2009 Subaru Forester Fuel system Problems

fuel tank leaking gasoline from tanks seams and hose nipple, second owned vehicle with same problem. now the vehicle has strong gas smell and is leaking gasoline when driven in a incline. It threw a p0442 "evap leak small" thats why i checked the fault. All these steel tanks seem to rust where the seam of the tank is, and also the filler neck tube connects to the tank, one of the evap hoses was just hanging next to the fuel tank, the nipple that holds it to the tank rusted and came off.

NHTSA ID

11535637

Incident

Jul 31, 2023

* Fuel tank leak * Could have exploded or caught fire * Confirmed at independent service center * Inspected by independent service center * Check engine light and gas tank icon on dash. Appeared 1/31/2023 This car has had so many recalls and has been a problem for a long time. We have contacted Subaru and will contact them today regarding this issue.

NHTSA ID

11504933

Incident

Jan 31, 2023

TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE AT 70MPH, CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR LOST ALL POWER. WAS ABLE TO LIMP OFF THE ROAD AND WAIT 3 HOURS FOR A TOW TO DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS; STAGE 4 BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OR SYMPTOMS AND COULD HAVE BEEN A GREATER DANGER IF HEAVIER TRAFFIC. HEAD GASKET PROBLEMS KNOW ON EARLY MODEL SUBARU'S.

NHTSA ID

11404303

Incident

Mar 11, 2021

Mileage

160,000 mi

GAS TANK CORRODED AND IS LEAKING GASOLINE. CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD, IS REGULARLY WASHED AND STORED IN A GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE. CAR IS 9 YEARS OLD AND HAS 105,000 MILES ON IT. ALTHOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY, SERIOUSNESS OF LEAKING GASOLINE WARRANTS A LOOK AT THESE TANKS, ARE THEY PROPERLY "RUST PROOFED"? TANK HANDS DOWN UNDER CAR, REAR SEAT AREA AND IS EXPOSED TO ROAD SALTS, WATER AND MUD.

NHTSA ID

10925335

Incident

Nov 8, 2016

Mileage

105,000 mi

THE SECONDARY AIR PUMP IN FORESTER/WRX AND OTHER SUBARU, TURBO MODELS ACCUMULATES MOISTURE, AS A RESULT OF WHICH, IN MANY VEHICLES THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM BECOMES INOPERATIVE WITH ENGINE MALFUNCTION CODES P2444, P2444B, P0410, P2440 AND OTHER SUCH CODES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A RECURRING AND AN ENGINEERING DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF SUBARU TURBO MODELS WHICH REQUIRES EXPENSIVE FIX (UPTO $1500) AND WITHOUT WHICH, THE AFOREMENTIONED SUBARU VEHICLES WILL NOT PASS EMISSION CONTROLS. MOST OWNERS ARE FORCED TO RESORT TO WORK AROUNDS SUCH AS GETTING RID OF THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM ALTOGETHER, BUT THIS INCREASES EMISSIONS ABOVE EPA NORMS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE INTO THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10712640

Incident

Nov 25, 2014

Mileage

65,000 mi

SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE WITH NORMAL BRAKE DEPRESSION; VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED TO 20 MPH, NO BRAKES AND THE DASH CONTROL CENTER COMPLETELY LIT UP. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE WAS BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL AND ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE. I THEN TRIED THE SAME PROCEDURE IN FORWARD WITH THE SAME RESULTS EXCEPT THIS TIME RESULTING WITH THE CAR COLLIDING WITH THE GARAGE WALL CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $6000.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE BETWEEN THE CAR AND HOUSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10629193

Incident

Aug 17, 2014

Mileage

105,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ID

10560095

Incident

Jan 10, 2014

Mileage

58,000 mi

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STAYED ON. THAT MEANT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WITH THE EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM, PROBABLY A LOOSE GAS CAP. I CHECKED THE CAP, TOOK IT OFF AND RETIGHTENED IT UNTIL I HEARD THE PROPER CLICKING SOUND. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON THE REST OF THE TRIP HOME. TWICE MORE BEFORE SERVICING, I REPEATED THE PROCESS OF CHECKING THE CAP. BOTH TIMES I HEARD THE CLICKING SOUND. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. I HAD THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT BY A SUBARU DEALER. AFTER 2 HOURS THEY TOLD ME I WAS EITHER OVERFILLING THE TANK - I NEVER TOP OFF - OR NOT PUTTING THE CAP ON PROPERLY. I TOLD THEM I KNOW HOW TO PUT A GAS CAP ON, EXPLAINED HOW I DO IT, AND IF THERE IS A BETTER WAY, PLEASE SHOW ME. THEY ONLY REPEATED THAT IT MUST BE ME BECAUSE THE CAP WAS LOOSE ENOUGH TO BE LEAKING GAS. DESPITE MY INSISTING THAT SOMETHING ELSE WAS WRONG, THEY SAID BRING IT BACK IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I WILL REPEAT THAT THE GAS CAP WAS PUT ON AS PROPERLY AS IT CAN BE DONE. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON HERE AND IT IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. I REPLACED THE OLD CAP WITH A NEW ONE AND HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10514866

Incident

May 18, 2013

Mileage

34,000 mi

GASOLINE ODOR INSIDE VEHICLE WHEN STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS CAUSING HEADACHES,AND FEAR OF FIRE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10384422

Incident

Feb 2, 2011

Mileage

44,500 mi

VEHICLE: 2009 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED, ON 6/20/09 I EXPERIENCED AN INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. BEFORE OUR EXIT I CANCELED THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT LEFT IT "ON". ON THE RAMP, I LET THE CAR SLOW. AT ABOUT 40 MPH I MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER INTO 'SPORT' MODE, DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR, THEN 2ND, THEN BRAKED TO A STOP. THE CAR WAS STOPPED, IN GEAR, IDLING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE ENGINE RACED AND THE CAR JOLTED FORWARD ABOUT A FOOT; IT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED BUT I INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE AND STOPPED THE CAR. THE ENGINE, WITH THE CAR STOPPED AND IN GEAR, RAN UP OVER 2000 RPM. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO REGULAR DRIVE MODE AND THEN INTO NEUTRAL. ONCE IN NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE BRIEFLY RACED HIGHER BUT THEN DROPPED TO IDLE AT ABOUT 700 RPM. I SWITCHED THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF. PLEASE NOTE: TO STOP THE CAR I DID NOT MOVE MY FOOT; IT WAS ALREADY ON THE BRAKE, AND I MERELY PRESSED HARDER. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF PEDAL CONFUSION. THE FLOOR MATS ARE IN PLACE. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF A FLOOR MAT INTERFERING WITH THE ACCELERATOR. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WE WERE NOT MOVING. I WAS NOT ON THE PHONE. I WAS NOT LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER. I WAS NOT OTHERWISE DISTRACTED. I WAS SITTING STILL, WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE, WITH MY FOCUS ON THE TRAFFIC STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. IN MY VIEW, THIS REPRESENTS A DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE, AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE ADVISE REGARDING YOUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION. I HAVE ADVISED SUBARU VIA THEIR WEBSITE TODAY BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. I AM HAPPY TO BE CONTACTED FOR FURTHER DETAILS IF NEEDED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10274421

Incident

Jun 20, 2009

Mileage

7,064 mi