2006 Subaru Forester Fuel System Problems

When you start your car in cold weather, your cabin fills with a strong gasoline smell that lasts 10-15 minutes until the engine warms up. The issue appears to be caused by fuel lines and gaskets shrinking in cold temperatures, allowing gas fumes to leak into the cabin as the rubber components contract. Once the engine heats up and the rubber expands again, the smell goes away. A mechanic may need to inspect your fuel system lines and gaskets for leaks or wear.

THE PASSENGER CABIN SMELLS LIKE GAS DUE A FUEL LEAK. IT ONLY HAPPENS IN VERY COLD WEATHER. *TR

IN FEBRUARY 2013 MY FORESTER DEVELOPED A VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL. AFTER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THE RUBBER FUEL LINES UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WERE CRACKED AND LEAKING FUEL ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL. I PAID $550 FOR REPAIR. NOW TODAY I HAVE ONCE AGAIN STARTED TO DEVELOP A FUEL ODOR AND ASSUMING WHEN I INVESTIGATE I WILL FIND ANOTHER LEAK. UPON RESEARCHING I SEE NUMEROUS POSTS IN FORUMS AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL AS SOME ON YOUR GUYS WEBSITE INDICATING SIMILAR ISSUES. ADDITIONALLY A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR 2003 WRX FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM (09V46800). THIS ISN'T A CAR SPECIFIC ISSUE, THIS IS AN ENGINE SPECIFIC ISSUE AND THE DESIGNS OF ALL OF THESE ENGINES ARE VERY SIMILAR, SO ALL ENGINES WITH RUBBER LINES LOCATED IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND IS GOING TO COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE AND/OR CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES WHEN ONE OF THESE CARS BURSTS INTO FLAMES. SUBARU SHOULD BE MUCH MORE PROACTIVE WITH THIS ISSUE AND FIX FUEL LINE LEAKS LIKE THIS AT NO COST AND IMMEDIATELY, THERE IS NO REASON A 7 YEAR OLD CAR SHOULD HAVE FUEL LINE FAILURE. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER PAID FOR IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND AND I WON'T PAY FOR IT THIS TIME. *TR

ON COLD MORNINGS, THE CAR SMELLS VERY STRONGLY OF FUEL. THE ODOR GOES AWAY AFTER WARMING UP, AND IS ONLY ON COLD MORNINGS. *TR

THIS INCIDENT FIRST OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER MY LAST OIL CHANGE AT ABOUT 38,000 MILES. DURING FOUR OF THE LAST EIGHT TIMES I HAVE REFUELED MY 2006 SUBARU FORESTER, WHICH NOW HAS ABOUT 40,000 MILES, THE FILLING PUMP HAS NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF WHEN MY GAS TANK WAS FULL. AS A RESULT, GASOLINE OVERFLOWED FROM MY FUEL TANK AND SPILLED OUT. FORTUNATELY, NO FIRE HAS RESULTED, AND I HAVE MANAGED TO DODGE THE SPRAY. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SPILLING GASOLINE, AND I FEAR THAT I WILL ONE DAY SPILL GASOLINE ON MYSELF. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT FOUR DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS OVER THE PAST MONTH, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE WITH MY CAR. THE GAS STATIONS WERE TAYLOR #80 IN AMARILLO, TX; EXXON IN CHILDRESS, TX; LOVE'S IN ENCINAL, TX; AND SHELL AT THE CORNER OF CALTON AND SAN DARIO IN LAREDO, TX, AND THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED ON MAY 9, MAY 19, JUNE 3, AND JUNE 5, RESPECTIVELY. AGAIN, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE, CHEMICAL INJURY, AND WASTE OF MONEY. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED SUBARU AS OF YET BECAUSE I WAS UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE PROBLEM WAS WITH MY VEHICLE OR THE GAS STATIONS. I WILL SOON CONTACT A SUBARU DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS MATTER. THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MY REPORT. *TR

IN LATE 2006 I NOTICED THAT WHEN MY VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND IDLING THERE IS A STRONG RAW FUEL SMELL COMING INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN WHEN THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM IS "ON" AND THE RECIRCULATION BUTTON IS OFF. DURING A DECEMBER 05, 2006 SERVICE (30,000 MI @ THIS TIME) VISIT AT THE MANUFACTURER'S DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE DEPT. STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE FUEL SMELL. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 33,000 MI AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. I FEEL THAT SINCE THIS ISSUE INVOLVE A FLAMMABLE FLUID THIS COULD RESULT IN A SUBSTANTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

VEHICLE- 2006 SUBARU FORESTER WITH 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ON COLD STARTS, THE ENGINE RACES UNCONTROLLABLY UP TO 3500 RPM AFTER THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO ACCELERATE BRISKLY TO 15-20 MPH. THIS HAS OCCURED REPEATEDLY SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN LATE SEPTEMBER. *NM