| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 006085510 | Incident Date: Nov, 14 2006 |
| Consumer's City: GREENVILLE | Consumer's State: SC |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: MAN | Manufacturers Name: Subaru of America, Inc. |
| Model Name: WRX | 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#: JF1GD29672G | Date added to File: May, 23 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Nov, 14 2006 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: Apr, 14 2002 |
| Was Original Owner: Yes | Anti-lock Brakes: Yes |
| Number of Cylinders: 4 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: I own a 2002 subaru wrx. starting in the winter of 2005 (and recurring in the winter of 2006), a strong gas smell inside the cabin and around the car is present. this only happens with the ambient outside temperature is cold; usually below 35 degrees. during the winter of 2005, i believed the smell was nothing major but when it recurred in 2006, i decided to do something about it. i did research on the nhtsa website, along with subaru web forums (www.i-club.com; www.nasioc) and come to find out that this is a common occurrence with this model. i took my car to my local subaru on 11/13/06. it sits overnight so they can check the car on the morning of the 14th when the temperature is cold enough for the problem to arise. they do find a gas leak concurrent with the manufacturer's technical service bulletin (# 09-36-03 dated 04-01-03). the tsb replaces the fuel pipe assembly and hose as a set. the leak comes from the rubber hose connector, located under the intake manifold, between the two direct fuel-feed metal lines to the injectors. when the temperature is cold, the metal fuel line contracts more than the rubber fuel line, thus creating a "hole" for the gas to leak out of. the repair was quoted at $380.38. i am outraged over this repair for two reasons: i am not happy with having to spend money on a repair that is essential a design flaw. though i am past the warranty period, i feel that this repair should be covered by subaru as it is not a "repair;" it is a fix for their mistake. i am most upset, however, over the fact that subaru and the nhtsa have not created a recall campaign for this fix. this is a very dangerous problem as leaking fuel in a hot engine compartment is dangerous. it's a problem that could prove to be fatal for some owners. i however am fortunate to fix this problem before anything happened to me. i ask that both subaru of america and the nhtsa take a serious look at this problem and initiate a recall before any deaths or injuries occur. *jb |
