NHTSA Complaint #10459392 — 2006 ISUZU ASCENDER

THIS VEHICLE IS A REBADGED GMC ENVOY/CHEVY TRAILBLAZER AND LIKE MANY OF THESE VEHICLES, THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR (FUEL LEVEL SENDER) NO LONGER WORKS. OTHER VEHICLES USING THIS PLATFORM (CALLED 360) ARE THE BUICK RANIER, SAAB 9-7X, AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADO. GM SOLD ITS INTEREST IN ISUZU AND NO LONGER SEEMS TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE VEHICLES IT MANUFACTURED, IN FACT, THE CLOSEST ISUZU SERVICE CENTER IS 80 MILES AWAY. ALL OF THE OTHER VEHICLES IN THIS PLATFORM HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT WHERE GM WILL AGREE TO PAY ONE-HALF THE EXPENSE (DONE AT ONE OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS) OF REPLACING THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THEY ARE NOT OFFERING TO DO SO ON THE ISUZU ASCENDER. SINCE MY FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK, I CAREFULLY TRACK MY MILEAGE SINCE MY LAST FILL-UP TO ENSURE I DO NOT RUN OUT OF FUEL. ALTHOUGH I SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE-HALF OF A TANK OF GASOLINE, I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH ONE OF THE BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS IN THE METRO-MILWAUKEE AREA (MAYFAIR ROAD AND NORTH AVENUE) AND WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO ACCELERATE, THEN ENGINE QUIT. FORTUNATELY I AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT AND HAD ENOUGH VELOCITY TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND AND WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER MY WAY OFF OF THE STATE HIGHWAY. THE ONLY EXPLANATION I CAN DEDUCE FOR BEING OUT OF FUEL IS THAT DURING THE LAST FILL-UP, I WAS PUMPING USING THE AUTO SWITCH ON THE GAS NOZZLE WHICH TURNS OFF AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. PERHAPS THE SWITCH TURNED OFF, NOT BECAUSE OF BEING FULL OF FUEL, BUT BECAUSE THE VAPORS TRIGGERED IT. I AM MUCH MORE CAREFUL AT THIS POINT, BUT IT CLEARLY COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF ONE DOES NOT CAREFULLY MONITOR THEIR FUEL USE. *TT