NHTSA Complaint #10350227 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

THE VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THE CODES IDENTIFY IT AS P0456. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY TRIED TO TELL US THAT AN ANIMAL HAD MADE A SMALL PINHOLE IN THE GAS RETURN LINE. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE 600.00 TO REPLACE THE TANK OR THEY COULD TEMPORARILY FIX IT UNTIL WE COULD GET THAT DONE. THE TEMPORARY FIX AFTER A FEW MONTHS OPENED AND WE GOT THE ALERT AGAIN. TAKING IT BACK THEY SAID THE TEMP FIX WAS OKAY AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. UPON RETURN HOME, I LOOKED AND FOUND THE TEMP FIX WAS ELECTRICAL TAPE RAPPED AROUND THE LINE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE AND YOU COULD SMELL THE GAS. I REMOVED THE TAPE AND IT APPEARS THIS IS A VERY THIN HOSE. IT IS IN A POSITION OVER THE TANK WHERE WIND COULD BLOW IT UP AND HIT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. THAT IS NOT SMOOTH AND COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PUNCTURE. TAKING TO ANOTHER DEALER, THEY WANTED TO SAY THE SAME THING. ANIMAL DAMAGE AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN REALLY INVESTIGATE. I HAVE THE VEHICLE AND HOSE. I ALSO READ A NUMBER OF SIMILAR CASES ONLINE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HOSE, IT DOES HAVE AN ANTICHAPHING FOAM NEAR THE LOWER HALF OF THE HOSE CLOSE TO THE WHEEL AREA. NOTHING ON TOP OF THE TANK. APPEARS TO ME THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A CHAPHING PROBLEM AND CHOOSE TO BLAME IT ON ANIMALS AS THAT IS HARD TO PROVE. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE HAD EXPLOSIONS DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I THINK THIS IS SERIOUS AND NEEDS INVESTIGATION. *TR