NHTSA Complaint #10483386 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO FILL MY GAS TANK AND WHILE THIS WAS BEING DONE I HEARD A LOUD BANG SIMILAR TO A GUNSHOT. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR THERE WAS A LOUD RATTLING SOUND. I STOPPED THE CAR AND GOT OUT TO LOOK UNDERNEATH BUT COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING HANGING. SINCE I WAS NEAR HOME I STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE SLOWLY HOME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY REPAIRED THE GAS TANK STRAP PASSENGER SIDE. I TOLD THEM I CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A DESIGN DEFECTION AND A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY STATED THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY HAD SEEN QUITE A FEW OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. TOYOTA CORP HAS REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I AM TOLD THAT THERE IS A DRIVERS SIDE STRAP AS WELL SO I SUPPOSE I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THIS HAPPENING AGAIN PLUS SINCE IT IS DUE TO CORROSION I CAN EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN ABOUT FIVE YEARS. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LIKELY THIS IS TO LEAD TO THE GAS TANK DROPPING BUT I DON'T FEEL TO GOOD ABOUT IT. *TR