NHTSA Complaint #10343847 — 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK

2003 PONTIAC AZTEK - FUEL SMELL FOR SEVERAL WEEKS WITH NO OBVIOUS CAUSE. WEATHER WARMED DURING THIS PERIOD AND SMELL BECAME STRONGER WITH INCREASED AMBIENT TEMPS. ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS LATER, FUEL WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND BENEATH THE FILLER VENT TUBE BEGINNING WITH A SMALL DAMP SPOT AND EVENTUALLY BECOMING A PUDDLE (ONLY WHEN TANK WAS FILLED). TOOK IT LOCAL DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND IT WOULD COST ME $1200 TO REPLACE THE TANK. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE VEHICLE OR ACCIDENTS IF I CHOSE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION. I WENT HOME, RESEARCHED THE RECALLS AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2004 MODEL YEAR. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN MAY OF 2003 AND THE RECALL BEGAN IN OCTOBER OF 2003 FOR THE 2004 MODEL YEAR. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER, TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD 12 HOURS TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS ON HOW THEY WANTED TO HANDLE IT. MY FAMILY HAD TO GO TO DULUTH THAT WEEKEND AND WE HAD NO OTHER TRANSPORTATION. I TOLD THEM THAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THAT TRIP, THEY COULD CLAIM ALL THEY WANTED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE BUT A JURY WOULD CERTAINLY SEE IT MUCH DIFFERENTLY. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE THE TANK AND I AGREED TO PONY UP $100 OF THE COST JUST TO BE FAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 60,000 ON IT AT THE TIME. *TR