Subaru Impreza Wrx owners have reported 7 problems related to gasoline engine (under the engine and engine cooling category). The most recently reported issues are listed below.
In regards to NHTSA 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. . Read more...
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all problems of the 2002 Subaru Impreza Wrx
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Raw fuel smell in cold weather; Subaru TSB 09-36-03, issue date 04/01/03 severe raw fuel smell and fumes in cabin. Engine is leaking copious amounts of fuel.
Odor of gasoline in passenger cabin caused by leaking fuel line. Fumes causing driver dizziness and headaches. Subaru repaired the leak by tightening a fuel line connection. The problem returned and Subaru can not locate source of fuel odor.
I drive a 2002 Subaru Impreza Wrx. A week and a half ago we had temps below zero. While driving I noticed very strong gas smells coming through the vents while using the defrost. After some online investigation I have found that this is a fairly common problem with these vehicles for anyone living in a colder climate. I belive the problem has to do with the fittings that attatch the metal fuel lines to the flexible hoses in the engine compartment. In cold weather these fail, spilling gasoline onto the engine block. Now the problem is more common, even on cool, but not cold days. I understand that Subaru is aware of the problem and has even issued a service bulletin to dealerships advising them of the fix for this (which is very expensive). However, it should not be the consumers responsiblity to pay for a potentially dangerous fix that is common on these cars. Strong gas fumes in the passanger compartment and gasoline spilling onto the engine block should constitute enough of a safety hazard to justify a recall of these vehicles. Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Fuel leaks when starting my car (02 Subaru wrx) in cold weather. Strong fumes would enter the cabin through heat vent causing nausea.
There is a smell of gas on my 2002 wrx for a period of time after I start the car. I've read on some internet forums that there may be an incompatibility between one of the gas hoses and the gas rails. The smell seems worst when it is cold out. It is very noticable when I have outside air venting enabled. It seems odd that I would ever smell gasoline and fear this may be dangerous.
Cabin of car smells of gasoline. Fuel lines need to be replaced on early models.