Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Subaru Forester submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
As I was going down the road my car sped up and my foot was off the gas pedal as the pedal was stuck-I managed to stop my car but not before it reached 75 mph in a 50 I was originally going 50
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE IN COLD WHETHER, THE CABIN FILLS UP WITH THE SMELL OF GAS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND TALKING TO A MECHANIC, IT IS CLEAR THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. I ALSO SEE THAT MANY MORE OF THESE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT NOT OPENNED AS AN INVESTIFGATION. THE GAS LINES (SOME SAY GASKETS TOO) SHRINK IN COLD WHETHER AND FUMES OR GAS LEAK. WHEN THE ENGINE WARMS UP, THE RUBBER COMPOUNDS EXPAND AND THE SMELL THIS GOES AWAY. THIS CAN TAKE 10-15 MINUTES. IT SEAMS LIKE MOST PEOPLE JUST LIVE WITH THIS BEACSUE IT GOES AWAY AT WARM UP, BUT I HAVE A PREGENANT WIFE AND THINK IT IS RIDICULOUS TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH GAS FUMES IN THE CABIN AT ALL, NOT TO MENTION THERE IS NO TELLING IF SOME OF THOSE FUMES ARE ACTUALLY GAS LEAKING NEAR THE CYLINDER. THIS COULD BECOME VERY DANGEROUS. PLEASE OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS EVERYWHERE.
UPON START UP IN COLD WEATHER THERE IS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUEL INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE CAR. IT MADE MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER FEEL VERY ILL. HAD TO EXIT MY 2006 SUBARU FORESTER XT. INSPECTED ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD TO FIND LEAKING FUEL LINES. GOOGLED THE PROBLEM TO DISCOVER IT IS REACURRENT WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AS EVIDENT BY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN SUBARU FORUMS, GOOGLE SEARCH, AND FB PAGES. THIS IS A DANGER TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. VEHICLE IS UNDER 100,000 MILES. LEAKING FUEL DRIPS DIRECTLY ONTO THE ENGINE CYLINDER AND CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE TURBOCHARGER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RISK OF ENGINE FIRE! HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK ALSO FROM THE FUEL FUMES IN THE ENGINE CABIN. SUBARU DEALERSHIP QUOTED $1,300. TO FIX.
PURCHASED IN AK IN 2006. APPROXIMATELY 13,000 MILES ON ENGINE. PAPERWORK LISTED ENTRY-POINT: HAWAII. CURRENT 2016 MILEAGE: LESS THAN 60,000. WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE.----- UPON ACCELERATION, THE ENGINE SOMETIMES LURCHES AND REVS TOO HIGH TOO FAST, AND THEN SETTLES INTO HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO FEEL AND SOUND. OTHER TIMES, IT SUDDENLY LOSES POWER INSTEAD, LURCHING DOWN LIKE WE'VE TAKEN OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS (BUT WE HAVEN'T BECAUSE WE ARE ON A HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY!), VERY BRIEFLY AND THEN RECOVERS.ONE TIME, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT FELT LIKE I'D LOST ALL POWER AND THE CAR WAS GOING TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY, BUT IT IMMEDIATELY RECOVERED AND THEN FELT NORMAL.
PURCHASED IN AK IN 2006. APPROXIMATELY 13,000 MILES ON ENGINE. PAPERWORK LISTED ENTRY-POINT: HAWAII. CURRENT 2016 MILEAGE: LESS THAN 60,000. WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE. --- IN COLD WEATHER, DESPITE BEING GARAGED, INTERMITTENT STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN GARAGE AND UPON START-UP. SOMETIMES THE ODOR IS PRESENT BEFORE STARTUP. OTHER TIMES ODOR NOT PRESENT UNTIL ENGINE STARTS. GOES AWAY WHEN ENGINE WARMS. USED TO BE IN ONLY VERY COLD WEATHER, THEN IN 2015 IT HAPPENED IN COLD BUT NOT AS COLD WEATHER. RECENTLY, IN 2016, IT HAPPENED IN GARAGE IN WARM WEATHER STATE, SO COLD WEATHER NO LONGER NECESSARY VARIABLE. AGAIN, IT IS INTERMITTENT. THIS ISSUE FIRST BECAME NOTICEABLE IN WINTER OF 2014.
THE PASSENGER CABIN SMELLS LIKE GAS DUE A FUEL LEAK. IT ONLY HAPPENS IN VERY COLD WEATHER. *TR
WHEN THE TEMP GETS INTO THE TEENS OR LOWER GAS LEAKS IN AND AROUND THE ENGINE. THIS IS DANGEROUS!! I HAVE FOUND FUEL NEAR AREA THAT GET VERY HOT, AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY FAMILY STARTING ON FIRE. SOA RECALLED A FEW YEARS TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE, BUT NOT ALL THAT ARE AFFECTED. *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
I HAVE A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP CAUSED BY MY VEHICLE'S DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODY. THIS HESITATION IS ONGOING DESPITE AN ECM REPROGRAMMING DONE BY THE DEALER ON 12/16/08. IT IS BAD ENOUGH THAT I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO GET INTO A COLLISION SOMETIME. *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
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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