2004 Subaru Forester Engine Problems

“There has been a continuous oil leak from my 2004 Subaru Forester xs. My mechanic diagnosed the problem as a leak in the main seal between the transmission and the engine. This is not normal and it will cost me $1,000 to fix because the transmission will have to be removed. There are other complaints registered about similar oil leaks in this model year. Subaru should investigate.”

“Strong smell of gasoline upon starting the car in very cold weather. Inside and outside the vehicle. Only happens when it is cold outside. Really gives me a headache and makes me nervous about igniting.”

“To whom it may concern, hello, I am the owner of a 2004 Forester xt which I love. I've owned the car for almost a year and its been nothing but reliable up to this point. The weather outside is frightful, and with that comes a common problem for many Subaru owners. During the cold snaps, say below 20f, there is strong fuel smells which fills the cabin. It only happens during start-up, and lasts about 15 mins before the car warms up. From searching many forums and internet threads it seems this problem has been occurring since early 2001. …”

“During the recent cold snap here in tennessee I got a report from a friend that his 2004 Forester xt was leaking fuel into his engine bay. I went out to start my car the next day and mine is doing the same thing. The fuel is slowly leaking onto the engine block. This is an extremely dangerous situation. I did some researching and it seems that almost all Forester models from 2002-2006 have this exact same issue! Some have been recalled, but the Forester xt hasn't. The engines are the same...I don't understand why this dangerous problem hasn't been resolved by Subaru.”

“Car was shifted from drive into neutral for operator to use a parking lot gate machine. The engine surged a little while in neutral but settled back down. When parking gate opened the operator shifted into drive and lightly pressed the gas pedal. The engine immediately surged to full throttle and rapidly accelerated across the driveway for a few seconds before being stopped by collision with a granite post. Operator could not brake hard enough to stop the vehicle in time. Driver injured in crash.”