2004 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

I HAVE AN AIRBAG RECALL ON THE 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA. I HAVE CONTACTED THE AUTHORIZED SUBARU RECALL VENDOR, WALSAR SUBARU. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN A KIT WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

RAW FUEL SMELL WHEN STARTING OUR 2004 SUBARU WRX IN SUB FREEZING WEATHER. THE FUEL FUMES FILL THE CABIN AND CREATE A FIRE HAZARD UNDER THE HOOD.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND I DO NOT KNOW WHY. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN A CRASH, BUT I AM WORRIED IT MAY DEPLOY OR FAIL TO DEPLOY.

MY 2004 IMPREZA WRX STI LEAKS GASOLINE OUT OF A FUEL LINE UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD EVERY TIME THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW ABOUT 30 F. THE RUBBER HOSE CONNECTING THE METAL FUEL LINES ISN'T LONG ENOUGH AND AT THAT TEMPERATURE THE SHRINKAGE IS ENOUGH TO MAKE IT VISIBLY DRIP GASOLINE WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE HOSE LOCATION REQUIRES REMOVING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO GAIN ACCESS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY SUBARU OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. SUBARU DID A RECALL FOR 2000-2002 VEHICLES, BUT THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS MANY OTHER YEARS OF IMPREZA WITH THE EXACT SAME FUEL RAIL SETUP. *TR

THERE IS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF UNBURNED FUEL IN THE CABIN ON COLD DAYS (BELOW 10F). THE FUEL SMELL DISSIPATES WHEN THE CAR WARMS-UP. THE SMELL HAS CAUSED PASSENGERS IN THE CAR TO BECOME SICK AND IS A SERIOUS DISTRACTION TO DRIVING. WHEN I CONTACTED TWO DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS, THEY ACTED LIKE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD HEARD OF THIS ISSUE AND BOTH WANTED TO TAKE THE ENGINE APART. HOWEVER, A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THIS IS A PREVALENT ISSUE FOR THE SUBARU IMPREZA IN COLD WEATHER. *TR

WHILE UNDER FREEZING TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE CAR SMELLS STRONGLY OF FUEL WHILE RUNNING. SOMETIMES IT TAKES HALF AN HOUR OR MORE TO JUST WHAT I CONSIDER BREATHABLE AIR IN THE CABIN. IT WAS -20 DEGREES OUTSIDE SO OPENING WINDOWS IS NOT AN OPTION AND DRIVING IN GAS FUMES IS NOT SAFE. *TR

I HAVE RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT MY CAR IS BEING RECALLED UNDER SUBARU RECALL CAMPAIGN WQL-48 (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 14V-399), FOR A PROBLEM WITH AIRBAG INFLATORS. SINCE THEN, I HAVE CONTACTED 3 DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS TO TRY AND SCHEDULE A TIME TO BRING MY CAR IN TO HAVE THE WORK PERFORMED. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE NECESSARY PARTS IN STOCK. I HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA, AND WAS TOLD THAT I WILL BE RECEIVING ANOTHER LETTER ONCE THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL WORK. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE MANUFACTURER HAS A CERTAIN TIME WINDOW TO NOTIFY THE CONSUMER ONCE THE RECALL IS ANNOUNCED; HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT IN THIS CASE, THE NOTIFICATION IS USELESS, SINCE I'M UNABLE TO GET THE CAR REPAIRED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ALONG A SMOOTH, STRAIGHT STRETCH OF US-12 THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE AT THE HANGER BRACKET. SEE HTTP://I62.TINYPIC.COM/2AJQ7EX.JPG. CONTROL ARM HAD BEEN "RUSTPROOFED" AS PART OF THE 2011 RECALL. AT ONE POINT ALONG THE BREAK THE METAL MEASURES LESS THAN 4 HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH (0.0355") - SEE HTTP://I62.TINYPIC.COM/2Q3QA1T.JPG. THE SWAY BAR LINK ALSO BROKE. *TR

DOOR LATCHING MECHANISM BECAME DETACHED FROM FRONT DRIVER DOOR. DOOR PARTIALLY OPENED UNEXPECTEDLY. ONCE THE DOOR OPENED WITHOUT INITIATION, IT COULD NO LONG BE CLOSED. UPON INSPECTING THE LATCH MECHANISM ATTACHMENT TO THE DOOR FRAME, TWO OF THE THREE CONNECTION BOLTS (PHILLIPS HEAD) WERE COMPLETELY MISSING AND THE THIRD REMAINING BOLT WAS HANGING BY A SINGLE THREAD. THIS WAS AN OEM FACTORY ATTACHMENT THAT HAD NEVER BEEN MODIFIED OR REMOVED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST PURCHASED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON I190 IN WORCHESTER MA MERGING INTO I290 WHEN THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE AND THE FRONT END COLLAPSED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AT THE SUBARU DEALER'S THE CONTROL ARM AND SUB FRAME WERE FOUND TO BE RUSTED CLEAR THROUGH. THERE WAS A FACTORY RECALL ISSUED IN 2011, WHICH WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY SUBARU ONLY SINCE WE PURCHASED IT. *JS