Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. while attempting to start the vehicle in cold weather, the contact noticed an abnormal fuel odor under the front passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
My forester has begun to smell like gas when it is turned on while it is cold outside. a fuel line is leaking on the right side fuel rail. the fuel is leaking right next to the exhaust manifold and the turbo (see, really hot parts, see also, dangerous). this is a well known issue with the car and is a serious safety hazard. i do not believe it is right to require owners to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to keep their cars from bursting in to flames. please see all the other complaints on this same issue and do something to protect and reimburse the owners of the vehicles for this safety issue. thank you.
Got up to and started my car to get it warmed up since it was 8 f outside. 20 minutes later when i got into the car there was a strong smell of gas. upon inspection of the engine compartment i found that there was a fuel line on the drivers side dripping gasoline onto the engine block, where it was pooling. while searching online for info on this, i found that this is a common issue with early 2000's subarus, even to the extent that they recalled the wrx models for this exact reason, but made no mention of their other models.
Gas smell cold weather car idoling
Have gas smell which i cannot find that is ongoing. i did have a gas line repair on a gas pressure line that burst that was located behind the rear seat but still have an ongoing gas smell when i fill the gas tank. i see many complaint regarding gas smell for this year vehicle so i am also posting. i do not see a recall regarding gas smell but with all the coplaints there should be one. its unknown as to what is the problem.
Just like 60 or so other 03-05 forester xt owners, i'm experiencing the fuel leak from the rubber fuel line where it clamps on to the metal line to the front drivers side injector. just like everyone else, the issue only occurred when temperatures dropped below about 20f - uncoincidentally, in my opinion, this was the first new england winter this car had ever seen. subaru has issued a recall for wrx with the same exact issue involving the same exact hardware. get on it subaru, this is completely unacceptable and an extremely dangerous design flaw. you've already fessed up to the issue with other vehicles using the ej255 now don't forget about us fozzy owners.
The rubber injector lines running below the intake manifold on the turbocharged (xt) model, including my vehicle, are well known to develop a dangerous leak. either the rubber dries out or the factory clamps loosen up over time, leaking gasoline onto the engine block. this is a very dangerous design flaw that has been recognized as an issue on the impreza but you forgot about foerester owners, subaru! shame on you.
Leaking fuel line under manifold, fuel smell very strong and leaks into engine bay.
There is a raw gas smell inside the car when parked, or stopped while the car is running in cold weather.
During cold weather, while at a stop and in motion, there is a strong fuel smell inside the cabin. the source was determined to be the fuels lines and specifically the fittings on the lines. during cold weather, either the fittings or the hoses contract, causing fuel to leak in the engine bay, near the hot headers and hot turbo.
There is a terrible gas smell during cold weather from some leak in the fuel line. other subaru models have been recalled for this same problem, but not the forester. the smell is so bad that it has given me headaches and nausea. the smell is particularly awful when the heat is turned on, which is problematic since one wants the heat on when it's that cold out. smell persists around the car even when it isn't running and is so bad i can't park it inside my attached garage because it comes into the house. subaru really needs to address this. i have mentioned it to my mechanic several times and they have tried to correct it by tightening fuel line connections, which has not solved the issue. they told me about the other models being recalled, and when i researched it myself i discovered that there are hundreds (at least) of subaru forester owners who have complained about the same problem. this is a health hazard. i don't think anyone should be breathing these concentrated fumes. subaru needs to do a recall and replace these faulty lines. this problem has been ongoing for at least the past 2 years/winters. my most recent visit to the mechanic (to address the fuel smell again) was december 23, 2016.
Car leaks fuel profusely from fuel line near engine block when running during cold weather temperatures below 20 degrees fahrenheit.
In very cold weather, there is a strong gasoline smell inside the car that remains as the car warms up. this only occurs when temperatures are well below freezing.
Foresters have a common problem of a very common problem of the fuel line leaking. the cold causes shrink to the fuel lines causing a leak into the engine and fuel vapors to enter the cabin. this issue occurs whether it's stationary or in motion as well as all other conceivable states that the vehicle can be in. a recall was issued for the wrx, the same should occur with the forester. this issue occurs every winter when the temp drops below 20 degrees.
Fuel leak in lines above engine but below intake during colder weather. fuel fumes pulled into vehicle by heating system.
Strong fuel odor has been entering the cabin during startup on cold mornings. this is caused by a fuel line leaking onto the engine. the leak can be seen but is inaccessible without removing the intake manifold. once the vehicle heats up and the line expands the leak stops. i am very concerned about the potential for a vehicle fire and the danger of inhaling gasoline flames. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. when the vehicle was started, a very strong fuel odor emerged from the engine compartment. the fuel tank leaked fuel onto the manifold. the failure was diagnosed by an independent mechanic as a fuel tank leak. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 149,966.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 subaru forester. the contact noticed an odor of fuel and a leak coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel lines needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle had not been diagnosed by a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 123,000.
Fuel lines seep fuel onto the top of engine block and near turbo inlet area when temperatures are below ~20 degrees fahrenheit. the seepage occurs at the clamps between the metal and gas lines below the intake manifold. these clamps are not accessible without removal of many parts by a professional mechanic. gas fumes fill the cabin when this occurs as well. fumes are not bad when moving but if stopped at a stop sign or after starting the vehicle the fumes are very strong. this has been a known issue with other model subarus (2002 - 2003 subaru impreza & impreza wrx) that have a very similar engine configuration but has never been addressed with the subaru forester. the concerns i have are 1) fire hazard of gas pooling on top of engine block near turbo and other components 2) fumes building up in the passenger cabin.
Leaking gas under the intake manifold when it is cold out, 90k miles on the car.
Approx. 90000 miles - strong smell of gasoline inside passenger cabin. leaking seal as described by 1000's of other subaru owners. why no recall or advisory on what owner's should look for. between gm fires, etc, not exactly sure what you all need to issue recall order/notifications. sad.
In cold weather there is a fuel smell in the cabin. i'm told this is a common subaru problem that results from the metal fuel line joining with a rubber/plastic hose in the engine compartment. the metal and rubber expand/contract at different rates as the temperature changes resulting in a fuel leak. it is most noticeable when stationary idling during cold weather.
Car has a strong gas odor in the cab when temperature drops to 20 degrees and below. occuring on cold start and continuing in motion on local and highway driving. after a few unsuccessful fixes by authorized subaru service problem still exists for three years soa needs to recognise this gas leak for this model and year as a recall and perminent fix please help
Dangerous!! i am the recent proud owner of a 2004 subaru forester xt. a couple of days ago we got our first freeze. i walk out to start my car and it's not turning over and a strong fuel smell is filling the cabin. i keep trying thinking that it may turn over. with no luck, and fearing something is wrong (or may possibly blow up), i stop and get out. taking a closer look having parked it some dirt, i see that it is visibly moist under my car. the ground is saturated with gas. luckily it didn't contact any spark in the engine or i wasn't smoking, because i wouldn't be here today to tell this story. it was a ton of gas. please fix this before someone dies or gets seriously injured.
During winter months 2004 forester xt emits noxious fuel smell into cabin. source is from engine compartment in area of turbo/exhaust manifold as discover from puddle on garage floor during warm up
The fuel lines under the manifold on the passenger side are leaking fuel when first starting and it is cold outside(below 50f). the fumes and filling the cab of the car when the heater it on.
Fuel rail hoes clamps/rubber line is faulty, causing pooling of gas on the top of the engine. major fire hazard.
I started the car on a cold morning and the whole vehicle smelled of gasoline. i'm unable to drive my children in the vehicle until this issue is resolved as i fear they may be inhaling fumes or may suffer a horrible fiery death i risk my own life back and forth to work and notice the smell starts to go away after the car warms up either that or i'm just used to it. my 02 wrx had the same issue and it was recalled. why haven't the xt issues been recalled? haddad subaru in pittsfield ma tightened up what they could reach but the issue lies beneath the intake.
Strong odor of gas when outside temperature drops. *tr
There is a very strong and distinct smell of raw fuel coming from the engine compartment when the weather is below freezing (20f or below). the smell comes through the air vents into the passenger compartment and is strong enough to cause a headache for the passengers in the car. the smell is worst when the car is stopped after a drive. it seems that this is a known problem with subaru wrx 2002 & 2003 cars and subaru has issued a recall for them. this also seems to be a common enough problem for subaru forrester cars from the same timeframe. on the website http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2004/subaru/forester, almost 50% of the complaints out of 154 complaints is about this fuel leak issue. this seems to be a well known problem according to dealers and other subaru forrester owners as well (http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f87/smell-gas-cold-starts-41319/). it has also been documented by other owners at nhtsa: https://sites.google.com/site/20042005foresterxtfuelleaks/ subaru of america seems to have implicitly acknowledged the systemic problem as they have been reimbursing some owners (but not all) for their service costs which can be in the range for $800 (http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f88/fixing-leaking-fuel-gas-line-86782/). however, subaru has not recalled these cars and is expecting owners to fix the problems which may may cause health issues and given fuel leaking on hot engine parts, may lead to an engine fire if not fixed. *js
Noticed a strong fuel smell after letting the car warm up on a cold morning, odor went away after 15-20 minutes. fuel smell has gotten stronger, and is now constant even when operating under highway speeds. this is exactly the same as many other forester owners have complained about. issues it with the fuel line going to the injectors on the passenger side of the motor. is exactly the same issue and parts that subaru uses on the wrx which was recalled for this exact issue. *tr
Anytime the temperature drops below 60 degrees fahrenheit there's a strong smell of gasoline inside the cab of the vehicle. when looking under the hood i can see it dripping out of something underneath the intake manifold. severe gas leak. nauseous and dangerous fumes.
To whom it may concern, hello, i am the owner of a 2004 forester xt which i love. i've owned the car for almost a year and its been nothing but reliable up to this point. the weather outside is frightful, and with that comes a common problem for many subaru owners. during the cold snaps, say below 20f, there is strong fuel smells which fills the cabin. it only happens during start-up, and lasts about 15 mins before the car warms up. from searching many forums and internet threads it seems this problem has been occurring since early 2001. there was a recall notice (wvk-21)for the 2002 -2003 wrx's which had a same problem i am experiencing now. unfortunately a recall was never issued for later model subarus which suffer the same problem. the problem is fuel leaking from 5 main fuel lines going into the intake manifold. it seems that when it is cold outside, the lines are shrinking and is allowing fuel to spew out everywhere. just from searching for 3 days i've seen 125 cases of this happening to other owners. will you please put out a bulletin before someone dies from there car exploding because of extra fuel leaking out of the fuel hoses. please i beg of you, please issue a recall!!! *tr
In cold weather (below 30 degrees), fuel lines leak under the intake manifold, causing a severe fuel smell in the cabin, most likely also a fire hazard. dealer claims not a recall issue. upon research a large majority of subarus in model range have the issue, with no fix in sight. *tr
On days with sub-freezing temperatures, after starting the vehicle, a strong smell of gas is present. upon inspection of the engine compartment, there is gasoline visibly dripping from a fuel line behind the ac compressor. the gasoline lands on the engine block and produces visible vapors as it is slowly burned up by the heat. upon discussing the problem with a subaru repair shop, they said this is quite common for my vehicle. *tr
The smell of fuel became obvious after a 10-15 minute drive. upon examination, there was fuel dripping from a fuel line. this occurred after the first freeze of the year, fitting other descriptions of this issue i found for this model. *tr
Warmed up vehicle. temp was below 31 degrees closer to low 20's. within two minutes fuel smell entered vehicle. over come by fumes... rolled down windows. problem took at least 15 minutes at least to get rid of smell. very worried due to fuel being a highly combustible fluid in a hot engine. *tr
Fuel smell in cabin with blower set on outside air. the cause was a fuel leak in the engine bay under the intake manifold. *tr
My car has a strong gas odor smell coming from the air vents and from the outside of the car while i'm driving or even while the car is warming up and not moving. this has been happening since last year and i just recently found out another friend of mine with the same type of car told me to report it to the nhtsa website. *tr
There is a strong gasoline smell inside the car when the heat is on and the outside air temperature is around 30f or colder. the odor occurs regardless of whether the car is moving or not.
