NHTSA Complaint #10183969 — 2006 KTM 300 XC-W

I PURCHASED A NEW KTM MOTORCYCLE IN MARCH 2006 FROM A LOCAL DEALER. APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 2006 I NOTICE THE GAS CAP(NEW 1/4 TURN DESIGN) LEAKING WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER WHILE RIDING I FELL OVER AND DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE AND THE GAS CAP ACTUALLY POPPED OFF THE GAS TANK AND SPILLED GAS ON ME. IT TOOK ME 15 MINUTES TO GET BACK TO MY TRUCK AND WASH THE GAS OFF. IT MADE SEVERAL BLOTCHY RED AREAS ON MY LEG WHERE THE GAS HAD SOAKED MY PANTS. I REPORTED THIS ALL TO THE DEALER AND THEY SOLD ME A NEW GAS CAP. THE NEW CAP STARTED LEAKING GAS AFTER ONLY TWO RIDES. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND THE KTM NORTH AMERICAN SERVICE REP. KTM AT THIS POINT SUGGESTED AN O-RING SO I BOUGHT ONE FROM THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE AND PUT IT ON THE GAS CAP. THIS SEEMED TO STOP THE LEAK BUT THEN I NOTICED THE GAS CAP GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO REMOVE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE CAP IT WAS NOTICEABLY DEFORMED SO I REPORTED THIS TO MY LOCAL KTM DEALER IN OCTOBER 2006. THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER CAP BUT THIS ONE WAS FREE AND THEY GAVE ME A X-RING TO INSTALL ON THE CAP. SINCE THEN, THE NEW CAP HAS ALSO DEFORMED AND NOW THE VENT CHECK BALL HOUSING HAS ALSO COME APART CAUSING THE CHECK BALL TO DROP INTO THE GAS TANK SO NOW GAS SPILLS OUT THE VENT TUBE. I REPORTED ALL OF THIS TO MY DEALER AND THEY SHOWED ME A LETTER FROM KTM WITH NEW X-RINGS ATTACHED STATING THIS WAS THE FIX BUT THEY COULD NOT GIVE IT TO ME AS THEY ONLY HAD A COUPLE AND OFFERED TO SELL ME ANOTHER NEW GAS CAP. I HAVE ALSO CALLED THE KTM NORTH AMERICAN SERVICE REP. AND INFORMED HIM OF ALL OF THESE ISSUES BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING ANYWHERE. THEIR X-RING FIX MAY RESOLVE THE GAS LEAK BUT IT DOES NOT RESOLVE THE DEFORMED, POPPING OFF, FALLING APART PROBLEM WITH THEIR DESIGN. *NM