Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | ||||||||||||||||
| 09V468000 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | from 09/22/2000 to 09/12/2002 | V (Vehicle) | 5724 | 12/31/2009 | ODI | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 12/04/2009 | 12/04/2009 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 impreza wrx vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of south dakota, nebraska, north dakota, minnesota, idaho, iowa, montana, colorado, wisconsin, new york, wyoming, michigan, alaska, new hampshire, vermont, and maine. during cold starts, typically under extremely cold temperatures, fuel leaks in the fuel delivery line could occur where the line connects with a rubber hose. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Fuel leaks, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the fuel line free of charge. the recall began on december 31, 2009. owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Subaru recall no. wvk-21.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| PE04002 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 01/07/2004 | 05/27/2004 | FUEL LINE LEAKAGE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT | ||
| Subaru reports that the fuel odor is caused by fuel seepage during cold start of the engine under extremely cold temperatures. the leak occurs in a fuel line in the engine compartment.it reports that the failure is due to the misaligned angle between two fuel delivery lines which resulted in such fuel seepage during the first few seconds of cold engine start during these cold temperatures.subaru reports that the two fuel lines are connected with a hose that becomes too stiff in very cold temperatures to conform to the misalignment. subaru has issued a technical service bulletin (subaru service bulletin number 09-36-03) to replace the fuel lines with new lines that are properly aligned and that have a longer connecting hose.odi phone calls to many of the complainants confirm that fuel odor is noticable during very cold temperatures and cold start but goes away as the engine warms up, and the odor is not present in warmer temperatures. a few owners report that attempts to eliminate the leakage by tightening the connecting hose clamps is not effective in eliminating the fuel odor.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - CARBURETOR SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| EA09011 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 07/02/2009 | 12/14/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | 09V468000 | |
| The design of the fuel line (metal rail/rubber hose interface) is susceptible to fuel odor and/or seepage in extreme cold temperature conditions.owners most often noticed fuel odor in the occupant compartment area during initial cold engine start-up.once the engine is warmed, the odor/seepage issue dissipates.from subaru's data, odi notes that the incident rates are higher in states with colder temperatures.there was one allegation of a fire incident in which the owner had reported that he noticed fuel odor a few days earlier, but odi could not confirm the origin of the fire. to address this issue, subaru will replace the fuel line with a longer rubber hose segment version/design on 5,724 my 2002-2003 vehicles built through september 12, 2002 in 16 states (ak, co, ia, id, me, mi, mn, mt, nd, ne, nh, ny, sd, vt, wi & wy).in addition, subaru will extend the warranty coverage to 12 years/unlimited mileage on vehicles in the remaining 34 states.this engineering analysis is closed (see recall campaign 09v-468) | ||||||
| PE04002 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 01/07/2004 | 05/27/2004 | FUEL LINE LEAKAGE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT | ||
| Subaru reports that the fuel odor is caused by fuel seepage during cold start of the engine under extremely cold temperatures. the leak occurs in a fuel line in the engine compartment.it reports that the failure is due to the misaligned angle between two fuel delivery lines which resulted in such fuel seepage during the first few seconds of cold engine start during these cold temperatures.subaru reports that the two fuel lines are connected with a hose that becomes too stiff in very cold temperatures to conform to the misalignment. subaru has issued a technical service bulletin (subaru service bulletin number 09-36-03) to replace the fuel lines with new lines that are properly aligned and that have a longer connecting hose.odi phone calls to many of the complainants confirm that fuel odor is noticable during very cold temperatures and cold start but goes away as the engine warms up, and the odor is not present in warmer temperatures. a few owners report that attempts to eliminate the leakage by tightening the connecting hose clamps is not effective in eliminating the fuel odor.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - FUEL RAIL | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - INJECTORS | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | ||||||
| PE09017 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 03/10/2009 | 07/02/2009 | FUEL LINE LEAK | ||
| Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. this investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 53000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 11/05/2008 | 89000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/10/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/10/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/04/2008 | 55000 | 1 | |
| 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 safety issue, and it sounds to me that subaru of america is not willing to repair the $500 issue. i have noticed that there was another fuel issue with another subaru model (nhtsa campaign id number: 03v303000). the subaru outback had a recall because there was a loose clamp at the filler cap that could have caused a fuel leak. why is there no recall for the fuel leak in the wrxs? the leak happens very close to the engine. any type of heat or ignition could cause a fire or even death! please research this issue as it could become a very dangerous problem! *tr | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 65000 | 1 | |
| 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 the problem progressed, the fuel leak began to occur even in warm weather and even when the engine was warm. now, approximately 18 months from the initial repair, i am being told by the dealership that i have a leak in my fuel hoses. the dealership insists that this is a separate repair issue that did not exist when they looked at the car the first time. again, i have been quoted a price of $800.00 to have the problem fixed. i am reluctant to spend $800.00 more dollars to try to eliminate the fuel leak after the results i got last time. in light of the fact that the fuel leaks in these vehicles progress to a leak that is no longer simply a cold weather problem, is this now considered a safety issue? subaru has been unhelpful in helping me solve this dilemma. can you help? *tr | |||
| 02/24/2006 | 73000 | 1 | 09/27/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 01/22/2005 | 34035 | 3 | 12/24/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY | |||
| 01/25/2007 | 47325 | 1 | 07/08/2005 |
| Strong gas smell in the cabin on a cold day probably a gas leak. stronger when vehicle is stop. smell enough to get a good headache and dizzy. *nm | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 01/31/2007 | 57000 | 0 | 10/27/2006 |
| I own a 2003 subaru impreza wrx wagon. on cold mornings (like today: 3f), there is a raw fuel smell in the passenger compartment. i've talked to other impreza owners that have experienced the same problem, apparently there is a design flaw involving a flexible fuel hose connecting the rigid fuel lines. i've just tried contacting subaru of america (soa) regarding this problem, but they seem to be fighting many owners on covering this obvious safety issue. | |||
| 01/28/2007 | 76000 | 1 | 11/02/2002 |
| Raw fuel smell in passenger compartment of 2003 subaru impreza wrx, a known problem on 2002 subaru impreza wrx with fuel pipes/hoses/clamps. dealers deny there is a problem for 2003 models. *nm | |||
| 01/18/2007 | 1 | ||
| Gas smell coming through air vents of 2003 subaru wrx when vehicle is stopped with outside air vents open. problem is intermittent. nhtsa has a significant number of complaints of this same problem in 2002-2003 wrx models, and a significant number of internet automotive websites discuss this problem. since gasoline is flammable, and automobile fires are dangerous, i am requesting nhtsa to reopen its file on this matter and to issue a recall since nhtsa has already found that a fuel hose on the engine, in close proximity to the exhaust manifold, is leaking. *jb | |||
| 11/28/2005 | 1 | ||
| Fuel leakage in engine compartment of my 2003 subaru wrx impreza. there was a bulletin on 2002 models. i have had fuel leakage when temperatures are below 32 degrees. subaru says that my year does not qualify for repair. but this seems to be the same problem previously reported in earlier models.*jb | |||