2003 Subaru Impreza Problems

My 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX has a very strong fuel odor that is coming into the cabin when I start my car up on cold days. It's been unusually cold here in Washington state this winter with temperatures in Seattle dipping well below freezing. I see that there is a recall for this exact problem for my exact car (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2009/RCONL-09V468-4248.pdf). But when I called the dealer (Michael's Bellevue Subaru), and then subsequently called Subaru (1-800-SUBARU3), they told me that they will not fix this issue, since this recall does not apply to my state (Washington). I think that's not right. It is the exact same problem of cold weather causing this fuel line to leak, and they should honor this recall.

I NOTICED FRESH SMELL OF GASOLINE EVERYTIME I START THE CAR. I LOOK AT THE FUEL LINE AND ITS SIPPING FUEL.

APPROACHING STOP LIGHT ON SURFACE STREET; DRY CONDITIONS, FLAT ROAD; APPROX 30 MPH; ANTICIPATING STOPPING. LIFT FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR AND APPLY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN; CAR DOES NOT SLOW; FEELS OUT OF CONTROL & UNABLE TO STOP; TURN CAR TO RIGHT TO GET OFF ROAD TO AVOID HITTING CARS AHEAD; TURN INTO A TREE; AIRBAG DEPLOYED; CAR TOTALED; EMERGENCY VEHICLES RESPOND; AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL; BROKEN L-2 IN BACK; SEVERE BRUISING; AT MY REQUEST, VEHICLE INSPECTED BY INSURER; HAVE NOT SEEN INSPECTION REPORT; REPORTED TO ME THAT "BRAKES HAD PRESSURE AND FLUID"; AFTER SEEKING ADVICE FROM ACCIDENT EXPERT, NOT CONFIDENT VEHICLE INSPECTION WAS THOROUGH ENOUGH; AM ABSOLUTELY SURE THERE WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF SOME TYPE DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACCIDENT (I.E., ENOUGH TIME TO CORRECT ANY DRIVER ERROR). *NM

HAD TO BRAKE HARD ON SEMI-BUMPY PAVEMENT AND ABS ACTIVATED AND LOST ALL STOPPING POWER. ABS IS WAY TOO SENSITIVE AND OVER-REATIVE. I ENDED UP SLIGHTLY CRASHING INTO VEHICLE IN FROT OF ME. THIS ABS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND I WAS WELL AWARE OF IT, HOWEVER I WAS STILL UNABLE TO COMPENSATE AND MAKE A COMPLETE STOP.*AK

HEAD GASKET ISSUE. WEEPING OIL BETWEEN THE HEADS AND THE BLOCK. NO LONGER OWN VEHICLE.

OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS MODERATE(75F), BUT ENGINE WAS COLD. UPON ENGINE START STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN CABIN AND IN ENGINE BAY AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *TR

TAKATA AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SIDE IMPACT SENSOR DID NOT WORK. THE CAR TRAVELED SIDEWAYS INTO A LARGE OAK TREE IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH . THE POINT OF IMPACT WAS WHERE THE SIDE IMPACT SENSOR WAS LOCATED . NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED . SUBARU HAS BEEN VERY UNCOOPERATIVE WITH ANSWERS AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY . THIS HAPPENED UPON A RURAL ROAD IN THE FOG . NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED .

CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON CRASH AT ABOUT 45 MPH INTO A FIRE HYDRANT IN THE CITY OF BELL. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS EXPANDED AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TAKATA AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. SIDE IMPACT SENSOR DID NOT WORK. THE CAR TRAVELED SIDEWAYS INTO A LARGE OAK TREE IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH . THE POINT OF IMPACT WAS WHERE THE SIDE IMPACT SENSOR WAS LOCATED . NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED . SUBARU HAS BEEN VERY UNCOOPERATIVE WITH ANSWERS AS TO WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY . THIS HAPPENED UPON A RURAL ROAD IN THE FOG . NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED .

