NHTSA Complaint #10289939 — 2004 CADILLAC XLR

A PRONOUNCED ODOR OF GASOLINE AND APPEARANCE OF AN ERROR MESSAGE STATING "CHECK GAS CAP" LED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE, A 2004 CADILLAC XLR, TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT A CROSSOVER PIPE BETWEEN THE TWO GASOLINE TANKS WAS LEAKING. REPLACEMENT OF THE CROSSOVER PIPE (AT A COST OF $2295.14) DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE SAME ERROR MESSAGE RECURRED THE FOLLOWING DAY, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FEED PIPE LEADING FROM THE GAS CAP TO THE GASOLINE TANK WAS LEAKING AT ITS INLET. REPLACEMENT OF THIS PIPE SILENCED THE ALARM AND ERROR MESSAGE. NOTABLY, THE DEALER'S MECHANICS INFORMED ME THAT GASOLINE HAD BEEN LEAKING ONTO THE TRANSMISSION CASING AND ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE, CREATING A VERY SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD. INDEED, THE MECHANICS WERE TOO FRIGHTENED TO START THE ENGINE AFTER I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE THE ON AUGUST 3, 2009. INASMUCH AS THE CHASSIS OF THIS VEHICLE IS SHARED WITH MODEL YEAR 2005 AND LATER CORVETTES, IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM MAY BE WIDESPREAD. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN DAMAGED IN ANY WAY, WHICH SUGGEST TO ME THAT THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT -- A CONCLUSION ENDORSED BY THE DEALERS MECHANICS. AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE AND EXPLOSION MAKES THIS A PROBLEM THAT WARRANTS YOUR ATTENTION. *TR