagon during cold weather. Visually detected fuel leak under passenger side exhaust manifold. Dealership claims they know about this problem and how to fix it with an updated fuel rail and hose. Car is in for service now. Noticed this several other times but never spotted fuel until yesterday.
2002 subaru wrx wagon, 71000 miles. I parked my car outside as I usually do.. Only I happened to be parked at marin general hospital, where my wife delivered our first born child! This night was a particularly cold evening for northern california, around 32f. As I pulled out of the parking lot post birth to round up some food, I started to smell gasoline. The smell quickly reached the point where I was forced to roll down the windows to get fresh air. Needless to say I took my car home, and we brought the baby home in my wife's car! After returning to the hospital, I opened the hood, and determined that the smell was coming from around the engine. The next morning as I drove away to get breakfast, I experienced the same over powering gasoline odor. I rolled down the windows, and again opened the hood to try to locate the smell, but couldn't find the source other than around the engine. I have since learned that this problem is a known "feature" of 2002 wrx's. I have also learned that since I am far out of warranty, subaru will not fix this problem. I would like to know how this is legal, given the supposed status of my car as a ulev vehicle.. It certainly isn't as if gasoline is dripping out of the fuel lines onto the hot engine block. I am also highly concerned by the health hazard posed by gasoline fumes filling the cabin.
(1) events leading to problem: while traveling from seattle wa to sun peaks bc, temperature on bc5 hwy reached -27f. (2) failure and consequences: under these circumstances one of the joints connecting a fuel line to an injector started leaking fuel into the engine block. I only noticed this condition based on a very strong smell of fuel each time I stopped the car and by close visual inspection of the injector fuel lines -- I noticed fuel was dripping -- in order to avoid the risk of fire, I had the vehicle towed to select auto of kamloops (subaru dealership). I could detect the condition myself and put a post-it for the subaru dealer. The condition did not repro at normal temperature (above 0f), so the mechanic had to spray freon on the injector lines to repro the failure. I think that the problem is a major one as it (a) entails the risk of getting a fire on the vehicle. (b) is difficult to repro. (3) fixes done to the car: replaced rubber line and clamps.
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