| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 004048872 | Incident Date: Dec, 05 2004 |
| Consumer's City: BLACKSBURG | Consumer's State: VA |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: | Manufacturers Name: Subaru of America, Inc. |
| Model Name: IMPREZA | Model Year: 2002 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 0 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: JF1GD29632G | Date added to File: May, 23 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Dec, 05 2005 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: - |
| Was Original Owner: No | Anti-lock Brakes: No |
| Number of Cylinders: 0 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: My 2002 subaru wrx is becoming increasingly difficult to drive in cold weather. the smell of raw fuel has recently become intolerable during cold temperatures. i am forced to use recirculation on the ventilation system and drive with my windows open if freezing weather to help with the gas smell. i have tracked the leak down to a two-inch rubber hose section under the intake manifold on the passenger side. it appears that the clamps are loose and cannot be tightened without removal of the manifold. i have seen that a technical service bulletin has been issued on this matter. i called my dealer to have this safety and health issue repaired. to my dismay, i discovered that it is not covered under a recall or warranty. my car currently has 48,270 miles on it and has been impeccably maintained. the dealer has verbally quoted $400-$500 for the repair. upon searching the internet and the nhtsa, i see that fuel vapor odor in the cabin in certain 2002 wrx's is a well-documented defect. i hope for my sake, subaru's sake, and the sake of others with this problem, that subaru of america, inc. will show itself as a standup organization that will make good to it's loyal customers. as an 11 year mechanical engineer in the design and manufacturing industry, and an automobile enthusiast, i can explain that this leak is due to three conditions. 1) improperly torqued hose clamps during factory assembly, 2) fuel line material shrinkage/stiffening due to cold temperatures, leading to further loosening of clamps, and 3) misalignment of fuel lines. subaru should repair this fuel leak at their cost; avoiding health and safety issues, and loss of future customers. this is not a condition caused by the operator of the vehicle by any means and should not be placed on the operators shoulders. over time this leak will become more severe and may possibly ignite under certain conditions or cause dizziness in the more severe cases. *jb |
