2005 SUBARU LEGACY Fuelpropulsion System Problems

DRIVING VEHICLE EASTBOUND ON HWY-14 IN VANCOUVER, WA, APPROX 60 MPH. VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER WE GOT VEHICLE HOME, INSPECTION FOUND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE HAD BLOWN-OFF AT THE FUEL PUMP CONNECTION, CAUSING LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL TO LEAK UNDER THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL FLANGE BRACKET ASSEMBLY CHAMBER (PART NUMBER: 42052AG87A) HAD CRACKED AND CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ORDERED THE PART FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND REPLACED THE FAILED PART. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES LATER. THE LOCAL DEALER (HADDAD SUBARU, 652 E. ST., PITTSFIELD, MA) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

ENGINE ACCELERATED AT A RAPID SPEED ON ITS OWN POWER.. UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION IN THE PARKING LOT..

FUEL LEAKING FROM TOP OF GAS TANK. NO COLLISON. GAS SMELL BEGAN AS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT STARTED SLOW BLINK. SMELL HAS GRADUALLY GROWN STRONGER. SMELL STRONGEST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. SMELL SOMETIMES ENTERS CAR INTERIOR.

AFTER MY DAD FILLED HIS LEGACY WITH FUEL WE COULD SMELL FUMES FROM THE FUEL. WE TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WE BOUGHT IT FROM FOR THEM TO OVERLOOK THE FUEL SYSTEM TO SEE WHERE THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM. AFTER IT WAS LOOKED OVER BY THE MECHANIC, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE GAS TANK ITSELF IS LEAKING AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. WE ARE NOT MADE OF MONEY, SO WE CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND ASKED FOR THEM TO HELP US WITH THE COST. THEY CONTACTED OUR SERVICE ADVISOR AND THE NEXT DAY TOLD MY DAD THEY COULD NOT HELP. TO US THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN NOT FIGURE OUT WHY SUBARU WOULDN'T WANT TO HELP WHEN IT CONCERNS CUSTOMER SAFETY. I KNOW THAT FORD IS RECALLING THEIR FUEL TANKS FOR THIS ISSUE, AND CANNOT SEE WHY SUBARU ISN'T DOING THE SAME. BETWEEN THE...

THE CAR IS CREATING A GAS LEAK AND SMELL AFTER COLD START UPS. THE CAR ALSO FILLS UP WITH SMOKE AFTER WARMING UP THE CAR 5-10 MIN.

AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, WE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A AIRPLANE PROPELLER WHIRLING. THE CAR THEN STOPPED. THE MECHANIC AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP SAID WE BLEW A CYLINDER. THE CAR IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE OR WILL BE SCRAPPED. WE KEPT THE CAR SERVICE RELIGIOUSLY AND WAS IN GREAT SHAPE. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? I THOUGHT WE HAD A RELIABLE CAR.

WHILE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE CAR CONTINUED AT IT'S NORMAL IDLE, BUT PRESSING ON THE GAS GAVE NO RESPONSE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP OFF THE ROAD AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME. THIS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN TWO TIMES AS OF TODAY AND IT TOOK SEVERAL TIMES TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO GET USE OF THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUED, AND OF COURSE A PROBLEM THAT COULD EASILY LEAVE ME AND MY KIDS STRANDED OR INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT IF I WERE TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS. I'VE READ ONLINE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU. THE CODE THAT I RECEIVED WAS P2138 (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR). *TR

PLASTIC FUEL PUMP BASKET/ASSEMBLY FLANGE THAT MOUNTS ON TOP OF FUEL TANK STRUCTURALLY DETERIORATES RESULTING IN MULTIPLE CRACKS THAT ALLOW FUEL TO LEAK OUT OF TANK BELOW THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT. WE OWN TWO DIFFERENT 2005 SUBARU LEGACY MODELS (ONE SEDAN, ONE STATION WAGON) AND UPON INSPECTION DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL PUMP BASKET FLANGE ON BOTH CARS SHOWED EXACTLY THE SAME STRUCTURAL DEFECT. THE FUEL BASKET ASSEMBLY IS ONLY AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THE REPAIR INVOLVES SUBSTANTIAL LABOR TO CHANGE ALL PARTS OVER. THIS IS CLEARLY A STRUCTURAL OR DESIGN ISSUE AND NOT A QUESTION OF MAINTENANCE OR RANDOM QUALITY CONTROL. *TR

RAW FUEL SMELL INSIDE CAR CABIN. SMELL OF FUEL IS OVERPOWERING WHEN VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE FREEWAY. SEEMS TO BE WORSE DURING COLD WEATHER, BELOW 60 DEGREES? *TR

SMELL OF GAS IN CABIN WHEN COOL/COLD WEATHER, VISIBLE LEAKING GAS WHEN CAR IS ON IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FROM FUEL LINES WHERE CLAMPED NEAR INTAKE TUBE. NO FIRE YET. *TR

AFTER COLD START (~10F) EXPERIENCED SEVERE FUEL VAPOR ODORS IN CABIN. DEALER TIGHTENED EASILY ACCESSIBLE FUEL LINE CLAMPS NEXT DAY. TWO DAYS LATER SAME PROBLEM, SEVERE FUEL VAPOR INCURSION INTO CABIN. WAS FORCED TO DRIVE SUNDAY WITH WINDOWS OPEN. MONDAY BACK TO DEALER. WAS TOLD FUEL LINE PROBLEM MAY BE DEEPER, CAUSED BY COMBO OF COLD WEATHER AND ALCOHOL DETERIORATING LINES. ALSO THAT RELEVANT PARTS ARE ON BACKORDER DUE TO THIS BEING AN ENDEMIC PROBLEM. ITS DANGEROUS AND INCONVENIENT AS WE NEED OUR 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE IN THESE CONDITIONS. *TR

STRONG GAS ODOR IN CABIN COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN THE WEATHER IS UNDER 38* FEELS LIKE IF THERE IS ANY KIND OF SPARK THE CAR WILL BLOW UP WITH ME IN IT , NOTIFIED SUBARU WHO TOLD ME I WAS THE FIRST ONE WITH THIS COMPLAINT, WHICH IS NOT TRUE, AS I SAW ONE MORE COMPLAINT LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE WEB. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND THE CAR SEEM TO LOOSE POWER, LUCKILY I NOTICED IT, AS I WAS ABLE TO COST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE RODE. I OWN A CARMD, AND ATTACHED IT TO MY CAR, IT GAVE ME CODE P2138 WHICH MEANS THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS (2 OF THEM) NOT BEING IN AGREEMENT. I THINK THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME WHILE ONE IS DRIVING, POTENTIAL LEADING TO A ACCIDENT OR FATALITY. *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND MY CAR HAS GONE INTO A FAIL SAFE MODE WHILE DRIVING (ELIMINATING THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE). THE CODE THE COMPUTER PROVIDES IS P2138, WHICH REFERS TO THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS (THERE ARE TWO) NOT BEING IN AGREEMENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO WHITE BEAR LAKE SUBARU IN WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. THEY DID NOT REPLICATE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT PERFORM ANY SERVICE. THE ISSUE AGAIN HAPPENED, THIS TIME OVER 1,000 MILES AWAY IN GEORGIA AND I WAS ALMOST RUN OVER BY MULTIPLE VEHICLES AS I TRIED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD - THE CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING. THEREFORE, THIS ISSUE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR