Body Class: Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV)
Displacement CC: 2500
Displacement CI: 152.559360236
Displacement L: 2.500000
Drive Type: AWD/All Wheel Drive
Make: SUBARU
Manufacturer: FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES U.S.A., INC. (C/O SUBARU OF AMERICA)
Manufacturer Id: 1075
Model: Forester
Model Year: 2004
Plant Company Name: Fuji Heavy Industries
Seat Belts All: Manual
Transmission Speeds: 4
Transmission Style: Automatic
Trim: 2.5X
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VEHICLE CONTINUES TO RUN HOT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
2004
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
FOR A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS IN EARLY JANUARY 2013 MY WIFE, DAUGHTER AND I COULD SMELL WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS RAW GASOLINE WHEN WE DROVE OUR 2004 SUBARU FORESTER XT. IT WOULD TYPICALLY TAKE LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AFTER WE STARTED THE ENGINE FOR THE SMELL OF GAS TO BECOME VERY STRONG, EVEN OVERWHELMING. ALTHOUGH IT COULD STILL BE SICKENING, THE PROBLEM WOULD IMPROVE SOMEWHAT AFTER WE DROVE THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER WE CAREFULLY REFUELED THE CAR ON TWO OR THREE OCCASIONS WE CONCLUDED THAT THE ISSUE DEFINITELY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SPILLED FUEL OR THE FUEL CAP. WE WERE VERY CONCERNED THAT WHETHER OR NOT THE SITUATION LED TO A FIRE, WE WERE ALL BEING MADE VERY SICK BY THE PROBLEM. WE CONTACTED THE SUBARU DEALER WHERE WE HAVE OUR FORESTER SERVICED AND DROPPED OFF THE CAR FOR THEM TO TROUBLESHOOT. WE WERE QUICKLY CONTACTED AND TOLD THAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THAT BECAUSE THE FUEL LINES RAN UNDER THE TURBOCHARGER THE REPAIR WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE (AND IT WAS). AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NOT ONLY FORESTERS, BUT FOR OTHER SUBARU MODELS AS WELL. BEING THAT THIS IS (BY ANY STANDARD) A COMMON PROBLEM ARISING FROM THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE, THAT THERE IS NO OPTION BUT TO REPAIR THESE VEHICLES ON THREAT OF FIRE OR ILLNESS, THAT THE PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR DUE TO ANY KIND OF MISUSE OR NEGLECT, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL MADE FOR ALL SUBARUS THAT EXPERIENCE LEAKING FUEL SYSTEMS (NOT JUST THE WRX). BECAUSE THE REPAIR IS SO EXPENSIVE, AND SO MANY OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES LACK ANY WARRANTY COVERAGE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, I AM CONCERNED THERE ARE MANY OWNERS WHO WILL ATTEMPT THE REPAIR THEMSELVES OR HAVE THE WORK DONE BY TECHNICIANS WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT A SAFETY RECALL IS MADE AND OWNERS ARE NOTIFIED BEFORE ANYONE IS HARMED. *TR