NHTSA Complaint #10808078 — 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM

MY SON WAS DRIVING THIS 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM AND NOTICED GASOLINE ODOR/FUMES COMING INTO THE VEHICLE CABIN AREA WITH THE HVAC SYSTEM OPERATING. UPON INSPECTION OF HIS COMPLAINT WE NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. THIS FUEL LEAK WAS MINIMAL WHEN THE ENGINE WAS AT MID TEMPERATURE BUT BECAME WORSE WHEN THE ENGINE REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE. DURING ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS WE ALSO NOTICED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED UP COLD THAT THE FUEL LEAK WAS EASILY IDENTIFIED AND LEAKING PROFUSELY. WE PROMPTLY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN CONTAINED THE FUEL LEAK AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY UNTIL THE FUEL LEAK COULD BE REPAIRED. THE FUEL REGULATOR APPEARS TO BE THE ORIGINAL OEM INSTALLED COMPONENT. WE REPLACED THE FUEL REGULATOR ASSEMBLY AND THE LEAK HAS NOW BEEN CORRECTED. THE FAULTY COMPONENT APPEARS TO HAVE A PINHOLE LEAK AT THE TOP HAT AREA OR SOME TYPE OF POROSITY. THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE. IF THE REGULATOR IS PRESSURED UP TO THE CORRECT SPECIFIED PSI I AM CERTAIN THAT THE LEAK WILL BE ABSOLUTELY IDENTIFIED. CURRENT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN IN THE RANGE OF 35-58 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THIS FUEL LEAK CAME ON SUDDENLY AND COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN AN UNDER HOOD FIRE. I AM CONVINCED THAT IF THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE SUMMER TIME RANGES THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE. I CAN SEND THE FAILED PART TO NHTSA FOR ANALYSIS UPON REQUEST. DURING FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS COMPLAINT IT SEEMS THAT SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH THIS FUEL REGULATOR LEAKING ON THIS V-6 ENGINE VIN CODE "E". I DO REQUEST A FOLLOW UP FROM NHTSA ON THIS COMPLAINT AND I WILL SHIP THIS COMPONENT TO NHTSA AT MY OWN EXPENSE UPON REQUEST. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND I WILL NOT CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY NHTSA.