NHTSA Complaint #10735918 — 2004 SATURN ION

ON THE 20TH OF JULY I NOTICED A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN MY GARAGE. I CHECKED THE GAS CAN FOR MY LAWN EQUIPMENT AND IT WAS NOT THE SOURCE ON THE ODOR. I BACKED OUT OF THE GARAGE AND NOTICED A SOMEWHAT SUBSTANTIAL PUDDLE OF GAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF WHERE MY REAR TIRE WAS. AS THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AT THE SUSPECT LOCATION AND NOTICED STEADY DRIPS COMING FROM UNDER A PLASTIC CLIP WHICH HELD THE FUEL LINES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE FUEL LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH RIGHT AT THAT CLIP. AFTER READING UP ON THIS PROBLEM IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WHICH AFFECTS BOTH ION AND COBALT VEHICLES SINCE I BELIEVE THEY ARE "DELTA" BODIES. DUE TO THE NATURE AND THE AMOUNT OF OCCURRENCES THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY GM. IT IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I DO NOT HAVE THE 400-500 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED SINCE THE LEAK IS SCANT INCHES FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THEREFORE IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A SEVERE FIRE HAZARD. GM SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR.