2001 Subaru Forester — Known Issues & Recalls

When you turn on the defroster to warm up your parked car in cold weather, you notice a strong gas smell inside the vehicle that goes away once you start driving. This happens because a fuel system hose loosens in cold temperatures and allows fuel to leak, then tightens again as the engine warms up. The fix will likely involve inspecting and securing the fuel hose connections, possibly replacing the hose or clamp if it's damaged or worn.

When the temperature drops below 20°F, you notice a strong gasoline smell inside and around your car. A mechanic found that all the hose clamps on your fuel lines were loose and tightened them, but the smell returns every time it gets cold again, whether the car is parked outside or in a garage. The fix will likely involve inspecting the fuel line clamps and connections for wear, and possibly replacing damaged clamps or hoses that don't maintain a tight seal in cold temperatures.

Your car smells strongly of gasoline inside the cabin when the weather is cold, especially during the first 5 minutes after starting it up. You previously found and tightened a fuel line clamp that was leaking, but now in cold weather the smell returns even though you can't see an obvious leak. The smell eventually goes away as the car warms up, but you believe fuel is still escaping somewhere in the fuel system.

When temperatures drop below 25°F, your fuel lines and fittings may leak gasoline, allowing fuel fumes to enter the cabin through the heating/ventilation system or general air leaks. This exposes you to harmful carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons and creates a fire risk at any speed. Temporarily tightening the hose clamps may help, but the problem returns when temperatures drop again, and some clamps are difficult to access. A permanent repair would likely involve inspecting and replacing the fuel lines, fittings, and retaining clips that are failing in cold conditions.

When temperatures drop below 25°F, your fuel lines and their fittings may start leaking gasoline, allowing fuel fumes to enter the cabin through the heating system or air leaks — even when the heat is off. This exposes you and your passengers to harmful carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, and creates a fire hazard; some owners have reported headaches and nausea from prolonged exposure. The problem temporarily improves in moderate cold (15-25°F) once the engine warms up, but persists in colder temperatures, and tightening the hose clamps is only a temporary fix. A permanent repair will likely involve replacing the fuel line hose clamps and possibly the fuel lines themselves to prevent leaking in cold weather.

Your engine suddenly raced uncontrollably while pulling out of a parking spot, and neither the brakes nor emergency brake could stop it, resulting in a collision with another vehicle. You'd reported similar surging problems during startup twice before, and both a dealership and independent shop said they adjusted the idle and the car was safe—but the problem recurred. This suggests the underlying cause of the engine surging may not have been properly fixed. A mechanic will need to diagnose why the engine is racing uncontrollably, likely involving the idle control system, fuel delivery, or related engine management components.

Your Forester accelerated on its own without you pressing the gas pedal, even when stopped. This happened intermittently and without warning, causing you to crash into another vehicle about 15 feet away and nearly hit a pedestrian. The dealer couldn't identify the cause, though research suggested a faulty throttle position sensor may be responsible. Fixing this will likely involve diagnosing and replacing the throttle position sensor or related fuel system components.

Your brakes don't work properly in snowy or icy conditions, and your ABS system isn't engaging to help you stop. Your wheels also won't turn as expected in these conditions. This has happened multiple times, causing you to enter intersections against red lights at least 4 times, creating a serious safety risk. The issue may involve checking your brake system performance in cold weather, inspecting ABS sensor function, and ensuring proper brake fluid and pad condition for winter driving.

Your brakes became unresponsive in a school zone, requiring you to press them all the way down while your engine RPMs climbed dangerously high. Your car continued moving 4-6 feet even with full brake pressure, and this happened again in the parking lot. A mechanic tapped your throttle sensor and the problem temporarily resolved, but dealers haven't been able to diagnose the underlying cause through testing.

When temperatures drop below freezing, you notice a strong gasoline smell inside your car's cabin, which is concerning with small children in the vehicle. Mechanics have suggested that fuel hoses may shrink in cold weather, causing leaks in the engine compartment, though replacing them is expensive and may not fully solve the problem. You should have the fuel system inspected and any leaking hoses or connections replaced or sealed.

During cold weather, your car produces a strong fuel smell that enters the cabin and causes headaches for passengers. Other Subaru owners report the same issue, and repair estimates run around $300. The fix likely involves inspecting and resealing fuel system components or replacing fuel injectors and related seals.

While driving at 55 mph and applying the brakes, your car's ABS system malfunctioned and activated incorrectly, preventing the brakes from stopping the vehicle properly. You lost control and crashed into a concrete median, causing significant front-end damage. An independent mechanic determined the ABS system was faulty and repaired it. The fix likely involves replacing or repairing the ABS control module or related ABS components.

While driving on the freeway at night, you heard a loud bang and lost all power — including power steering, brakes, and lights — while smoke appeared behind your car. The engine compartment was smoking, creating a fire concern. A blown head gasket caused an engine rod to break through and spray oil everywhere, which shorted out the battery and killed all electrical power. Your entire engine needed to be replaced (this was the second engine replacement due to the same problem).

Your car made unusual noises while driving on the highway and then wouldn't start again. After being towed to the dealer for service, you were told the engine was dead despite the car having very low mileage and being in good condition. The dealer identified a defective head gasket as the cause—a problem the owner reports is common across Subaru vehicles with 2.5L engines. Fixing this issue typically requires replacing the head gasket and possibly related engine components.

While driving on the highway at 75 mph with cruise control on, you couldn't turn it off using the stalk button, even after repeated attempts. Pressing the brakes and clutch also failed to disengage it. When you shifted into neutral, the engine revved to its maximum and stayed there because cruise control was still engaged. After coasting to the roadside and repeatedly hitting the cancel button, the revs finally dropped to idle, but your manual transmission stopped working after this incident.

Your car's aluminum wheels develop air leaks over time, causing tires to go flat within a few miles of inflating them—this has required annual rim resealing to maintain the tire seal. Additionally, snow packs tightly around your tires and fills the wheel wells, potentially preventing the wheels from turning if not manually cleared. Both issues pose safety concerns and require ongoing maintenance or manual intervention to keep your car drivable.

Your headlights turn off when you activate the turn signals, which happens frequently and suddenly leaves you driving in darkness. Additionally, the headlight covers become cloudy over time, making it hard to see at night even when the headlights are on. You may need to replace the headlight covers and have the electrical wiring checked to fix the headlight cutoff issue.

Your driver's side seat belt won't retract properly, causing it to hang loose and get caught in the door. Additionally, the middle rear seat belt is missing or has the wrong component, so it won't latch securely. This means you cannot safely transport more than 2 passengers in the back seat. Fixing this will require replacing the seat belt retractor mechanism on the driver's side and installing the correct seat belt assembly for the middle rear position.

While driving at about 35 mph, your Forester's rear end suddenly swayed side to side without warning. A mechanic diagnosed that the subframe (the structural support frame under the rear of the vehicle) needs to be replaced. This is a serious structural issue that affects vehicle stability and handling.

While driving at about 30 mph, your rear cross member fractured and failed. This is a structural component that connects the suspension and frame. An independent mechanic diagnosed and repaired the failure. This happened at approximately 190,000 miles.