NHTSA Complaint #10535221 — 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT

SEVERAL MONTHS THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS VERY STRONG IN THE INTERIOR OF MY SUV. I DROVE IT ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM MY HOME WITH A FULL TANK, AS I DROVE IT THE SMELL BECAME MUCH STRONG, WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION A PERSON POINTED OUT TO ME THAT GASOLINE WAS POURING FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY TRUCK LIKE A WATER HOSE. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME TO PARK THE VEHICLE. AS I TRIED TO RECALL WHAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED, I REMEMBERED THAT TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT I GOT AN OIL CHANGE; I ASSUMED THAT MAYBE THEY HAD DONE SOMETHING TO AGGRAVATE AN ALREADY EXISTING PROBLEM. AFTER THEY REVIEWED THEIR WORK, I WAS TOLD IT WAS A MANUFACTURES PROBLEM. I LATER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WOLF CHEVROLET (NOW DEFUNCT DEALER). A DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GAS TANK MUST BE REPLACED WITH A COST OF $1192. AND THE SUV IS CONSIDERED "TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE". I THEN WENT TO ANOTHER AUTOMOTIVE ESTABLISHMENT AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME DIAGNOSIS. AFTER TAKING IN CONSIDERATION BOTH ESTIMATES AND MY NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION, I CONTACTED GM AND SPOKE WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED GM DEALER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LOU BACHRODT IN CHERRY VALLEY, ILLINOIS AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME DIAGNOSIS. AFTERI RELAYED THE IINFORMATION TO THE GM REP, HE SAID THAT DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE MILEAGE, GM WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OFFER ME ANY COMPENSATION. HE SUGGESTED I PHONE LOU BACHRODT AND SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST ME IN THE COST, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN GAVE ME THE SAME STATEMENT; AGE AND MILEAGE. I AM WRITING BECAUSE FROM ALL INDICATIONS THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY PREVALENT IN MY SUV BUT AFTER DOING RESEARCH, SEVERAL 2004 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT CHEVROLET GM SHOULD TAKE OWNERSHIP FOR ALL OR SOME OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR