2002 subaru impreza wrx, fuel leak due to improperly designed fuel lines where a service bulletin was issued however subaru of america refuses to warranty the problem and says its not a recall. I have puddles of fuel underneath my intake manifold and fuel vapor surrounds the entire engine bay of the vehicle which could result in fire and/or explosion to the vehicle. This issue has only arised to most vehicles who are out of the original 36,000 mile warranty. Mostly 2002 and early 2003 models.
2002 Subaru WRX fuel system complaints
Page 8 of 11: complaints 191 to 220 of 295, newest first, as owners wrote them.
There is a fuel leak that I can see underneath the intake manifold. The temperature outside was well below 15 degrees (f). This is an issue experienced by nearly all 2002 subaru impreza wrx owners who live in cold weather. It is addressed in tsb 09-36-03. The problem with the tsb is that it does not fix another smaller leak. I am not sure where that second one is, but I can definitely smell the fuel after getting the car fixed. I do not understand how leaking fuel is not dangerous, but I hope this issue will be resolved. Subaru of america should be required to fix this issue at their expense, instead of the wrx owners getting it fixed for sometimes upwards of $500. I guess that won't happen until some one dies in a fire.
There is a very heavy raw fuel smell comming from the engine compartment! I live in minnesota and this week was very cold (0 degrees f). I can see fuel leaking in my engine bay and gas fumes are all over when I pop my hood. I have a 2002 subaru wrx and my car has a techincal service bulletin out for this exact problem. This is a huge safety concern and my car could start on fire at any moment with fuel leaking on my hot engine. Why doesn't subaru fix this for free when it is putting people's lives in danger?
The problem is with a fuel leak in the fuel lines of the subaru impreza 02. During the colder weather the tubes shrink a bit, causing fuel to leak and get onto the engine, sometime catching fire. It brings a rather foul smell into the cabin of the car, as well as significantly decreases gas mileage.
In cold weather when my engine has only been running for a few minutes, I smell a very strong fuel odor. My husband says that it is strongest on the right hand (passenger) side of the engine but he says that the smell seems to dissipate once the engine is up to operating temperature. I have recently exceeded the 36000 mile warranty and have not had a repair done yet under my extended warranty but I think that this shouldn't be a problem that happens to a car with only 36000 miles on it.
On cold mornings, during warm-up a pronounced raw fuel smell is evident in the car and especially under the hood of my 2002 subaru wrx, it was taken to the dealership and to an independent shop, neither of whom could replicate the complaint, but further research has turned up a tsb from subaru on the matter, yet the dealership did not act on that. I feel this condition poses a serious safety threat, as it can easily lead to a fire.
Gasoline smell when starting car in cold weather (<20f). This has been a recurring problem on my 02 subaru wrx. The first event was at approx 15000 miles and the fuel line clamps were tightened. A second time at 45000 miles and the dealer could not duplicate (because the car was warm in the dealership.) now at 73,000 miles in 20f weather, the smell has returned when starting the car with the engine cold. I can see the gasoline puddling below the problem hose clamps. Subaru has known about this for years now and issued a tsb, but the dnagerous fuel leak problem persists! Of course, the repair they did on my car (tightening the clamps) while it was in warranty was not a permanent fix, and I face potential repairs at my cost for a problem subaru should have fixed by now. Not only is this a safety defect (fuel pubbling on the engine), it is also likely an emissions defect (raw gasoline vapors to the atmosphere) and a passenger health risk from breathing gasoline vapors. I don't understand why there has not been a recall on this long-known problem!
1) cold weather - under 35 degrees 2) fuel leak on top of engine caused by faulty fuel line fitting. 3) dealer fix, up to $800+ dollars, fixed with redesigned parts, customer pays.
Strong fuel smell in the cabin of the vehicle on startup when it's cold outside. Warranty has expired just prior to the problem arising. Subaru needs to do a recall for this potentially dangerous problem.
Fuel smell in cabin during vehicle operation in cold weather. Left driver feeling woozy after 30 minutes. Vehicle barely outside warranty period. Dealership charges $350 to replace fuel hoses which leak during cold weather as a result of a design flaw.
Gas smell coming from engine compartment of 2002 wrx subaru of america acknowledges the problem and won't cover it as a power train issue. Car spills gasoline on top of engine when cold. Dealers do not "find" the issue until right after the warranty expires.
