NHTSA Complaint #10485160 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC

DURING INCREASING AND DECREASING SPEED FUEL WOULD RUN DOWN THE TANK ONTO THE HOT ENGINE. IT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE CORRECT POWER AT TIMES. THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL TANK CAP AND FILLER NECK BECAME INCREASING YELLOW WITH ONE AREA MARKING THE TANK WITH A YELLOW TRIANGLE LIKE GAS FUMES PUSHING OUT UNDER PRESSURE. 6/22/12, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER (RED ROCK) AND THEY DID NOTHING AND LET ME LEAVE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE DAMAGING THE PAINT AND THE BIKE STARTED TO STALL WHILE I WAS GETTING ON THE FREEWAY AND AT SIGNALS WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. SEPT. 7, 2012, THE BIKE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER. THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME MY BIKE WAS READY AND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE MY VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR BUT KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE FUEL TAKE LEAKING. I TOLD THEM AGAIN AND THAT THEY DID NOT FIX IT THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN AND THAT IT IS A FIRE DANGER. THEY CALLED ME LATER AND SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL FILLER NECK WHICH THEY NOW FIXED. THE FUEL NO LONGER LEAKS, HOWEVER, MY FUEL TANK PAINT IS DAMAGED. THE CLEAR COAT HAS BUBBLED, PEALING AND IS YELLOW. I CONTACTED BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE GENERAL MANAGER AND HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THEY SAID THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR A VAPOR LEAK AND NOT FUEL. I EXPLAINED IF VAPOR CAN ESCAPE SO CAN GAS AND THE DAMAGE CLEARLY SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE VAPOR LEAK (YELLOW TRIANGLE) ON MY WHITE TANK. HARLEY DAVIDSON REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD REPAINT 1/2 THE TANK AT THEIR COST OF $350 WHICH I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY FOR. I FEEL IF A RECALL FACTORY DEFECT CLEARLY CAUSES DAMAGE WHERE IT WAS LOCATED THEY SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE DAMAGE. I WAS ALSO REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE SENSOR WHICH PROBABLY ALSO WAS CAUSED BY THIS VAPOR LEAK. CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE OR GUIDANCE TO FIX MY TANK? I ALSO HAVE PICTURES I CAN SEND YOU IF NEEDED. THANK YOU *TR