NHTSA Complaint #10746903 — 2002 GMC ENVOY

I SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE MY RESIDENCE. PERFORMED A WALK AROUND INSPECTION AND FOUND NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF FUEL LEAKAGE. OPENED THE HOOD AND HAD NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. ENVOY IS HARD TO START BUT ONCE STARTED CONTINUES TO RUN WITH NO ISSUES. GASOLINE FUMES ARE EVIDENT IN THE CAB WHILE PARKED BUT DISPERSE WHEN MOVING DOWN THE ROAD. UPON STOPPING IN TRAFFIC, FUMES IMMEDIATELY BECOME VERY STRONG IN THE CAB. RESEARCHING ON LINE SIMILAR SITUATIONS, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK. CHECKED UNDER THE ENVOY AND NOTICED SOME MINOR STREAKING ON THE TANK. I HAVE STOPPED DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. ASSUMING IT IS THE SAME FUEL PUMP EROSION ISSUE, THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR IS BETWEEN $650 AND $900. MA 10/6 THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER REMOVING THE GAS TANK, HE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE FUEL LINES FROM THE FUEL PUMP. THE METAL LINES BROKE OFF AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP AS HE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE CLIPS HOLDING THE LINES ON TO THE FUEL PUMP. THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP AND THE ASSOCIATED METAL LINE WERE RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. IT APPEARED THE METAL LINES AS PART OF THE FUEL PUMP WERE SPRAYING FUEL ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK WHEN THE PUMP WAS RUNNING. THE DESIGN OF THE TOP OF THE TANK WITH THE FUEL PUMP PROVIDED A BOWL ON THE TOP OF THE TANK WHERE THE FUEL PUMP WAS LOCATED ALLOWING SALT WATER TO POOL ON TOP OF THE TANK DURING THE WINTER DRIVING SEASON. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE TANK WAS RE-INSTALLED. UPDATED 03/01/16.*JB