NHTSA Complaint #10765202 — 2003 AUDI ALLROAD

THE FUEL TANK HAS DEVELOPED A LEAK ON ITS OWN. I FILLED MY CAR THE THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2015. ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 THE FUEL GAUGE WAS DOWN A QUARTER TANK. I SMELLED GAS OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THE LEAK IS AT A PLASTIC WELDED NUB ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TANK.THIS IS A PLASTIC FUEL TANK. IF I FILL THE TANK ABOVE THE HALFWAY MARK THIS IS WHEN THE TANK LEAKS. THE CAR IS GOING IN FOR SERVICE ON MONDAY FOR A FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT. I HAVE OPENED CASE NUMBER 150699218 WITH AUDI CORPORATE. THEY WANTED ME TO ALLOW THEM TO TOW THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP AND LET THE DEALER MAKE A DIAGNOSIS. WE WERE DESPERATELY AFRAID THAT THE COST OF THIS WOULD BE EXORBITANT. IT TAKES 10+ HOURS TO GET THE REMOVED AND REINSTALLED. THE TANK IS ABOUT $700.00 WE ARE TRULY AFRAID TO GO TO THE DEALER FOR ANYTHING. WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT AUDI MECHANIC WE HAVE USED FOR YEARS. AUDI WAS OFFERING TO PAY FOR THE TOW AND THE DIAGNOSIS. WE WERE THINKING AUDI WOULD USE THE EXCUSE OF DISASSEMBLING THE CAR, "FIND THE PROBLEM" AND THEN CHARGE 5 OF THE 10 HOURS TO PUT THE TANK IN. WE DID NOT WANT TO GET STUCK WITH THAT. THIS IS AWHY WE GO TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO IS HIGHLY COMPETENT AND WE TRUST. I WILL KNOW MORE ABOUT THE LEAK ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY . THIS COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.