NHTSA Complaint #10168655 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

A CHEMICAL SMELL PERMEATING MY ENTIRE HOUSE FOR 2 MONTHS. I HAD HOME GAS COMPANY COME OUT AND CHECK FOR A GAS LEAK,GAS COMPANY DID NOT FIND A GAS LEAK. THE SMELL WOULD BE WORSE SOME DAYS. A FRIEND FOUND MY TANK LEAKING . I TOOK MY CAR IN THE NEXT DAY, MONDAY P.M. TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BARON VW. THEY SAID IT WAS A NIPPLE ON A HOSE INSIDE THE TANK, AND THE WHOLE TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR, THAT THEY ARE ESTIMATING TO BE TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS JUST HAPPENED, WITH THE HOSE BEING INSIDE THE TANK, I THINK THIS IS A BAD PART. I HAVE FOUND OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS ONLINE , FOR THIS PARTICULAR 2002 PASSAT, WITH FOUR MOTION. I THINK IT IS A DEFECT OF THE PART AND IT IS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE WHOLE DRIVE TRAIN MUST BE REMOVED TO REPLACE IT. I AM HOPING YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE THAT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I DON'T THINK SOME PEOPLE WOULD EVEN NOTICE THEIR TANKS LEAKING. IF MY CAR WAS NOT STORED IN MY GARAGE EVERYDAY I WOULD HAVE NEVER NOTICED IT. IT COULD HAVE BLOWN MY HOUSE UP WHEN I TURNED MY HEATER ON FOR THE WINTER WITH THE FUMES THAT WERE IN THIS HOUSE, NOT TO MENTION DRIVING WITH A LEAKING TANK, AND THE CHANCE OF STATIC OR A CIGARETTE BUTT GETTING TOSSED MY WAY. THE CAR HAS BEEN OUT OF MY GARAGE FOR 3 DAYS NOW AND THE ATTIC FAN HAS BEEN ON UNTIL LAST NIGHT AND MY HOUSE STILL STINKS. I AM AFRAID NOW TO TURN MY HOME FURNACE ON. PEOPLE WHO OWN THESE CARS SHOULD BE WARNED TO CHECK THEM FOR GAS LEAKS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY KEEP THEM IN THEIR GARAGE. I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE TIMES I HAD MY GRANDSON STRAPPED INTO A CHILD SEAT RIGHT THERE OVER THAT LEAKING TANK. THE REASON THE SMELL WAS IN MY HOUSE STRONGER SOME DAYS WAS BECAUSE I WOULD LEAVE THE CAR OUTSIDE SOMETIMES AND I HAD THE WINDOWS OPEN AND ATTIC FAN ON WOULD DRAW THE SMELL OUT. THE DAY I DISCOVERED IT WAS PARTICULARLY STRONG WAS BECAUSE I HAD PUT THE CAR BACK IN AND SHUT THE WINDOWS AND TURNED MY A/C BACK ON IN THE HOUSE. *JB