Problems with 2004 Subaru Forester FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. whether the vehicle was parked or being driven, a fuel odor was detected in and outside the vehicle. the fuel odor was most noticeable while operating the heater. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to mid-hudson subaru (1715 u.s. 9, wappingers falls, ny 12590 (866) 678-2048) several times, but no leaks or failures were detected. the contact stated that the dealer finally detected a fuel odor and diagnosed the failure as a malfunction with tubing or piping within the engine. the parts needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they would contact the local dealer. the failure mileage was approximately 120,000. *tt *tr

Basically i am experiencing the same raw fuel smell many others have described. the hose under the intercooler and several other hoses and parts visibly leaks and smells when temperatures are cold outside. i live in the pacific northwest...it's cold a lot here. i don't feel safe driving with my daughter in the car, for her health reasons, and really don't like wasting my hard earned fuel waiting for the car to warm up with the recirculating vent feature turned on and the fact that it drips the fuel out and onto the engine... since soa has recalled the wrx's with the exact same issue, why do those of us that own legacys, outbacks, foresters and i would also assume bajas not be treated the same way? soa needs to address this matter immediately and keep its loyal customers exactly that....loyal. *tr

I have noticed in the past few weeks that when i cold start (under approximately 20 degrees) my 04 subaru forester, there is a very potent raw gas smell coming from under the hood. it typically diminishes as the car heats up but if you turn on the heat/ventilation system the smell becomes unbearable. in doing research i have found that many subaru owners (of various models and years) are experiencing the exact same problem. i do not feel safe driving the vehicle with this smell nor transporting any passengers with the car in this condition. *tr

Very strong smell of gas in cabin. i have 2 kids that i take to school, and in the morning i have to start my car 20 min before we leave and open the windows to air it out. the gas smell is toxic, and dangerous. this is the a design flaw that poses serious risk, as it is both a health and a fire hazard. it seems just about every forester owner has the same problems as well. subaru needs to expand the existing impreza / wrx recalls to the forester, as the relevant parts are the same and the issue is virtually identical. please fix this. *tr

Leaking fuel when cold outside, i can see fuel dripping from a fuel line under intake manifold every time i start my car in the morning when the car is cold in the cold weather in winter. *tr

Fuel lines crack in cold weather (approx under 25 and under). strong fuel smell in cabin was enough to make passengers ill, car was not drivable. fuel was pooling in the engine bay near the hot turbo and exhaust system. contacted dealership, service writer knew what the issue was as soon as i told him make, model and year - said it's very common. found pages of complaints on nhtsa site and hundreds in forums. subaru issued a recall for the same issue on the 2003 generation wrx vehicles, but not the foresters. this is a major problems. subaru's are purchased as ideal snow vehicle, and repairs cost upward of $600. this is a direct safety issue. *tr

On very cold days while car is warming up, a strong smell of fuel is coming from under the intake manifold. a closer inspection reveals a small fuel leak from the fuel supply lines near the turbo. a subaru impreza enthusiast forum has a "raw fuel smell" log of more than 131 pages and 3,000 posts (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131755). subaru issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) for certain subaru imprezas, but they have not initiated any tsbs for any other cars all using the same or similar engines. see tsb 01-170-09. as leaking fuel onto your engine is a safety hazard, i would like to see subaru initiate some kind of tsb or recall for all engines experiencing this problem. i understand many subaru owners have complained to subaru and nhtsa with no results. *tr

I've owned my 2004 forester for 4 years now and never experienced this problem. however, this winter seemingly having longer cold spells seemed to induce the problem. there is a strong fuel smell in the vehicle, especially when i turn on the heat, which is a major issue in the winter. i've read a little about it and it seems many other subaru owners are having the same issue. *tr

I started the car after it had sat in 10-15 degree weather and there was a strong smell of unused gasoline in the cabin. it has started happening on start-up frequently since then. *tr

A strong fuel smell when i started my car. *tr

Smell of raw gas inside of vehicle while driving. it doesn't happen all the time only on extremely cold days. *tr

Fuel leak in 2004 subaru forester xt similar to other safety complaints entered, nhtsa campaign 09v468000 and subaru recall wvk-21 for 2003 wrx. evening of 7jan2014 driving home (in uncommonly cool weather) the vehicle began to smell strongly of gasoline in the passenger compartment. upon arriving home, inspected under the hood to observe dripping fuel (approximately 1 drip per second) above the engine at a metal to rubber fuel line connection. leaked fuel was pooled on the top of the engine. a puddle of warm fuel vaporizing near electrical equipment (battery, alternator, radiator fans) is a serious fire hazard. the car has been parked since the event. i investigated on the internet and have found numerous other accounts of cold weather fuel leaks in many subaru models nearly identical to mine. my local subaru dealer appeared to be aware of the issue when i called, but stated there is no active recall on my model. they offered that their fix is to tighten the hose clamps but i would need to cover the cost of the work. if subaru has accepted responsibility for this issue in the 2002-2003 impreza and ...

Fuel and exhaust line leaks in cold weather. over the initial three day period - day one children complained of headaches, day two driver experienced severe headache and nausea but did not realize it was due to fuel leak. day three cabin filled with overpowering fumes coming from heating vent. had to drive with heat off and all windows open in order to bring car in for service. have had to bring car in twice this month to repair all of the leaks and rent a car in order to get to work appointments. certified subaru specialist reported that he has seen quite a few incidences of same issue recently due to extreme cold weather. this is a dangerous safety issue and is not acceptable. 2002-2003 impreza recalled dec 2009 for same issue. *tr

In cold weather (below 20 degrees or so) the fuel lines in the engine compartment come loose and leak raw gasoline onto the hot engine. obviously there is a good chance of an engine fire with possible loss of life. this has been reported in several forums, there is a tsb out on this for the wrx (same engine, same part numbers), and most dealers (in cold states) know of this problem. *tr

During the recent cold snap here in tennessee i got a report from a friend that his 2004 forester xt was leaking fuel into his engine bay. i went out to start my car the next day and mine is doing the same thing. the fuel is slowly leaking onto the engine block. this is an extremely dangerous situation. i did some researching and it seems that almost all forester models from 2002-2006 have this exact same issue! some have been recalled, but the forester xt hasn't. the engines are the same...i don't understand why this dangerous problem hasn't been resolved by subaru. *tr