NHTSA Complaint #10763153 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON

I PURCHASED A 2004 VW PASSAT 1.8 LITER TURBO 4MOTION STATION WAGON ON AUGUST 12, 2015. WITHIN ONE HOUR OF PURCHASING I TOOK IT TO FILL IT UP WITH FUEL. THE FUEL TANK BEGAN LEAKING IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT BY REPLACING AN O-RING ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER, MEANWHILE ADVISING ME TO NOT FILL THE TANK PAST THE 3/4 FULL MARK UNTIL THEY FIXED IT. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, IT STILL LEAKED WHEN IT WAS FILLED ABOVE THE 3/4 TANK LEVEL. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO REINSTALLED THE SAME O-RING, AGAIN UNSUCCESSFULLY, AT MY EXPENSE. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED OF A RECALL REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL TANK AND THE VENTING SYSTEM. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD "FIXED" THE RECALL ISSUE IN 2008 AND THAT ANY FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE AND COULD INVOLVE REPLACING THE FUEL TANK, A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION. I FIND THIS RESPONSE INADEQUATE AND, IN LIGHT OF READING MANY OTHER POSTS DESCRIBING SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED FUEL LEAK, BELIEVE THAT VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BY NHTSA FOR CORRECTING A RECURRING, DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE.