NHTSA Complaint #10510473 — 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER

LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, MY 2003 TRAILBLAZER BEGAN TO REEK OF GASOLINE, PERMEATING OUR GARAGE & HOUSE WITH THE SMELL. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO REPLACE THE FUEL PIPES BETWEEN THE TANK & THE FILL CAP; HOWEVER, THEY SAID I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FUEL FILTER MYSELF. NOTE THAT PRIOR TO WARRANTY WORK, THERE WAS NO LEAKING, PUDDLING OF FUEL, OR ANY INDICATION THAT IT WAS LEAKING. THERE WERE JUST FUMES. IT HAS ONLY 95K MILES ON IT, SO IT'S WITHIN THE 120K/10 YR WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WARRANTY WORK BEGAN, THEY "DISCOVERED" A LEAK WHEN THEY REMOVED THE BELT THAT HOLDS THE TANK TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THEY ARE CLAIMING THAT I "MUST HAVE" GOTTEN A ROCK OR SOME DEBRIS UNDERNEATH THE BELT TO HAVE CAUSED THE LEAK. FUNNY, IT DIDN'T LEAK UNTIL THEY TOUCHED IT. NOW THE AREA REP IS DEMANDING "CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION" IN REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK (WHICH THEY ADMIT IS A SAFETY HAZARD). OH, & WHEN THEY SHOWED ME THE LEAK, I SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND THE SERVICE REP SAID "OF COURSE, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY". BUT AS SOON AS THE GM AREA REP BAILED ON PAYING THE ESCALATED WARRANTY WORK, THE DEALERSHIP RECANTED THEIR PROMISE TO ME. WHEN I PROTESTED, THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED GM MIGHT NOT PAY ANYTHING IF I PROCEED WITH A WARRANTY CLAIM, COSTING ME $1100+ FOR THE FUEL TANK AND $100+ FOR THE FUEL FILTER. I KNOW THE AREA REP HAS A FUND TO PAY FOR IT, BUT CHOOSES NOT TO. ALL SERVICE WORK INCLUDING OIL CHANGES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP ON TIME, FROM DAY 1. THE WARRANTY SERVICE OFFERED TO ME IS LESS THAN OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM HAVE RECEIVED (GM PAID FULL REPAIRS FOR OTHERS, INCL. FUEL FILTER & FUEL TANK). I CAN PROVE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LEAKING GASOLINE PRIOR TO THE TIME WARRANTY WORK BEGAN. HISTORY SHOWS LEAKING GAS TANKS HAVE A NASTY TENDENCY TO BLOW UP. IS THAT WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT? *TR