NHTSA Complaint #10425686 — 2003 HONDA PILOT

I INITIALLY NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL IN THE GARAGE. THEN, AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK ONE DAY, AND PARKING IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT, I DISCOVERED A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR! THE GAS IS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK, AT THE SEAM OR JOINT WHERE THE TANK'S INTEGRAL CYLINDRICAL "TUBE" PROJECTION TRANSITIONS TO THE FLAT SURFACE OF THE TANK. THE RUBBER FILLER HOSE CLAMPS ONTO THIS TANK TUBE, BUT THE LEAK IS IN THE TANK "TUBE JOINT SEAM" ONLY. LIGHT FINGER PRESSURE ON THE SIDE OF THE TUBE RESULTS IN A MORE OBVIOUS LEAKAGE RATE. I CONTACTED HONDA OWNER LINK, AND WAS TOLD THAT A DEALER HAD TO CONFIRM MY OBSERVATION BEFORE HONDA COULD HELP WITH THIS SAFETY DEFECT. I TOOK THE CAR IN, AND THE SERVICE TECH REPORTED "FUEL LEAK AT THE FILLER NECK. TANK HAS NO ROAD DAMAGE. TANK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. FUEL IS LEAKING AT THIS TIME." I WAITED ANOTHER 2 HOURS FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER TO CONTACT AND RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM THE HONDA DPSR. SHE DECLINED ANY "GOODWILL" ASSISTANCE "DUE TO MILES AND YEAR OF VEHICLE". THE QUOTE TO REPLACE THIS SAFETY DEFECT IS $1200, AND NO ONE AT HONDA ACCEPTS ANY RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE TRIED TO ELEVATE THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT WITHIN HONDA, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS NOT A SAFETY DEFECT BECAUSE THERE IS NO NHTSA ACTION IN PLACE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY FURTHER ELEVATION AVENUE BEYOND THE HONDA DPSR WAS TO FILE THIS NHTSA COMPLAINT, AND WAIT FOR ENOUGH SIMILAR FUEL TANK FAILURES TO BE REGISTERED BY NHTSA. MEANWHILE, GASOLINE IS LEAKING FROM MY DEFECTIVE PILOT FUEL TANK, AND MY ONLY CHOICES ARE TO RUN IT OUT OF FUEL AND PARK IT, OR TO PAY $1200 MYSELF TO CORRECT THE HONDA DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THIS FUEL TANK. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HONDA CAN DENY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT, WHEN THEIR TECHNICIAN HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT IS INTEGRAL TO THE FUEL TANK, AND THAT THE TANK HAS NOT BEEN DAMAGED IN DRIVING. *KB