NHTSA Complaint #10258751 — 2002 SUBARU WRX

SINCE OWNING MY 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX, ON OCCASIONS WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD AND VEHICLE HEATING IS ACTIVATED, OVERPOWERING FUEL ODORS ARE CONSISTENTLY PRESENT IN THE CABIN AREA. THE ODOR IS PRONOUNCED AND PERSISTENT AND DOES NOT "BURN OFF" EVENTUALLY. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, IT IS NOT TOLERABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT OPENING THE CAR'S WINDOWS TO HELP DIFFUSE THEM. NOT DOING SO WILL GIVE OCCUPANTS SYMPTOMS COMMON TO EXPOSURE TO HEAVY DOSES OF FUELS VAPORTS IN AN ENCLOSED AREA: NAMELY HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. THE ISSUE APPEARS TO BE WELL KNOWN WITHIN THE WRX COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY WITH THE 2002 MODEL OWNERS AND NHTSA IS AWARE OF SUBARU OF AMERICA'S (SOA) TSB CONCERNING THE PROBLEM. AS I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, WHICH SEEMS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISSUE, DOES NOT USUALLY OCCUR FOR EXTENSIVE PERIODS OF TIME, I HAD NOT PURSUED THE ISSUE FOR RESOLUTION BY TILL LAST YEAR WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED TO BE PREDICTABLY CHRONIC IN THE WINTER SEASON. I CONTACTED SOA VIA EMAIL AT THAT TIME ASKING THEM FOR ADVICE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE A DEALERSHIP INVESTIGATE IT. AS THEY DID NOT INDICATE THIS WOULD BE PAID FOR BY THEM AND I DID NOT HAVE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PURSUE THIS INDEPENDENTLY, I DID NOT TAKE THE ISSUE FURTHER. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE IS RECURRING DAILY NOW IN THIS PARTICULARLY COLD WINTER SO I HAVE CONTACTED THEM AGAIN TO FURTHER PURSUE THIS WITH THEM. MY INTERNET RESEARCH, THE TSB AND THE MANY COMPLAINTS ON NHTSAS SITE CONCERNING THE ISSUE SEEM TO SUPPORT THE WRX OWNER COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE REMEDIATED BY SOA, FREE OF OWNER CHARGES, AS A RECALL. WOULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE IF NHTSA WILL BE PURSUING THIS WITH SOA AS A RECALL ISSUE? ALSO, I WAS INTERESTED IN READING THE DETAILED TSBS AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE BUT CANNOT RETRIEVE THEM. SOA CHARGES A FEE TO DOWNLOAD THEM. IS THIS STANDARD INDUSTRY PRACTICE AND IS THERE A WAY I CAN GET THEM FROM NHTSA WITHOUT FEES? *TR