2001 Subaru Outback

WHEN THE WEATHER GETS VERY COLD (BELOW FREEZING) THE CAR BEGINS TO GET A FUEL SMELL. IT IS EXTREMELY STRONG INSIDE THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SMELL IT OUTSIDE THE CAR AS WELL. THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED IT HAPPENING WAS IN 2006. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO CHECKED IT AND FOUND NO LEAKS. ODOR WENT AWAY AFTER A FEW DAYS SITTING OUTSIDE DEALERSHIP SO THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING (WEATHER MAY HAVE WARMED UP). IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN 2008 AND THIS TIME THEY SAID THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK SO THEY REPLACED THE FUEL HOSE AND CLAMP. IT WORKED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR WHEN IT GOT COLD AGAIN. LOOKING AT VARIOUS POSTS ON THE INTERNET FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I TIGHTENED THE CLAMPS AROUND SOME OF THE HOSES AROUND THE FILTER AND IT MOSTLY WORKED. WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARMER THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK SO WELL, ESP. WHEN REALLY COLD OUT. THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM. WHAT IS SUBARU'S RESPONSE? REPLACING HOSES AND CLAMPS EVERY YEAR IS NOT A SOLUTION! *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN 03V153000, WHICH RESULTED IN MANUFACTURER RECALL WWM96-REAR. THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE ON 4/13/2004 AT 36,339 MILES WITH THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF HALTING PREMATURE RUST-OUT OF THE REAR SUB-FRAME COMPONENT. IN THE PROCESS OF RECENTLY REPLACING EXHAUST COMPONENTS AT APPROXIMATELY 130,000 MILES IT WAS NOTED THAT THE REAR SUB-FRAME COMPONENT IS NOW PERFORATED BY RUST EVEN THOUGH SIMILAR COMPONENTS ARE NOT, WHICH WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE ORIGINAL REPAIR WAS NOT ADEQUATE. AN EXCHANGE OF EMAILS AND TELEPHONE CALLS WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS RESULTED IN A DECISION BY THEM TO DECLINE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPONENT AT THEIR EXPENSE DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY REMEDY OFFERED WAS A $500 CREDIT TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW SUBARU. SINCE REPLACEMENT IS NOT AN OPTION FOR ME AT THIS TIME I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. MY SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT IN OPERATING THE VEHICLE TO WHAT I CONSIDER A REASONABLE POINT (200,000 MILES), THE CONSEQUENCE NOTED IN CAMPAIGN 03V153000 MAY OCCUR. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE SUB-FRAME COMPONENT AND COPIES OF THE EMAIL EXCHANGE WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU IF YOU SO DESIRE. *TR

CAR SMELLS LIKE FUEL WHEN IDLING ON A COLD DAY. RUBBER FUEL LINES AND FUEL FILTER WERE LOOSE AND AFTER TIGHTENING THEM FUEL SMELL TEMPORARILY STOPPED. SMELL HAS RETURNED AND AFTER CALLING SUBARU DEALERSHIP THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO RUBBER FUEL LINES THAT NEEDED REPLACING. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU'S AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY SUBARU. DEALERSHIP IS ASKING OVER $300 TO REPLACE FOUR RUBBER FUEL LINES LOCATED UNDER THE MANIFOLD. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT WAS HAVING AN OIL CHANGE PERFORMED AND WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 03V153000 (SUSPENSION:REAR) IN WHICH AN ANTI- RUST COATING WAS APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE REPAIR THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER THE RECALL AND THE RECENT RUST FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THEY HAD PERFORMED THE RECALL IN 2003 AND COULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE RECENT FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 195,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND HE NOTICED THAT BOTH FRONT SENT BELTS WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT, LEAVING A LOT OF SLACK BETWEEN VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR MAIN ENTRANCE SEAL ON THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

I PURCHASED A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS BELOW FREEZING AROUND 28 DEGREES OR LOWER, THERE IS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE INSIDE THE PASSENGER AREA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A SUBARU DEALER FOR JANUARY 5TH, HOWEVER I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON WITH NO CLEAR FIX. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER IF THIS PROBLEM ISN'T GOING TO BE FIXED. WHAT REMEDY HAS SUBARU OFFERED FOR THIS PROBLEM? *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING SMELL IN THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THERE WERE FLAMES UNDER THE BUTTONS OF THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE ARM REST. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRES CONNECTED TO THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR DEFROSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,000. UPDATED 12/22/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WITHIN A MINUTE, THE FIRE OPENED A HOLE IN ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRIVERS DOOR. APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES WIDE WITH FLAMES. UPDATED 12/28/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRAME UNDER THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. UPDATED 08/31/2011 *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED IN 2003 FOR DEFECTIVE PAINT ON THE FRAME, WHICH COULD RESULT IN FRAME RUST. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED SUBARU BY PHONE AND LETTER AND THEY REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE. THEY CLAIMED THE WERE NOT LIABLE REGARDING OF CRASH DANGER. UPDATED 09/01/11 *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE SUB FRAME OF THE VEHICLE FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER ADVISED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V153000 (SUSPENSION: REAR) WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE IN 2004. THE RECALL REQUIRED THE MANUFACTURER TO SPRAY AN ANTI RUST AND WAX ONTO THE SUB FRAME AND AXLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR DID NOT PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM OCCURRING AND THE SUB FRAME AND REAR AXLE WERE BOTH FRACTURED DUE TO RUST. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER (FAHRENHEIT) AN OVERWHELMING GASOLINE ODOR FILLED THE CABIN OF MY 2001 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON (OUTBACK). THIS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT TRIPS AROUND TOWN YESTERDAY. I HAVE A 2.5L ENGINE, USING 87 OCTANE GASOLINE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT ELIMINATE DURING THESE EPISODES. I LIFTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HOOD WHEN THIS HAPPENED A THIRD TIME AND FOUND THE VAPOR SMELL WAS STRONGEST NEAR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKING FROM ANY NEOPRENE OF STEEL LINES. OBVIOUSLY THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE HEATING SYSTEM VENTS (THE CLIMATE CONTROL FAN WAS TURNED TO HIGH). THE ODOR WAS SO STRONG, IT WAS OVERWHELMING EVEN WHEN THE VENTS WERE BLOWING RECIRCULATED AIR FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP. I BELIEVE A SPARK COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN EXPLOSION. *TR