HTTPS://SERVICES.NEFRAMEWORK.COM/IMAGERETRIEVAL.ASPX?ID=974F272D-0461-4FF2-97A8-B175C14EC539 THAT DESCRIBES HOW THE CRASH HAPPENED. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I SUFFERED BROKEN LEFT ELBOW, FRACTURE IN MY SKULL,RIBS AND SHOULDER. ALSO SEVERE BRAIN TRAUMA. I HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES, BUT IT WILL ONLY LET ME ATTACH ONE. THERE IS FRONTAL DAMAGE FROM A SMALLER TREE, BUT THE MAJORITY IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE(MY SIDE) FROM SLAMMING INTO A LARGE TREE.

ON THE NIGHT OF 12/6/2020 I WAS BACKING OUT OF A FRIENDS DRIVEWAY TO DRIVE HOME, WHEN I REACHED THE STREET, I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK AND A GRINDING NOISE. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO INVESTIGATE WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND THE FRONT PORTION OF MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD COMPLETELY LOST ALL STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. FORTUNATELY MY CAR WAS AT A LOW SPEED AND I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL (PICTURES ATTACHED). HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE THE EVENTS ON 12/6/2020 INDICATES THE REMEDIATION STEPS PROPOSED BY SUBARU ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AS THIS PART FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY AFTER THESE STEPS HAD BEEN PERFORMED. THE SAFETY RECALL REMEDIATION STEPS IN QUESTION ARE THAT OF: "TYPE: SAFETY | SAFETY RECALL: WVX34 | NHTSA CAMPAIGN: 11V464000" ACCORDING TO SUBARU'S WEBSITE FOR THIS VEHICLE, THE SAFETY RECALL WAS COMPLETED: HTTPS://WWW.SUBARU.COM/VEHICLE-RECALLS.HTML/VIN=[XXX] ACCORDING TO THE CARFAX REPORT, THE SAFETY RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON 2/7/2012 ONLY 5 MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. (SCREENSHOT ATTACHED) THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ORIGINAL SAFETY RECALL SHOW THAT THE TESTING STEPS AND REMEDIATION STEPS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR A COMPLETED SAFETY RECALL AS THE PART DID END UP FAILING AFTER THE ADDITIONAL COATING OF ANTI-CORROSIVE HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM OF MY VEHICLE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

LOWER PASSENGER CONTROL ARM TORE OFF. AS A RESULT, LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT HIGH SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED SUDDENLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING ON A WARM SUNNY DAY. NO OTHER VEHICLES IN AREA. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *NM

WINDSHIELD WAS CHIPPED AFTER A SMALL PEBBLE HIT IT ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 55 MPH. DT

AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION A RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED STATING THAT THE BOLT ON DRIVER'S SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND INJURY WAS IMMINENT. DURING THE COLLISION DRIVER'S SEAT BOLT BROKE, AND CONSUMER WAS THROWN UNDER THE DASHBOARD, AND SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK *NM

HEADLIGHTS ARE GETTING TO BE HAZY AFTER 30000 MILES, VERY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. SUBARU SAYS NOT THERE PROBLEM.*AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REFUSES TO UNLOCK. THE BELT JUST KEEPS GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. IT WILL NOT WORK UNTIL THE CONSUMER UNHOOKS THE BELT AND PUTS IT BACK IN. THEN IT WILL START TO LOCK BACK UP IMMEDIATELY. IT DOES NOT DO IT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS BELT IS DESIGNED FOR A CAR SET. DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. IT SEEMS TO DO IT WITH LARGER INDIVIDUALS. *AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVER'S FEET WAS DEPRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE 92 TIRES, TIRE SIZE 205/55/16. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND OBSERVED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXHIBITED AN EXCESSIVE SEPARATION IN THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE TIRE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING TWO NEW TIRES. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 70,000.

AT 15,000KM PAST WARRANTY, I SUBMITTED MY CAR FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING FLUIDS, REQUIRED NEW HEAD GASKETS, NEW TRANSMISSION MOUNTS AND SWAY BAR BUSHINGS. BARRIE SUBARU DID NOT SHOW MUCH INTEREST IN THE AMOUNT OF WORK REQUIRED ON A VEHICLE THAT HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR LESS THAN 3 YEARS. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR WAS DAMAGED BY ROAD DEBRIS, DUE TO INSUFFICIENT PROTECTION. IT IS LOCATED LOW DOWN AND UP FRONT AND SHOULD BE PROTECTED FROM ROAD DEBRIS. *NM