2004 Volkswagen Passat Wagon

I PURCHASED A 2004 VW PASSAT 1.8 LITER TURBO 4MOTION STATION WAGON ON AUGUST 12, 2015. WITHIN ONE HOUR OF PURCHASING I TOOK IT TO FILL IT UP WITH FUEL. THE FUEL TANK BEGAN LEAKING IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT BY REPLACING AN O-RING ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER, MEANWHILE ADVISING ME TO NOT FILL THE TANK PAST THE 3/4 FULL MARK UNTIL THEY FIXED IT. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, IT STILL LEAKED WHEN IT WAS FILLED ABOVE THE 3/4 TANK LEVEL. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO REINSTALLED THE SAME O-RING, AGAIN UNSUCCESSFULLY, AT MY EXPENSE. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED OF A RECALL REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL TANK AND THE VENTING SYSTEM. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD "FIXED" THE RECALL ISSUE IN 2008 AND THAT ANY FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE AND COULD INVOLVE REPLACING THE FUEL TANK, A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION. I FIND THIS RESPONSE INADEQUATE AND, IN LIGHT OF READING MANY OTHER POSTS DESCRIBING SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED FUEL LEAK, BELIEVE THAT VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BY NHTSA FOR CORRECTING A RECURRING, DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE.

APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO I LEFT MY PARENTS' HOUSE IN THIS VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, AND QUICKLY FOUND THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE RIGID LINE WHERE IT IS FASTENED TO THE FIREWALL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE METAL TUBE HAD CRACKED INSIDE THE RUBBER LINED BRACKET THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN ODD BUT ISOLATED INCIDENT; I HAVE SINCE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR FAILURES, SO IT SEEMS WORTH DOCUMENTING CONSIDERING THE HIGH RISK OF FIRE INVOLVED. *TR

PURCHASED CAR USED. FIRST TIME I FILLED THE GAS TANK STRONG SMELL OF RAW GAS WAS PRESENT DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL MILES OF TRAVEL. WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE FROM PAYING FOR THE SECOND FILL UP THERE WAS A BIG PUDDLE OF RAW FUEL ALL OVER THE GROUND DIRECTLY UNDER THE CAR. I DID SOME RESEARCH & DISCOVERED A MANUFACTURE RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATED THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. AFTER EXPLAINING MY DILEMMA TO THE APPROPRIATE CORPORATE DEPARTMENT I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THEY COULD/WOULD DO TO REMEDY THIS VERY HAZARDOUS DEFECT. MY FEELING IS THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER PROPERLY ADDRESSED, IN SPITE OF THE RECALL, & IS THEREFORE STILL A HAZARD. I HAVE DISCOVERED BY KEEPING THE LEVEL OF THE GAS TANK BELOW 1/2 IT DOESN'T LEAK. OUT OF NECESSITY FOR TRANSPORTATION THIS IS HOW I'VE BEEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. DUE TO THE MAJOR EXPENSE OF PROPERLY REPAIRING THIS, AND THE POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HAZARD IT PRESENTS, I FEEL THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE COMPLETE, AND PROPER REPAIR OF THIS ADMITTED DEFAULT IN THE CAR. WHAT, IF ANYTHING, CAN YOUR ORGANIZATION DO TO ASSIST ME IN THIS MATTER? *TR