NHTSA Complaint #10353072 — 2005 GMC ENVOY

FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS MY 2005 GMC ENVOY DENALI HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE. AFTER RE-FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE GAUGE WILL GO TO EMPTY AND ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY TANK WARNING LIGHT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. WITHIN A FEW MILES THE FUEL GAUGE WILL BEGIN TO FLUCTUATE WILDLY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW HOW MUCH GAS IS IN IT. THE FUEL GAUGE SOMETIMES BEGINS TO OPERATE AGAIN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A FEW DAYS. CAR HAS BECOME UNSAFE BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN IT AND EMPTY TANK SENSOR "CRIES WOLF." ALSO, THE FUEL GAUGE HAS BEGUN TO REGISTER A FULL TANK WHEN REALLY THE GAS TANK IS NEAR EMPTY. ONCE YOU START DRIVING THE FUEL GAUGE BEGINS TO FALL SLOWLY UNTIL ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER IT FINALLY REGISTERS THE PROPER GAS LEVEL... I'VE THOUGHT MY HUSBAND FILLED UP THE TANK AND ALMOST RUN OUT OF GAS BECAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE DIDN'T TELL ME I WAS OUT OF GAS UNTIL I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY STUCK IN TRAFFIC - AWAY FROM A NEARBY GAS STATION. THE TRIP ODOMETER IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE SO IT CANNOT BE RELIED UPON. (MPG VARY DEPENDING OUT TEMPERATURE, CITY VS. HIGHWAY MILES, MPH, ETC). MESSAGE BOARDS SHOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE CAR STALLING UNEXPECTEDLY, EVEN DURING HIGHWAY TRAVEL. SEE HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2005/GMC/ENVOY/FUEL+SYSTEM. " *TR