NHTSA Complaint #10549373 — 2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT

MY 2002 HYUNDAI ACCENT "CLICKS OFF" REPEATEDLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REFUEL THE VEHICLE. GASOLINE POOLS IN THE CHAMBER BETWEEN THE FUEL DOOR AND THE GAS TANK CAUSING A SERIOUS HAZARD. FUEL SMELLS ARE FREQUENTLY OBSERVED WITHIN THE CAR AFTER FUELING AND FOR A PERIOD OF DAYS AFTERWARD. THE "CHECK ENGINE" REMAINS ILLUMINATED INDICATING A FUEL LINE SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD THE SYSTEM CHECKED BY A FULL SERVICE AUTOMOTIVE FACILITY AND THEY HAVE REPLACED SEVERAL PARTS WITH NO SUCCESS IN REMEDYING THE PROBLEM. HAVE SUGGESTED POSSIBLY REPLACING THE ENTIRE FULL LINE, GAS TANK, ETC BUT HAVE INDICATED THIS IS LIKELY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS SUCH. AT THE CURRENT TIME IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT MORE THAN A FEW OUNCES OF GASOLINE INTO THE CAR AT ANY ONE TIME AND FAILURE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE CHAMBER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REFUEL CAN LEAD TO GASOLINE OVERFLOW AND SPILLS. I HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS AS TO THE SAFETY OF FUELING THIS CAR ON A WEEKLY BASIS AS WELL AS THE RISK OF FIRE HAZARD SHOULD ANY TYPE OF REAR-END COLLISION OCCUR WITH THIS VEHICLE. FROM MY RESEARCH THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS MODEL/YEAR OF HYUNDAI, INCLUDING AT LOW MILEAGE POINTS. CONCERNED THAT HYUNDAI HAS NOT ADDRESSED WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR SAFETY. *TR