NHTSA Complaint #10717576 — 2004 GMC ENVOY XUV

AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE WAS PRESENT AND THE "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON" LIGHT WAS LIT. USING THE ON-STAR VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE, THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATED A FUEL SYSTEM LEAK OR LOOSE GAS CAP. HOWEVER, UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FUEL TANK INLET CHECK VALVE, WHICH IS PART OF THE FUEL TANK, WAS FRACTURED AND LEAKING FUEL. IN CHECKING WITH GMC, THERE WAS AN EXISTING NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE07014 CONCERNING THIS DEFECT FOR MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE. A GMC SPECIAL COVERAGE POLICY EXTENSION (07099A) WAS ALSO IN EFFECT SINCE 2007 FOR 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES TO EFFECTIVELY REPAIR THIS KNOWN FUEL TANK DEFECT. THIS REPAIR INVOLVES A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK. HOWEVER, GMC REFUSED TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AND COVER THE COST OF REPAIR BECAUSE MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT IN THE LISTED RANGE. IN TRYING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE IT WAS FOUND THAT THESE FUEL TANKS ARE ON BACKORDER FROM GM AS I SUSPECT MANY GMC ENVOY OWNERS ARE NOW BECOMING AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS DEFECT AND WERE NOT INFORMED AT THE INITIAL RECALL BECAUSE LIKE MY VEHICLE, THEY WERE NOT ON THE VIN NUMBER COVERAGE LIST. OBVIOUSLY THE GM VIN NUMBER RANGE FOR THIS DEFECT IS INCORRECT AND SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER ALL KNOWN 2002-2004 ENVOY, ENVOY XL AND ENVOY XUV MODEL VEHICLES. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS OVER $1400. GMC IS THE ONLY SOURCE FOR THIS FUEL TANK AS THERE ARE NO OTHER OEM VENDORS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT OF WHICH I BELIEVE MANY GMC ENVOY OWNERS ARE NOT AWARE OF AND CAN LEAD TO EXPLOSION AND SERIOUS INJURY IF LEFT UNDETECTED. GMC NEEDS TO RE-EVALUATE THE VIN NUMBER RANGES AND NOTIFY ALL MAKE/MODEL/YEAR OWNERS IMMEDIATELY TO CHECK FOR FUEL TANK LEAKAGE AND IF NECESSARY, COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR. I HAVE SAVED THE FUEL TANK AND REPAIR RECEIPTS AND CAN SUPPLY PICTURES OF THE DEFECT IF REQUIRED/REQUESTED.