NHTSA Complaint #10494511 — 2004 ACURA MDX

AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PUT GASOLINE INTO MY VEHICLE (IT STILL HAD 1/4 OF A TANK), WITH THE NOZZLE ON AUTOMATIC (AS OPPOSED TO MANUAL), AFTER ABOUT FIVE SECONDS, THE PUMP SHUT OFF AND GASOLINE SPEWED OUT OF THE CAR AT THE INTAKE LOCATION. I WAS SPLASHED WITH GASOLINE. THINKING THAT I HAD PLACED THE NOZZLE INCORRECTLY, I TRIED IT AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULT. I WAS AGAIN SPLASHED WITH GASOLINE. I THEN WONDERED IF THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE GAS PUMP AND I MOVED TO A DIFFERENT PUMP AT THE SAME STATION. AGAIN, I HAD THE SAME RESULT, BUT I WAS SPLASHED LESS AS I HAD ANTICIPATED WHAT ULTIMATELY HAPPENED. I TOLD MY HUSBAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND THE NEXT DAY, HE WENT TO THE STATION WITH ME. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIBBLE SOME GASOLINE INTO THE TANK WITH THE NOZZLE ON MANUAL. I LOOKED UP THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THE SAME ISSUE WITH SEVERAL VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. ON 12/21/13, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ISSUE, AND I CALLED ACURA CUSTOMER CARE TO REPORT IT. IT WAS SEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP ON 12/22/13. TWO PARTS WERE REPLACED -- "CANISTER ASSY" AND "MOD. CANISTER D" (NOT THE GAS TANK) ON 12/23/13, AS THE PARTS HAD FAILED FUNCTIONAL TESTING. I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 2:45 PM ON 12/23/13, DROVE TO A GAS STATION, PUT THE NOZZLE IN THE INTAKE LOCATION AND HAD THE EXACT SAME RESULT AS BEFORE. GASOLINE SPEWED OUT AND SPRAYED ME AGAIN. I HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS ON A COUPLE OF LEVELS: THE SPILLED/SPEWED GASOLINE POSES A FIRE HAZARD FOR ME, THE VEHICLE, THE GAS STATION, AND THOSE PEOPLE AROUND ME WHO ARE ALSO FILLING UP, AND HAVING GASOLINE SPILLED ON ME IS AN OBVIOUS HEALTH HAZARD. *TR