NHTSA Complaint #10536289 — 2000 AUDI A6

FIRST INCIDENT MARCH 2006 LEAKY GAS TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED, COST TO US $2,249.27, AUDI DENIED RESPONSIBILITY. REQUESTED AUDI TO REPORT THIS ISSUE TO AUTHORITIES. SECOND INCIDENT, 7/30/13 (MILEAGE 163,016): VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. THE MECHANIC REMOVED REAR SEAT AND FOUND FUEL STAINING ALL AROUND THE SENDING UNIT. FUEL TANK MUST AGAIN BE REPLACED. THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD TANK COUNTING THE ORIGINAL ONE INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. IN 2008 AUDI ISSUED SAFETY RECALL CIRCULAR CODE: 2OL8/JY REVISED IN JANUARY 2009. MY FIRST FUEL TANK FAILURE OCCURRED 2 YEARS BEFORE THE RECALL. THE AUDI RECALL COVERS MODEL YEARS 2001 THROUGH 2005. MY CAR IS 2000 WITH THE SAME DEFECT AS IN LATER MODELS. 2000 MODEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT AUDI DID NOT KNOW THAT THE IDENTICAL SAFETY DEFECT WAS IN THE 2000 MODEL. THE 2006 FUEL TANK AND PARTS WERE PURCHASED NEW FROM AUDI AND SHOULD BE THE NEWER DESIGN FUEL TANK (IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY REDESIGN BY THEN). ALSO, AS A 2006 FUEL TANK, REPAIRS SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE 2008 RECALL. AUDI DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED ITS DESIGN FAILURE, AND WAS NOT EXPLICIT ABOUT THE PROBLEM DETAILS AND THE FIX FOR THE FUEL TANK SAFETY PROBLEM UNTIL THE 2008 RECALL. USING A COPY OF THE 2008 RECALL NOTICE I TELEPHONED CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT AUDI OF AMERICA IN ROCHESTER HILLS, MI (1-800-253-2834). AUDI ASSIGNED ME A CASE NO. #130535300, AND TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO AN AUDI DEALER. SINCE THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER ON 8/9/13. I HAVE SPENT $871.25 AT MY MECHANIC'S TO IDENTIFY THE DEFECT AND TO TOW THE CAR TO AUDI. ON 8/19/13 THE AUDI DEALER CALLED TO STATE THAT AUDI WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH SAME ADDRESS AND CAR REGISTRATION, YET NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL.