Problems with 2002 Subaru Impreza FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

During cold temperatures there is a gas leak. car is an impreza outback sport. there is a recall for wrx for the same problem but not my car. *tr

Odor of fuel in the interior of my 2002 subaru wrx impreza i contact subaru and advised them of this via their 800 complaint number and referred to campaign 09v-468 and nhtsa action #ea09011. i was told i could take the vehicle into my local subaru dealer at my own costs and get the vehicle repaired! i advised them that the campaign states my vehicle is covered for additional 12 years re: the problem and it fell on deaf ears. what can i do? *tr

I have a 2002 subaru impreza wagon, also known as the "outback sport". the car reeks of gasoline recently. subaru recently recalled some 2002 imprezas because the fuel line leaked fuel in cold weather. the recall # is 09v468000. it has been quite cold here in nc recently with temps in the teens and 20s. the problem with my car seems identical to the problem that was the subject of the recall, but my car model was not included in the recall. the gas smell is very strong and i am afraid that this could be dangerous and set my car and possibly my house on fire. *tr

When the weather is mildly cold, and it is approximately 50 degrees or less, and the vehicle sits parked for at least 4-5 hours, typically overnight and/or in a garage, there is a very strong smell of fuel when the vehicle is started. the smell dissipates after a few minutes and will not return unless the car sits parked for at least 4-5 hours overnight and/or in a garage. *kb

Subaru recently issued a recall, (recall no. wvk-21), for leaking fuel in '02-'03 wrx's. as stated, only some vehicles are covered. i called the subaru phone # to check eligibility, and was told that my car is not covered under this recall, but that i should have a dealer fix it, at my own cost, asap, because leaking fuel is dangerous. well at least the subaru rep admitted it, if so won't as a company. i would like to file a formal complaint to extend this recall to all 02-03 wrx's. the leak is bad enough that i see raw fuel dripping onto the pavement below my car, that alone is a horrendous safety risk, as well as a major source of pollution. there is no possible way this vehicle would pass any emissions test with the amount of unburned hydrocarbon escaping. as it is now, the vehicle is undriveable if the ambient temperature is below zero, it simply leaks too much fuel to even be in the passenger compartment without an instant headache. *tr

Getting a raw fuel smell in and around vehicle during cold weather on 2002 subaru impreza outback. researched problem on internet and determined possible fix involving tightening the clamps that connect the rubber fuel line hoses to the rigid hose lines (eight clamps total). tightened clamps but problem recurred two days later. gasoline smell is somewhat overpowering inside car and inside garage where car is parked. *tr

I recently bought an 02 subaru and it seems that every time i cold start the car when it gets below freezing outside there is a horrid gas smell in the cabin of the car. on further investigation it is visible that there is a pool of gas accumulating on the motor from underneath the intake manifold. i have just noticed this and called the dealer and they said they had never heard of this. looking online it seems to be a regular issue and there is no recall or information on how dangerous it is to have raw fuel on a hot engine. i am at a loss and a little concerned for my safety. *tr

Raw fuel smell plus leaking fuel in 40*f or below temperatures. *tr

During cool weather conditions from cold startup the engine has heavy fuel/gas smell which is transported into the vehicle cabin causing unhealthy breathing conditions for any occupants. called subaru cooperate and the dealer, they stated that there is a recall for a leaking fuel rail but not on our model. after much internet searching it appears the recall should be for all subarus with the same engine as the problem is engine related and not model related. the original recall should be extended to all subarus with the same engine configuration. the company is getting off easy with a limited recall of less than 6000 vehicles nation wide when there are clearly many many more out there. *tr

My subaru 2202 wrx has a strong smell of gas in the passenger compartment everytime it is cold out. they have a tsb to fix the issue but will not cover the repairs in all cases. the tsb is 09-36-03. i would think they would care about a manufacturer defect that involves fuel. this should have been recalled. *tr

I noticed a fuel odor in the cabin and traced it to the engine compartment. upon inspection i noted fuel pooling on the engine heads. i removed it with a paper towel for further inspection and verified it was still flammable. i spoke to the dealer about the issue and they said that happens when it gets below zero outside. the problem has caused me to have to pull over while driving because of feeling light headed multiple times, and my wife has passed out due to the odor while riding in the car and sustained a minor head injury as a result. it occurs on a daily basis when the temp. is below 20 degrees f or so. i have to open the windows while driving to vent the fumes which causes a hazardous condition while driving in inclement weather. *tr

The previous winter and this one, a raw fuel smell occurs on start up. upon observation, there is a fuel leak below the turbo inlet tube, coming from the fuel rail/hose. once warm, the smell is gone. *tr

In cold weather (freezing), the fuel rail under the intake manifold leaks gasoline. the gas drips directly onto the hot engine. not only is this a major fire hazard (and known source of a handful of fires) but it also is a health risk as the fumes from the gas enter into the cabin of the car when the heater is in use. i have had to keep windows open when driving my car in the middle of winter to prevent getting sick from the gas fumes. the issue get progressively worse the longer it goes without repair. my model year is 2002, and the problem has been known since 2003 when a service bulletin was issues to all subaru dealers. this has occurred on thousands of cars and there is great inconsistencies in subaru dealers repairing this problem. my car is a 2002 subaru impreza wrx with 920000 miles on the car. while this problem just started with my car, others reported the issue within the first 20,000 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 subaru impreza. the contact observed a small amount of fuel leaking from the fuel tank onto the ground. in addition, while driving various speeds, the contact smelled a strong odor of fuel inside the passenger compartment. the failure occurred without warning. the authorized dealer stated that the fuel line was the cause of the failure, which could be corrected by a patch kit. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 01/09/09. *lj updated 01/12/09.*jb

I just purchased this 02 subaru impreza wrx car a couple of months ago and noticed a strong smell of gas on the outside of the car when i started it and also on the inside, i had it looked at by a mechanic and it was spraying out of one of the hoses by the air intake tube, he was able to tighten it a little to slow the leak but the car has the same problem when you start it and driving it you can smell gas very strong on the inside of the car, i'm worried to drive it fearing it may start a fire. is there anything that subaru will do to fix this problem and also, i have to have an emissions test done in another state where i will be attending college, i was told it would be a problem. thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated. *tr

2002 subaru impreza wrx during cold temperatures a fuel line leaks. there is a service bulletin for this problem (tsb: 09-36-03), but it has not been made a recall. if enough fuel accumulates i would expect. *tr

Strong fuel smell in passenger compartment of car, following start of vehicle in the morning. sounds similar to nhtsa action number pe04002 except this is happening in temperatures 40-50 degree farenheit. *cn

During the past several years my 2002 subaru impreza wrx has had the strong smell of fuel. its not consistent nor does it happen all the time but often enough that it concerns me. i have called subaru's headquarters about this problem and they just keep telling me there is no re-call for this problem, so they won't fix it. i'm concerned this is a real safety problem that subaru refuses to address nor fix. *tr

On cold mornings there is a tremendous gasoline smell in side the car. this seems to only happen when the car has sat overnight and when the overnight temp goes below 35f. gas can be smelled in the engine bay and what looks like gas can be seen pooling on the passenger side of the motor. i decided to file this report after speaking with other 2002 subaru impreza wrx owners who indicated that they have the same issue. i believe that this issue presents a fire hazard and that if this issue is wide spread, a mandatory recall is in order. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 subaru impreza. the contact noticed a strong gasoline odor while the vehicle was idling. she took her vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the fuel line was too close to the exhaust manifold, causing fumes to emit and possibly start a fire. the vehicle is currently being repaired. the current and failure mileages were 118,000.

My 2002 subaru has gas fumes in the cabin whenever the weather is cold. the colder the weather the stronger the fumes. subaru is aware of the issue, the have a bulletin on this very issue, however the dealer refuses to cover this issue. over the phone the service manager was confident that subaru would not cover this issue. he informed me that it was just fumes leaking. knowing a little about how gasoline is ignited, i know that the fumes are what combustion, and that is what i am concerned about. if subaru is so concerned about safety, one would thing that explosive fumes would be on their list. however both subaru of america, and subaru of annapolis did nothing to reassure me that this would be covered. when i called subaru of america again, they told me to contact another dealer and see what they would do. this is the last subaru i will every buy! *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 subaru impreza wr,x and stated that the vehicle was leaking fuel, and there was a raw fuel smell coming from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. the fuel smell was stronger when the vehicle was running and the temperature was below 32 degrees. the contact currently has the vehicle at the dealership. the failure and current mileage were 119330.*ak the vehicle also had a coolant lead. the drivers side door regulator was inopertive, the clutch had a judder, there was problem with the abs. updated

Raw fuel smell noticed while car is on. seems to be coming from engine bay. has just begun to occur as temperature has dropped below freezing. *nm

2002 subaru impreza ts - fuel smell in cold weather. when starting my impreza ts at temperatures below 32f there is a distinct and overpowering fuel smell in the cabin of the vehicle. there is a technical service bulletin released for the wrx model but not the ts. please address the exclusion of the ts model as this issue is a significant health and safety concern. *jb

2002 subaru impreza xrx gas fumes and smell when the weather is cold. it is common on 2002 subaru's these cars should be recalled because of the danger of a fire and this has not happened to date. the cost for a repair is high because the fuel lines and under the manifold. i noticed this smell the first year i bought the car that is the date in the incident box. *tr

In very cold temperatures (below 30f), the smell of raw fuel enters the cabin. subaru has a tsb for this issue, but i think this should be a recall issue considering that fuel vapor is highly flammable and is also a known carcinogen. *nm

Began smelling odor of raw fuel inside of my 2002 subaru impreza. after a short research i found it to be a common problem during cold weather. contacted a dealer and was told that it is not covered under warranty or recall. *jb

I just wanted to share with you a very recurring, and very unsafe problem regarding the subaru wrx impreza. i came home tonight to a strong smell of gasoline coming from the engine bay of my car. i proceeded to open my hood and investigate. what i found was actual fuel leaking from a part of my car! this fuel can ignite and even explode if it were to touch something hot (turbo charger, cat converter) well upon going online, i looked the problem up, and it seems a lot of wrx impreza owners are having this exact same problem. this is a problem noted since 2002 and subaru has done nothing about this! in the link i am about to provide to you, it will show many cases of people dealing with subaru, in some cases with very poor customer service. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131755 that website is just one website representing the countless amounts of people experiencing the same exact problem. i do not see how subaru cannot create a recall on something so extremely unsafe. *jb

When the weather is cold, my 2002 subaru wrx develops a fuel leak in the engine compartment underneath the intake manifold on the passenger side. leak rate is about 1 drop per second. vehicle has 64,000 miles. i just recently moved to a colder climate area. *nm

I drive a 2002 subaru impreza wrx sedan. when i start the car on cold mornings and turn on the heater with the air recirculation off, a distinct smell of gas comes through the air vents. then, when i open the hood to look for the problem, the smell of gas is even stronger and more noticeable. much like other wrx owners, i have been unable to trace this problem. because of this, i have not made any attempts to fix it. gasoline is widely known to be carcinogenic among many other unfortunate things, and the presence of gasoline in an engine compartment along with sparks and high heat seems extremely dangerous. this problem has been documented by many, many other people for over three years now. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 subaru impreza rs. the contact noticed a very strong gasoline odor inside of the vehicle. the vehicle was not examined by a dealer for the cause of failure. the contact stated that over time he noticed that the failure only recurred while driving in very cold weather conditions. an authorized dealer confirmed that the contacts vin was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 09v468000. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 127,000. the vin was unavailable.

my car is subaru impreza wrx sport wagon. i used to gas my car at shell gas station in highland park. a lot of times i found water in my car's gas tank. i use the 93 octane, because my car has turbo. please check the 93 octane gas on the shell gas station. *jb

Not a new as others have it too and subaru knows of the trouble. upon first starting the 2002 subaru wrx there is a raw gas smell due to a defective part within the fuel system. both the nhtsa and subaru know of this but i have been told by dealers that the full cost of this manufacture defect must be paid by the car owner-i was told by a dealer that failure to do this would result in engine fires. i found this info within this site and cannot understand why subaru is not working with the nhtsa to assist people driving potential fire hazards in fixing as fast as possible the defect. *nm

During recent cold weather, i noticed a strong odor of unburned fuel in the passenger cabin. research indicated this is addressed by tsb 009-36-03, however a fuel leak of any nature should be considered for recall due to the risk to health and life. *jb

Fuel leak near engine. raw fuel smell in cabin. *jb

We have terrible gasoline fumes in my wife's car when it's cold outside. it's coming from the engine compartment and getting into the cabin. it's so overpowering that my wife and children can not be in the car with the windows closed. it even gave her a headache today after she drove it with the windows open. it's a 2002 subaru impreza ts wagon. i have done some research online and i have found that this is a common problem with this model, yet there has not been a recall. i have seen the investigation report pe04002. our problem persists even when the car is fully warmed up. i drove it for 45 minutes, and it was just as bad at the end of the trip as it was at the beginning. *jb

2002 subrau wrx. long drive in sub-zero weather after which a extreme fuel smell was entering the car at stops. after arriving home i quickly looked under the hood where i could see and smell fuel vaporizing on the left (passenger) side of the engine compartment. the fuel vapor was originating from the hose mentioned in pe04002, subaru tsb #09-36-03. this is contrary to the problem only existing during cold start conditions as my car was fully warmed up and after 2 hours driving. the fuel vapor filled up my garage to the extent that i was forced to open the garage door. according to subaru this is not a recall and thus i need to pay to fix this issue-- however after my experience tonight i'm scared to drive my car in sub-zero weather. i urge nhtsa to re-examine action number pe04002 as the amount of fuel vapor coming from my car this evening could have very easily caused a fire had an ignition source been introduced anywhere around my car. *jb

In cold weather (sub-freezing), i smell gasoline vapors in the passenger compartment of my 2002 suburu impreza wrx. the smell of gasoline is equally strong under the hood. one must drive with the windows open, with no heat, so as to avoid light-headiness. *jb

Raw fuel smell in cold weather. had to replace cd player. seals on windows fell off. brakes pump when hitting the brake when debris on road. (rocks,etc.). *nm

During one cold day i noticed that my car (2002 subaru wrx) had a raw gas smell after starting up, like a fuel leak. *jb

When the weather is under 20 degrees f, there are strong gasoline fumes inside the passenger compartment of the automobile. it makes me dizzy, causing the necessity to drive with the windows down in single digit temperatures. subaru is aware of this problem and they have issued a service bulletin, but they will not fix many cars that are no longer under warranty. this is a health concern, an emissions concern, and a safety concern, as raw gasoline is leaking somewhere in the engine bay.

When the temperature gets below 20 degrees fahrenheit fuel lines leak on the engine of my 2002 subaru impreza rs. the leak can be clearly smelled from inside the car. this issue is known by subaru and they won't designate this as a recall. they do consider this a technical service bulletin and only service this under warranty. otherwise, it's up to the owner to spend upwards of $350 to have a subaru dealer perform the repairs. *jb

I purchased a used 2002 subaru impreza wrx and have been smelling gas. i have read a previous investigation, pe04002. i understand there is no immediate safety concern for fire, but when driving over long periods the smell does not go away and has caused light headedness for myself and passengers, to the point that i have had to pull over and get out of the car. i also am curious why a recall has not been issued for a known defect, found and acknowledged by the manufacturer. leaking gas is dangerous to inhale and dangerous to the environment. i would urge you to investigate this issue further. *nm

I purchased a new 2002 wrx three years ago and am inhaling gasoline fumes in my car when driving in cold weather. the subaru dealer told me that they are aware of this problem with the "cold fuel smell". i think that inhaling gasoline fumes is very hazardous, especially when driving. i hope and beg that subaru corporation will recall this common fault. *nm

This is a complaint towards subaru of america (soa). this is the third year that i have experienced fuel fumes in the cabin of my vehicle. please review the forums on this online. this cannot go on , we have to leave our garage door open to dispell the fumes, its a fire hazard. soa will not accept any responsibility for this vehicle fuel system defect. it needs to be on a safety recall. this has happened every year when the temperature reaches below freezing. i took the vehicle too the local dealership and they wanted $$$ to correct the defect (approx $500). *tr

I have a 2002 subaru impreza wrx. there is a fuel smell coming from under the hood, near the passenger side by the intake manifold. this happens when i start the car in the mornings when it is cold outside. there is a technical service bulletin from subaru on this matter, but i think it should be a recall item since this involves a fuel smell coming from substandard parts. *nm

On 1 or 2 occasions in the past couple years i have smelled a gas fumes during very cold weather on my 2002 subaru wrx wagon. i was not often or very strong, so i did not pay much attention. this winter it has been happening more, any time the temperature gets into the low 20's, it is a much stronger smell and lasts quite a while (several minutes). i did some digging on your site and found action number pe04002. i plan to visit my dealer and have the service bulletin completed, but wanted to make you aware that the problem may get worse over time, i currently have 66,000 miles on the vehicle and have driven it since july 2001. *jb

Upon start up and driving in cold weather a strong fuel smell emitted from the vehicle. the owner has contacted the dealer and the manufacturer and was told that this is common. provide further details. *jb

I drive a 2002 subaru impreza wrx manufactured in feb 2001. i have owned the vehicle for 3 months. i noticed the failure during the first day the temperature dropped below freezing. the failure is described as a very strong scent of noxious fuel into the passenger cabin of the vehicle. the scent is present when the vehicle is started with a cold engine and the outside temperature is below freezing. the scent dissipates after 5 minutes of running the engine. this occurs every time these conditions are present which can be multiple times daily. the consequences to date have simply been discomfort but i am concerned that long term exposure may have lasting damage to my and my passengers lungs and eyes. so far i have not taken any corrective action as the discussion forum at www.nasioc.com has many postings describing failed attempts of fixing the problem by subaru trained mechanics. *nm

Strong gas odor in cabin when temps are below 30 out side. this is the same problem reported last year with no recall or resolution by dealer/nhtsa. *nm