2002 Subaru Outback

IN 10 DEGREE WEATHER, MY 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON DEVELOPED A FUEL LEAK WHILE BEING DRIVEN BY MY 17-YEAR-OLD CHILD. THIS IS MY SECOND SUBARU WAGON AND THE SECOND TO HAVE COLD WEATHER FUEL LEAKS. I TIGHTENED THE CLAMP ON THE OFFENDING FUEL LINE AND I HOPE THAT IS AN ADEQUATE FIX. BUT IT IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE THAT SUCH A DANGEROUS PROBLEM HAS NOT HAD A RECALL, AND THAT IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR 20 YEARS. (MY FIRST SUBARU WITH THIS PROBLEM WAS A 1991 LEGACY WAGON.) HOW MANY CAR FIRES HAVE RESULTED FROM THIS PROBLEM? HOW MANY INJURIES OR EVEN FATALITIES? PLEASE MAKE SUBARU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A POORLY DESIGNED FUEL LINE. *TR

ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS NOT LISTED ON THE AIRBAG RECALL, I AM CONCERNED MY CAR MIGHT HAVE THE AIRBAGS FROM TAKATA. THE YEAR THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL STARTED IS 2000. MY CAR IS A 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE 2003 SUBARU OUTBACK IS ON THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL LIST. HOW CAN I MAKE SURE MY CAR'S AIRBAGS WERE NOT MANUFACTURED BY TAKATA? *TR

DATES ARE APPROXIMATE, PROBLEM IS ONGOING. UPON INITIAL START-UP, IN COOL/COLD WEATHER THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL BE VERY HARD AND BRAKES ARE VERY WEAK REQUIRING TREMENDOUS FOOT PRESSURE WITH STILL REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME AND MULTIPLE STOPS BRAKE ASSIST SEEMS TO INCREASE AND THE BRAKES GET STRONGER OR NORMAL. I HAVE RESEARCHED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU CARS AT HIGHER MILEAGE. IT IS SAID TO BE WATER IN THE BRAKE BOOSTER HOSE ONE WAY VALVE. CHANGING THE HOSE, I AM TOLD, WILL NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AS MORE WATER WILL ENTER THE SYSTEM AND FREEZE OR GUM PU THE WORKS. VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY FOR DRIVERS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO PRESS SO HARD ON THE PEDAL. *TR

OVER LAST FEW WINTERS, WHEN TEMPERATURES DROP TO FREEZING THERE HAS BEEN A BAD FUEL SMELL IN CABIN. ESPECIALLY WITH HEATER BLOWING, THOUGH IT STILL SMELLS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR EVEN WITH THE HEAT OFF. ONCE THE WEATHER WARMS UP THERE IS NO NOTICEABLE SMELL. I HAVE TRIED TIGHTENING 5 CLAMPS AS SUGGESTED IN AN ONLINE HELP PAGE. NOT SURE IF THIS HELPED OR PROBLEM JUST WENT AWAY WITH THE COLD WEATHER. LOCAL SHOP COULDN'T SEE LEAK ON CURSORY CHECK WHILE THE ODOR AS AT IT'S WORSE. MAYBE ONLY VISIBLE IF IT'S FREEZING AND UP ON A LIFT. SUBARU DEALER SUGGESTED FUEL LINES NEED TO REPLACED AS NORMAL PROCESS AS CAR AGES. SUBARU SHOULD FIND SOLUTION TO THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT'S OBVIOUSLY COMMON TO THESE VEHICLES AND PUT OUT CLEAR INSTRUCTION ON DIAGNOSING AND FIXING THIS ISSUE. *TR

SINCE THE RECENT TEMPERATURE DROP WHERE WE LIVE (MARYLAND, DC METRO REGION), WE'VE NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE THE CAR'S CABIN. THE SMELL IS STRONG ENOUGH THAT WE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING LONG DISTANCES, FOR OUR OWN HEALTH AND THAT OF OUR CHILDREN. THE SMELL ONLY APPEARS WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING (THOUGH IT DOESN'T SEEM TO DEPEND ON SPEED). WE'VE OWNED THE CAR SINCE MARCH 2010, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE NOTICED THE ISSUE; IT'S ALSO THE COLDEST WEATHER WE'VE ENCOUNTERED SINCE PURCHASE. APPARENTLY THERE'S A FUEL-LINE-RELATED RECALL FOR IMPREZAS OF THIS VINTAGE, BUT NOT YET FOR OUTBACKS. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE HER CAR, A 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK, ABOUT 5 MILES HOME FROM WORK, AND TOLD ME IN THE EVENING HER CAR REEKED OF GASOLINE WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HOME. WHEN I CHECKED HER CAR THE GAS ODOR HAD DISSIPATED, BUT WHEN I STARTED IT AND BACKED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE THE GAS ODOR WAS VERY STRONG. I MOVED IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE AND SHUT IT OFF. I DISCOVERED ONLINE THAT THE ODOR WAS LIKELY DUE TO A FUEL HOSE LEAK ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD WEATHER START. THE TEMPERATURES HERE ARE COLD FOR MISSOURI, WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 20'S. IT STILL IS COLD, ALBEIT AS A MINNESOTA BOY IT STILL SEEMS LIKE SPRING. AT ANY RATE, I FOUND A WEBSITE WITH USEFUL DIAGRAMS AND I LOCATED THE HOSE UNDER A BRACKET (OF COURSE), AND MANAGED TO UNCOVER THE HOSE AND TIGHTEN THE CLAMPS, WHICH WERE VERY LOOSE. AFTER RE-ASSEMBLY I DROVE THE CAR TO BURN OFF THE GAS REMAINING ON THE ENGINE AND I TESTED THE REPAIR WITH ANOTHER COLD WEATHER START LATER. I HAVE ORDERED A REPLACEMENT HOSE FROM THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP FOR 12 BUCKS. I UNDERSTAND THAT RECALLS AND SERVICE ADVISORIES HAVE OCCURRED AND ARE IN PLACE FOR OTHER SUBARU MODELS INCLUDING THE CLOSELY RELATED 2001 LEGACY. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE 2002 OUTBACK AND EVERY OTHER SUBARU THAT USES THE HOSE PART # 807707130. THE DISCUSSIONS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE REVEAL SOME PEOPLE ARE DRIVING WITH THEIR WINDOWS OPEN OR WITH CABIN AIR SET TO RECIRCULATE, OR WAITING UNTIL THE ENGINE WARMS UP ENOUGH FOR THERMAL EXPANSION TO SEAL THE LEAK. AS AN INDUSTRY CHEMIST I FIND THIS IGNORANCE ABOUT THE HAZARDS OF GASOLINE FIRES APPALLING. HOWEVER I THINK SUBARU'S PIECE-MEAL APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THEIR DEFECTIVE ENGINEERING IS FRIGHTENING. DON'T THEY CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS? MY WIFE TEACHES CHEMISTRY, A TYPICAL CUSTOMER, ACCORDING TO SUBARU ADS. SHE LOVES HER SUBARU. SUBARU DOES NOT LOVE HER. *TR