1991 Chevrolet Caprice

PLASTIC FUEL TANK IS LEAKING. TANK IS MANUFACTURED WITH TWO CONE SHAPED DEPRESSIONS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK. STRAPS HOLD THE TANK IN PLACE. THESE STRAPS ALMOST COVER THESE DEPRESSIONS, THE TANK LEAKS AT THE DEPRESSION ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ALLOWING FUEL TO ESCAPE. CONTACTED GM, FILE NUMBER 1-109-911-920, BUT WAS TOLD THAT GM WOULD NOT COVER THE COST TO REPLACE AT THIS TIME SINCE INSUFFICIENT COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED TO DATE. *JB

TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 17, 1999, I STOPPED AND PUT $10.00 WORTH OF GASOLINE IN THIS VEHICLE, AND DROVE TO WORK. AT LUNCH, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO LUNCH, PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, AND WENT TO LUNCH. UPON RETURNING, WE FOUND A SMALL GROUP OF ANXIOUS PEOPLE LOOKING AT MY CAR FROM A SHORT DISTANCE. GASOLINE WAS LEAKING OUT FROM UNDER IT, AND HAD RUN ABOUT 15' DOWN THE PAVEMENT, FORMING A PUDDLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CALLED, AND WAS ON THEIR WAY. WE MANUALLY PUSHED THE CAR AWAY FROM THAT SPOT, ONTO LEVEL GROUND, AND THE DRIPPING FUEL STOPPED. WHEN WE GOT THE CAR ON A LIFT, IT TOOK THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO IDENTIFY A CRACK IN A MOLD SEAM. HE REMOVED THE TANK, REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE, AND I DROVE TO THE NEAREST CHEVROLET DEALER, (JOHN SMITH @ 770 953 0100), WHOSE SERVICE MANAGER HAD NEVER HEARD OF A GAS TANK SPONTANEOUSLY FAILING. HOWEVER, HE COULD SEE THAT THIS TANK HAD NOT HIT ANYTHING. HE REFERRED ME TO THE GM HELP LINE 800 NUMBER. (800 222 1020) THEY HAD ALSO NOT HEARD OF THIS PARTICULAR FAILURE, AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES ON HOLD, CAME BACK ON AND TOLD ME THAT THIS FAILURE WOULD NOT BE WARRANTED, AS THE CAR WAS TOO OLD, IN SPITE OF THE LOW MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO OPENED FILE #990 470 854. I ASKED IF IT WAS REASONABLE FOR ME TO EXPECT MY GAS TANK TO NOT LEAK, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS. I REALIZE THAT GM IS SENSITIVE ABOUT GAS LEAKS. WELL, I HAVE, IN MY BACK YARD, A GAS TANK THAT LEAKS, AND WOULD LIKE SOMETHING MORE THAN THEIR SYMPATHY. THE NEW OEM TANK COST ME OVER $600. HAD THE GAS IGNITED, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE TANK TO EXAMINE. I WOULD LIKE THEM TO AT LEAST WANT TO SEE THE TANK, AND THINK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK HAS A SPLIT, CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK. CONSUMER HAS YET TO HAVE THE TANK REPLACED. *AK GAS TANK IS MANUFACTURED WITH TWON CONE-SHAOED DEPRESSIONS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK , WHEN THE TANK IS INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE, THE STRAPS HOLDIG IT IN PLACE RUN UNDERNEATH THE TANK AND ALMOST COVER THESE DEPRESSIONS, THE TANK SPLIT AT THE TOP OF THE RIGHT SIDE DEPRESSION AND WOULD LEAK GASOLINE IF THE TANK WAS MOMRE THAN ABOUT 1/3 FULL OF FUEL, CONSUMER STATES THE GASOLINE FUMES WERE SO STRONG HE WOULD NOT PUT THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE. *SLC

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE GAS WAS LEAKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IT HAS 3 DIFFERENT CRACKS IN THE FUEL TANK. DEALER HAS HAD VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS. BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO DEALER HAD TO DRAIN HALF OF THE GAS OUT OF THE TANK TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, SO THAT THE GAS WOULD NOT LEAK SO BADLY. *AK