NHTSA Complaint #10135325 — 2000 MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN ECLIPSE

I STARTED SMELLING GAS APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO AFTER FILLING UP MY 2000 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GS, 4 CYLINDER. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MAYBE I JUST PUT TOO MUCH GAS IN. WHEN I FILLED IT UP AGAIN A WEEK OR SO LATER, I SMELLED THE GAS AGAIN. I RECENTLY WENT OUT OF TOWN AND TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS CHECKED OUT ALONG WITH THE FUEL TANK. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE FUEL TANK HAD A CRACK IN IT AND WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A USED ONE, LUCKILY. THE FUEL PUMP AND NECESSARY PARTS WERE ALL TRANSFERRED OVER. I AM SO LUCKY THAT I REALIZED THIS PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENED. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THIS CASE. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY ANY ACCIDENT TO THE VEHICLE EITHER. MY VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS SINCE I HAVE HAD IT. $400 LATER THE FUEL TANK IS WORKING VERY GOOD. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SAME YEAR OF MY VEHICLE. I LOOKED UP THE RECALLS AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NOT ONE REPORTED FOR THE YEAR 2000, BUT ONE FOR 2001. THE RECALL (01V069000) IS FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, STORAGE AND TANK ASSEMBLY. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CAN LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM FOR ME AND ADVISE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. I HAVE COPIES OF THE RECEIPT IF YOU REQUIRE A COPY. THANKS. *JB