Upon start up in cold weather (below freezing), there is a strong smell of raw fuel in the cabin. at times it is unbearable necessitating rolling down the windows, even in sub-freezing temperatures. it looks like fuel is leaking from somewhere in the engine bay. it has happened repeatedly and i worry the fumes are dangerous for not only passengers' health, but also in case of an accident. *tr
During the cold weather there is an very strong gas smell in the car. i started the car and looked under the hood and can see where gas is leaking from the fuel system. i believe it leaks in the same spot that many other people have reported. *tr
I've owned my 2004 subaru for 5 years without incident, but as of december 2013, i've experienced a strong fuel smell both inside and outside of the car. the smell is overpowering while car is parked, but lessens while moving. it began after the first big drop in temperature (40 degrees to 10 degrees), and has persisted for over a week now. *tr
I purchased a used subaru forester xt. the car had approximately 180,000 miles and was purchased mid-winter in denver, colorado. on extremely cold days i noticed a raw fuel smell. it was an alarmingly strong smell! i was all too familiar with this issue since i had also owned a 2002 subaru wrx with approximately 155,000 which incidentally was covered under a recall for this "known" issue. interestingly enough there was no issue with raw gas smell on the days that were warmer with either vehicle. i made an appointment at a subaru dealership in longmont, colorado where they advised me that the fuel hoses were leaking underneath the manifold and that the replacement part was not available at the time because it was back ordered approximately 6-8 weeks. i had a factory trained subaru technician that owns his own shop replace a certain number of the fuel delivery hoses with original subaru replacement parts since said part was back ordered. i also replaced the long block (subaru) along with a host of other items at the same time since the motor was out. prior to going to the dealership i was able to test the vehicle's internal atmosphere with a tool that detects the environments air quality. the atmosphere was able to trip the tool showing that the atmosphere was in a lower explosive limit. imagine my surprise that it was that bad. i determined that this issue warranted an immediate fix with subaru factory parts. as of this last week, november 2014, when denver had record breaking cold weather i have the same issue again with raw fuel smell. now, one could conclude that the factory trained technician made an error replacing said parts but i have been driving my vehicle without issue for nearly 9 warm months. coincidence??? i'm beginning to wonder. this fix should have been fixed under a recall as was my 2002 subaru wrx. i called s.o.a with no help. *tr
There is a pronounced, unmistakable smell of uncombusted gasoline emanating from the engine compartment as soon as the car is started on cool or cold mornings. the fumes enter the passenger cabin through the ventilation system. it is strong enough to cause headaches and require lowering the windows until it dissipates minutes later. this is a well known, well documented problem on the internet caused by defective fuel lines under the intake manifold. gasoline is leaking onto hot engine components. *tr
It was summer when i first notice the smell of fuel through my vents and i was driving pass an gas station (shell) so i didn't think much not till the next morning as i warmed up the car i smelled pure gasoline next to the passenger fender i then pop the hood and traced it and i was lead to the turbo side of the engine seems to be coming from the fuel rail area unsure as the engine warmed up the smell faded away but now it's winter and it's bad i can see a big lost in fuel consumption full tank doesn't last a week it's driven to and from work around 4 to 12 miles a day need help! *tr
Noticed a strong smell of gas while driving my 2004 forester xs, causing headaches to myself and passengers. i brought it to my mechanic who said that there was raw gas pooling on the manifold. he said that he has seen this many times before - leaking fuel lines due to the cold (it was 12 degrees when i first noticed it). he noted that this was the worst leak he has seen. looking at a $700 bill. i have since read many other complaints on this issue. wondering why there has not been a recall for this obvious safety issue. *tr
For a period of approximately three weeks in early january 2013 my wife, daughter and i could smell what can only be described as raw gasoline when we drove our 2004 subaru forester xt. it would typically take less than 5 minutes after we started the engine for the smell of gas to become very strong, even overwhelming. although it could still be sickening, the problem would improve somewhat after we drove the car for a few minutes. after we carefully refueled the car on two or three occasions we concluded that the issue definitely had nothing to do with spilled fuel or the fuel cap. we were very concerned that whether or not the situation led to a fire, we were all being made very sick by the problem. we contacted the subaru dealer where we have our forester serviced and dropped off the car for them to troubleshoot. we were quickly contacted and told that the issue was with the fuel system and that because the fuel lines ran under the turbocharger the repair would be very expensive (and it was). after researching the issue it quickly became apparent that this is a common problem with not only foresters, but for other subaru models as well. being that this is (by any standard) a common problem arising from the design of the vehicle, that there is no option but to repair these vehicles on threat of fire or illness, that the problem does not occur due to any kind of misuse or neglect, there should be a recall made for all subarus that experience leaking fuel systems (not just the wrx). because the repair is so expensive, and so many of the affected vehicles lack any warranty coverage to pay for the repair, i am concerned there are many owners who will attempt the repair themselves or have the work done by technicians who are not familiar with the problem. it is my sincere hope that a safety recall is made and owners are notified before anyone is harmed. *tr
This is in a 2004 subaru forester xt (turbo). strong smell of unburned fuel coming from engine compartment and filling passenger compartment upon startup. *tr
In cold temperatures, there is a strong smell of gasoline in the cabin and in the engine compartment. fuel leaks in cold temperatures is a recurrent problem with this make/model/year as evidence by: similar complaints in subaru forums. similar problems in related models. *tr