2002 Subaru WRX Engine cooling Problems

“In regards to NHTSA action number : pe04002 I have a 2002 Subaru WRX with 34000 miles and live in houston, tx. I first encountered the problem when visiting my family in ft. Worth several years ago. It was not very cold, but there was snow on the ground. I started the car and turned on the heater to let car warm up. When I returned about five minutes later, I detected a strong odor of gasoline before getting in. The fumes inside were unbearable and I had to air out the car before driving, but the order persisted for about an hour. …”

“There is a significant leaking of raw gasoline, from under the intake manifold. This problem exhibits itself when the temperatures fall below freezing. It is very evident in the cabin of the vehicle as you can smell the gasoline. The gasoline is visibly paddling on top of the engine block, where two fuel line run below the turbo inlet pipe. In my opinion, this poses a rather significant safety issue. Leaking gasoline into the engine compartment could easily lead to a dangerous fire. I have read dozens and dozens of similar reports by Subaru impreza owners. …”

“I drive a 2002 Subaru impreza WRX. A week and a half ago we had temps below zero. While driving I noticed very strong gas smells coming through the vents while using the defrost. After some online investigation I have found that this is a fairly common problem with these vehicles for anyone living in a colder climate. I belive the problem has to do with the fittings that attatch the metal fuel lines to the flexible hoses in the engine compartment. In cold weather these fail, spilling gasoline onto the engine block. Now the problem is more common, even on cool, but not cold days. …”

“Vehicle: Subaru impreza WRX 2002. Fuel smell noticeable in engine compartment and passenger cabin in cold weather. Smell most noticeable in passenger cabin when vents are open to outside air and heater/fan is on. Smell became noticeable in december and has persisted. It is currently february 16th as I file this report.”

“Strong raw fuel odor inside and outside of vehicle in extreme cold weather (-10f and below). Smell is present when vehicle is idling, goes away when on the move. Engine hot or cold makes no difference. Once external temperature increases, problem goes away. Mentioned to dealer who was unable to replicate -it wasn't very cold outside.”