Fuel leaks when starting my car (02 subaru wrx) in cold weather. Strong fumes would enter the cabin through heat vent causing nausea.
Car: 2002 subaru impreza wrx wagon, 25,000 miles very strong fuel odor in passenger compartment and under hood of vehicle upon cold start (<35 deg. F) and while idling thereafter. Small puddle of raw liquid fuel under car after sitting parked.
Whenever the temperature is below 32 degrees there is a raw fuel smell in the cabin. Upon opening the hood I can see fuel coming from the lines. This is very unsafe and should be addressed with a recall from subaru.
Gas smell coming from the vents and under the hood. Very raw and strong. Fuel leak! Subaru of america fixed this under warranty last year, but now its back and are going to charge for this fix.
In my 2002 subaru wrx sedan, I smelled strong raw fuel(gasoline) smell after starting up the car in the cold morning (after first snow). Smell was so terrible that it made me dizzy while driving. I pulled over and opened the hood, and it was even worse smell under the hood. There has been a lot of reports of raw fuel smell for 2002 subaru wrx model, but subaru didn't publish a recall. This is a safety issue. If anything sparks in the engine compartment, I am sure it will ignite the gasoline fume and will cause fire.
Smell of fuel very strong inside vehicle.pulled over and popped hood.noticed pools of raw fuel on intake manifold on passengers side.removed puddles and tightened fuel hose clamps(12/12/04).temperature dropped to 15f the other day and the smell of gas is back.cannot see any puddles at the moment.from subaru enthusiets websites this seems to be a common problem when the temperatures drop below freezing for the wrx's.very dangerous!the turbocharger is mounted not to far away from the fuel puddles.
The car appears to have a fuel leak in the engine bay. With recent cold weather, the car begins to smell strongly of fuel while driving, and especially while idling, even after 15 minutes of driving when the engine is warm. Subaru of america has informed me there is a service bulletin for a fuel rail problem that includes my VIN, but this is not a recall. They are unclear on whether they will pay for the repair detailed in the service bulletin. One subaru service center told me the problem was cold-weather related, and "not to worry about it." they did not feel the problem warranted service. Another service center agreed to see my car tomorrow. If the car is leaking fuel from a known problem area (related to subaru tsb 09-36-03) I would hope the company would have more interest in at least looking at the car before dismissing concerns.
In cold weather, with the heater on there is a strong fuel smell in passenger cabin. Identified by tsb 03-0906: fuel rail leak. Subaru of america will not cover this fix as my mileage is around 45,000 and thus outside the waranty period.*ak my feeling is that this is a safety issue (gasoline leak and noxious fumes in the passenger cabin) or at least an emissions issue and should be fixed for free. Instead the dealer estimates this is a $600 fix.
Fuel inside cabin during cold weather. 27 degrees and below.
Started the car first thing in the morning to drive approximately 1.5 miles to the store. Outside temperature was about 48 degrees f. After returning directly from the store (the same 1.5 miles) there was a very strong smell of gasoline as I stepped out of the car. I smelled at the gap between the hood and driver's fender and determined the engine bay to be the source of the gasoline smell. I used a flashlight to search for any visible leaks, but I could not see the gasoline. The smell was incredibly strong though. It seemed to be the strongest right above the manifold between the intercooler, manifold, and turbo. I'm very worried of an engine fire due to the leaking. I'm taking the car to the dealer for examination of this problem.
Any time the weather is cold there is a strong smell of gas inside and around the car.
This is complaint 1986 about the raw gasoline leaking onto a hot engine block, when is something going to be done about it???
While the vehicle idles, fuel leaks. As a result, a foul odor seeps into the passenger compartment. *ak
Strong unburned fuel odor in cabin of 2002 subaru wrx allegedly caused by loose/missized fuel lines under intake manifold.
There is a raw fuel smell coming from the front of the car during cold (below freezing) temperatures. The smell is overwhelming and the windows must be rolled down to clear out the fumes.
Strong gasoline smell on cold startup in subaru 2002 wrx.
Smell fuel leak in cabin in low temps. When car warms up fuel smell goes away. Temps around 15f.
I get a raw fuel smell in the cabin of my 2002 subaru impreza wrx in cold weather.
A fuel line breakage caused fuel to spill all over the engine. *ak
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