2001 Subaru Outback

CAR IS A SUBARU OUTBACK 2001. COMPLAINT IS STRONG FUEL SMELL AND VAPORS IN THE CAR CABIN WHEN OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE FALLS BELOW 30 DEGREES OR SO. SMELL PERMEATES OUR CLOTHING TO THE EXTENT THAT WHEN WE LEAVE THE CAR AND ENCOUNTER PEOPLE, THEY COMMENT THAT WE SMELL LIKE GASOLINE. FUEL LINES HAVE BEEN CHECKED AS HAVE CLAMPS AND HOSES. NO RESOLUTION. WE MUST DRIVE BREATHING STRONG FUMES. OPENING WINDOWS DISSIPATES FUMES SOMEWHAT, BUT NOT COMPLETELY. PROBLEM IS WORSE WITH HEATER RUNNING, SO WE TURN IT OFF. ADDITIONAL CONCERN IS THAT WHEN DRIVING WITHOUT HEAT, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER IS NOT OPERATIONAL, RESULTING IN THE WINDSHIELD BEING ICED OVER AND/OR COVERED WITH CONDENSATION. THIS CAUSES VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND IS A DRIVING HAZARD. *TR

I OWN A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK THAT WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD, SOMEWHERE AT AND BELOW 30 DEGREES, I GET A GAS SMELL IN AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND FIND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S GAS LINES AND THAT SUBARU IS ONLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE ISSUE ON 2002 AND NEWER MODELS. HAVE YOU RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE BEFORE AND CAN YOU TELL ME WHY NO RECALL ON 2001S WAS EVER DONE? THANK YOU. *TR

WE STRONGLY AGREE WITH THE COMPLAINT FILED 12/9/09 LISTED BELOW. WE ALSO HAVE A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK AND HAVE HAD THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP CHECK OUT THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. WE HAVE HAD FUEL HOSES REPLACED AND CLAMPS TIGHTENED AND REPLACED MANY TIMES AND THE PROBLEM REMAINS. OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM IS ELSEWHERE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. WHILE EVERY WINTER FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 5-6 WINTER SEASONS OUR FAMILY SMELLS AND BREATHES IN GASOLINE FUMES AND HAVE TO OPEN WINDOWS TO AIR OUT THE CABIN FROM THE STRONG GASOLINE SMELL. WE ALSO REFRAIN FROM USING THE HEATING SYSTEM AT TIMES BECAUSE THE SMELL IS MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN WE RUN THE HEATER. WE HAVE ALSO FOUND COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THIS SUBARU ISSUE. DOES A FIRE, DAMAGE, CRASH, INJURY OR DEATH HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE SUBARU OR THE NHTSA WILL ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM? COMPONENT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE DETAILS: IN COLD WEATHER, MY 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS AN EXTREMELY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. A QUICK SEARCH WILL REVEAL HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE. THERE HAS BEEN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY SUBARU ON THIS ISSUE--NHTSA ITEM # 616334, SERVICE BULLETIN # 010101. THE TSB RECOMMENDS AN "INSPECTION PROCEDURE FOR POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF 3 FUEL HOSES". HOWEVER, THE SUBARU DEALER INDICATES THE ISSUE CALLS FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FUEL RAIL--COSTING MORE THAN $400. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT NEITHER THE NHTSA NOR SUBARU HAVE NOT CATEGORIZED A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH LEAKING GASOLINE AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR OCCURRENCES: 1 INJURIES: 0 FAIL DATE: 12/07/2005 DEATHS: 0 DATE ADDED TO DATBASE: 12/9/2009

IN COLD WEATHER, MY 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS AN EXTREMELY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. A QUICK SEARCH WILL REVEAL HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE. THERE HAS BEEN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY SUBARU ON THIS ISSUE--NHTSA ITEM # 616334, SERVICE BULLETIN # 010101. THE TSB RECOMMENDS AN "INSPECTION PROCEDURE FOR POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT OF 3 FUEL HOSES". HOWEVER, THE SUBARU DEALER INDICATES THE ISSUE CALLS FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE FUEL RAIL--COSTING MORE THAN $400. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT NEITHER THE NHTSA NOR SUBARU HAVE NOT CATEGORIZED A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH LEAKING GASOLINE AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THERE IS FREQUENTLY A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL WITHIN THE VEHICLE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING, EITHER STANDING STILL OR OTHERWISE BEING DRIVEN. THERE WAS A THIRD PARTY SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED (WXZ-83-FUEL HOSE EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM WHICH IS THAT CERTAIN AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH UP TO 3 IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED FUEL HOSES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OVER TIME AND IN COLD WEATHER THE HOSES COULD LEAK CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS ON THE INTERNET. SUBARU SAYS THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE VEHICLES UNDER THE RECALL AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS - THEY SAID IT COULD BE THE FUEL RAIL ASSEMBLY THAT IS THE PROBLEM. THIS DOES NOT SEEM FAIR OR RIGHT. IF ITS A DEFECT (WITH SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS) AND MY CAR WAS AFFECTED BY THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED (AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY OTHERS), THEN THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD FIX ALL CARS WITH THE PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE ODOR WAS ONLY NOTICED IN 25 DEGREE WEATHER AND BELOW. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIRS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN ERASED THE FUEL TEMPERATURE CODE. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE DIAGNOSTIC, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT HAD RESURFACED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE KNOCK SENSOR AT THE COST OF $317. SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FUEL TEMPERATURE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $520. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,378 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,923. UPDATED 10/16/08. *LJ UPDATED THE DEALER REPLACED REPAIRED A LOOSE CONNECTION AT THE FUEL PUMP SENSOR. *JB

MY 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK 4 CYLINDER ENGINE DEVELOPED A FUEL LEAK APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AGO. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX. 51,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER, THEY INDICATED THE FUEL INJECTOR HOSES LEAKING AT THE CLAMPS WAS NOT UNUSUAL DURING COLD WEATHER ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. ESTIMATED COST TO DIAGNOSE THE LEAKS & REPAIR WAS APPROX $150- BUT THEY WOULD LET ME KNOW THE EXACT COST ONCE THEY HAVE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE. *TR