Fuel Hoses Lines/piping And Fittings problems of the 2002 Subaru Impreza Wrx - part 2

2002 Subaru wrx sport wagon (1) in very cold weather, (2) smell of raw gas fumes enters passenger compartment, causing potential environmental, safety and health hazard. (3) situation is covered by 2003 Subaru technical service bulletin 09-36-03. Dealers refuse to cover cost of this safety-related pre-existing defect. Not yet repaired.

1) strong odor of gasoline noticed in engine compartment and interior. 2) Subaru dealer determined fuel lines were leaking under intake manifold. Leaking fuel in an engine compartment is always an extreme fire risk. The wrx has three possible ignition sources underhood, turbocharger housing, exhaust manifold and catalytic converter, all of which are in close proximity to the leak location. 3) fuel lines repaired per Subaru TSB 09-36-03 at customer expense.

Failure: gasoline leak onto hot engine, strong smell of raw fuel in cabin. This failure, the events leading to it (cold weather), and the consequences are described in Subaru's TSB #09-36-03 from 04-01-03. In my case, my wife and I were driving around last Monday, 2-5-07, when it was very cold -- maybe 6 or 7 degrees with a strong wind. We began to smell raw fuel in the car after leaving a restaurant. The smell got worse as we drove to a grocery store. When I opened the hood I could hear a hissing sound and see fuel vapor (like steam) coming from under the intake manifold on the passenger side. Since the weather has gotten a bit warmer it doesn't seem to be a problem. The car is a 2002 wrx sedan. At this time, it is sitting at sharrett Subaru in hagerstown, MD. Nothing has been done to correct the problem because Subaru of America (soa) is refusing to cover 100% of the repair cost (which they have, recently, for other people with the same vehicle and similar mileage). This is a known problem. It should clearly be the subject of a recall.

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.

My Subaru wrx 2002 started giving off a strong fuel odor when temperature was really low. This continued for over 10 days. On investigation using the internet, this turned out to be a well-documented defect, reported by large numbers of other 2002 wrx owners as well. Subaru refused to pay for the fix. I had to pay morristown Subaru in NJ $230 to fix this very dangerous problem and make my vehicle usable again. I am very surprised that Subaru is not proactively issuing a recall and fixing the problem. Are they waiting for a 2002 wrx to explode due to the fuel leak, possibly causing grievous injury to the occupants?.

Fuel line leakage in engine compartment during cold weather, producing raw fuel fumes in the passenger cabin.

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.

2002 Subaru Impreza Wrx wagon. When ambient temperature falls below freezing, the fuel line in the engine compartment leaks fuel onto the engine. The leaking fuel vapor enters the interior of the automobile in great quantity, causing a safety issue for the driver/passengers. I have, on occasion, had to pull over and open the windows to vent the fuel vapor because of becoming light headed due to the amount of vapor in the car.

Have notice a strong fuel smell when temperatures drop below freezing in my 2002 Subaru imprezza wrx.

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.

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.

During some cold weather of about 20 farenheit I recently I smelled a strong gasoline smell in the cabin of the vehicle. At first I thought it was the vehicle cold start emissions, but it continued after a long drive (60 minutes) and was most noticeable when the vehicle was not moving. I popped the hood and there was a strong gasoline smell so it appeared the smell was originating from under the hood. I continued to drive in cold weather, and my gas mileage dropped to about 16 mpg highway. This is compared to about 28 mpg I normally get on the highway. After the weather warmed up, the gas smell mostly subsided and gas mileage returned to normal upon searching online I did find that Subaru has issued a technical service bulletin for this issue that explains these symptoms as a defect in the length of the fuel hose and rail which causes fuel to leak. But upon talking to the dealer, they wanted me to pay for a technician to attempt to verify the issue, which is impossible now that the weather is warm. They also will not commit that Subaru will pay for the repair in any case. The repair if I pay for it will be more than $500, but I feel it is a health and safety issue. It's a health issue because gasoline fumes are a recognized carcinogen, and a safety issue because having 40% of the gasoline disperse in the engine bay could cause a fire or explosion. Also, waiting for the symptom to appear is too late, and does not reliably identify which vehicles may be affected. A vehicle may mostly be in a moderate climate, and then is driven in cold weather, and suddenly has a pressurized gas leak.

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.

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.

During the winter, our 2002 wrx has smelled like exhaust or raw fuel in the cabin of the vehicle. We took the vehicle into surbaru and were told the rubber fuel line shrinks when the temperature drops and fuel leaks. They did a notice, but not a recall - which means you pay not them. It cost $700 in parts & labour ($15 for the part) - the entire engine has to be removed to fix the problem. I called Subaru America directly and was told they didn't sell enough cars in the north to warrant the cost of doing a recall on all the Subaru's. Maybe if enough people complain they will rethink their strategy.

Strong fuel smell after vehicle start up. This had been getting progressively worse over time (around 1 month). Took vehicle in to service and discovered fuel leaking under the intake manifold from the injector rails. Fuel was spilling onto the manifold. Discovered Subaru TSB # 01-123-90 covering the issue and repair needed. The repair took 1+ weeks due to part unavailability and $380. Connector hose referenced in the Subaru TSB was replaced.

My 2002 Subaru wrx smells of gas fumes (inside the cabin) after a cold start. The heating system seems to make the smell even worse. The smell / fumes make me concerned about my health.

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.

Very strong odor of fuel in cabin.

Severe raw fuel smell coming from passenger side of the engine.

Fuel leak and smell from fuel hoses.

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.

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.

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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. . Read more...

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. . Read more...

Raw fuel smell from engine compartment comes into cabin of vehicle when outside temperature is lower than 20 degrees f.

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?.

Raw fuel smell in cabin when outside temperature below freezing. Bringing car to dealer 02/20/2006.

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.

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. This has happened during the last two winters in seattle.

Fuel odor / leak from engine bay in cold temperatures.

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.

Shortly after starting car when outside temperature is cold the smell of gasoline overwhelms the cabin of the car.