2003 SUBARU WRX Fuel System Gasoline Problems

IN COLD WEATHER THE FUEL LINES LEAK ON THE 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX! THERE WAS A LIMITED RECALL IN CERTAIN NORTHERN STATES, HOWEVER IT GETS COLD IN MANY STATES WHERE THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE CAR HAS BECOME DANGEROUS TO DRIVE B/C I CAN SMELL THE GAS WHICH MEANS THERE IS THE DANGER OF IGNITION. SUBARU KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE AND SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL CARS AFFECTED. *TR

ON THE MORNING OF FEB 3, 2014 I STARTED MY CAR AND IT SMELLED VERY STRONGLY OF RAW GAS. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE TOW COST $84.70. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT MORNING THAT SUBARU ISSUED A RECALL BEGINNING DECEMBER 31, 2009 FOR 2002 AND 2003 SUBARU WRXS WHERE THE FUEL LINE LEAKS IN EXTREME COLD. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RECALL INCLUDED ONLY 16 STATES, AND OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO THE OTHER 34 STATES NOT NAMED IN THE RECALL (I RESIDE IN ONE OF THE 34 FOR THE "EXTENDED WARRANTY"). I PROMPTLY PHONED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, WEBSTER GROVES SUBARU ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, [XXX], ADVISED ME TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE OVER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. CONSIDERING THIS IS TALKING ABOUT RAW GAS AND AT LEAST ONE FIRE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN RELATION TO...

FUEL LINE LEAKS RAW GASOLINE FUMES INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE DURING COLD WEATHER. GAS FUMES ARE OVERPOWERING INSIDE THE VEHICLE, AND POSSIBLY CREATES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD OF FIRE/ EXPLOSION. *TR

OCCASIONALLY MY WRX SMELLS LIKE RAW GAS. THREE TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN DRIVING TO MT. LEMON, UP A VERY STEEP ROAD, I HAVE HAD A VERY STRONG (UNBEARABLE) GAS SMELL ENTER THE CAR. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I AM JUST "OVERFILLING THE TANK," HOWEVER, I NEVER TRY TO FILL THE TANK BEYOND THE AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF POINT ON THE GAS PUMP. I HAVE ALSO SMELLED GAS OCCASIONALLY WHEN DRIVING BUT NEVER AS STRONG AS WHEN I DRIVE TO MT. LEMON. *TR

2003 SUBARU WRX, RAW FUEL SMELL IN CABIN BEFORE ENGINE IS WARM AND COOLANT TEMPERATURES ARE WARM. HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY BUT WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF THE SMELL. SEEMS LIKE IT'S A POPULAR PROBLEM FOR THE CARS IN THIS PRODUCTION RANGE. FIRST NOTICED IT ON THE DATE SHOWN BUT OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 50F. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SUBARU WRX WAGON. AS TEMPERATURES APPROACH FREEZING THE FUEL LINES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE BEGIN TO LEAK, HEAVILY, DURING COLD START UP. THIS CAUSES RAW FUEL SMELL TO ENTER THE CABIN AS WELL AS CREATING A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION WITH RAW FUEL OPENLY POOLING ON THE ENGINE. SUBARU AND THEIR DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND IT IS FIXABLE, HOWEVER IT REQUIRES REMOVAL OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD - A VERY LABOR INTENSIVE JOB - WHICH MAKES IT A COSTLY REPAIR FOR THE CONSUMER TO BEAR. I ACQUIRED THE CAR LAST YEAR AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED THROUGHOUT LAST WINTER AND HAS RECURRED ALREADY ONCE THIS FALL. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AFTER READING ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH MY 2003 SUBARU WRX. VERY STRONG RAW GASOLINE FUMES INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT DURING COLD WEATHER STARTUP. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR. THIS PROBLEM JUST STARTED THIS WINTER. YES SUBARU OF AMERICA IT'S HAPPENING ON THE 2003 MODELS ALSO. I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME DIRECTION AS HOW TO PROCEED WITH THIS DEVELOPING SAFETY PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THANK YOU. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SUBARU WRX. MY CAR STARTED TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING A FEW DAYS AGO IN THE ENGINE BAY. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GOES BELOW 30 DEGREES THE INSIDE CABIN STARTS TO STRONGLY SMELL LIKE RAW FUEL. THE VAPORS CAN CAUSE HARMFUL AND EVEN DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS THAT ITS A WIDELY COMMON ISSUE WITH SUBARU WRX'S FROM 2002 TO 2004. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC SHOP AND GOT THE CAR EXAMINED. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE CLAMPS THAT HOLD THE GAS LINES INTACT WERE VERY LOOSE. HE SAID THAT THE DURING HIGH FUEL PRESSURE THE FUEL LINES COULD SEPARATE AND CAUSE A ENGINE FIRE. I HAVE CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THEY TOLD ME THERE'S A BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. IT SEEMS THAT THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS...

I AM WRITING WITH RESPECT TO THE INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNING FUEL LEAKS IN THE 2002-2003 MODELS OF THE SUBARU IMPREZA WRX MODELS. I PURCHASED A WRX IN FEBRUARY OF 2003. LIKE OTHER REPORTS, MY CAR INITIALLY EMITTED A FUEL ODOR ONLY ON COLD DAYS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP, BEL AIR SUBARU, TO HAVE THE PROBLEM INVESTIGATED. THEY INFORMED MY THAT I HAD A FAULTY FUEL LINE, REPLACED THE FUEL LINE, AND CHARGED ME $800.00. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I STILL SMELLED FUEL. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP; THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANOTHER LEAK. I WAS TOLD BY THE SALES MANAGER TO "WAIT FOR THE PROBLEM TO FULLY MANIFEST ITSELF." IN THE MEANTIME, I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON YOUR WEBSITE. MY INTERPRETATION OF THE REPORT WAS THAT THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN, SO I INITIALLY DROPPED THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, AS...

1. FUEL LEAKS FROM THE FUEL RAIL WHEN DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER. 2. FUEL LEAKS FROM FUEL RAIL AND RUBBER FUEL LINE THAT IS POSITIONED UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHILE OPERATING IN COLD CLIMATE. THIS CONDITION CAUSES FUEL TO LEAK ON TO THE HOT ENGINE CAUSING SMOKE TO RISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND POSSIBLY IGNITE RAW FUEL, IT ALSO CAUSES THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT TO FILL WITH A STRONG GAS SMELL. 3. CORRECTION-REPLACEMENT OF FUEL RAIL AND RUBBER FUEL LINE AS INDICATED IN THE CAR MAKERS SERVICE BULLETIN. OLD PART NOT AVAILABLE. *NM

AFTER A COLD WEEKEND THE INSIDE OF THE CABIN SMELLS OF RAW FUEL. I SEE THE MANUFACTURER HAS A TSB FOR FIXING THIS IN THE NORTH AND CANADA, BUT NO MENTIONS OF IT IN THE SOUTH. ALSO, THEY SAY IT HAPPENS IN 02 VEHICLES, BUT I HAVE AN 03 AND IT JUST STARTED. *NM