NHTSA Complaint #10810639 — 2013 LINCOLN MKT

THIS VEHICLE WAS MODIFIED BY SMALL VOLUME MANUFACTURER BAF TECHNOLOGIES (NOW WESTPORT) WITH AN EPA-APPROVED CNG CONVERSION PACKAGE. THE FUEL FILLER RECEPTACLE, HOWEVER, WAS NOT SECURELY MOUNTED TO THE FRAME. IT WAS MERELY MOUNTED ON A PLASTIC DISC AND GLUED TO A PLASTIC INTERIOR BODY PANEL. THAT GLUED MOUNTING HAS NOW FAILED WITHIN THE 'BUMPER TO BUMPER' WARRANTY PERIOD, BUT WESTPORT/BAF HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY. THEIR LOS ANGELES WARRANTY SERVICE PROVIDER HAS ALSO REFUSED TO PERFORM THIS REPAIR EVEN IF I PAY FOR IT. THE ORIGINAL MOUNTING METHOD IS EXTREMELY WEAK AND WOULD RESULT IN SERIOUS OR CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE (E.G. GAS LEAK, FIRE, EXPLOSION) IF THE USER WERE TO 'DRIVE OFF' WITH THE DISPENSER HOSE ATTACHED. ALL OF THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RETROFITTED TO MEET NFPA REQUIREMENTS FOR MOBILE CNG SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO SURVIVE A 'DRIVE-OFF' WITHOUT SERIOUS OR CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. SEE NFPA SECTION 52 6.9.2 "THE FUELING CONNECTION RECEPTACLE SHALL BE MOUNTED TO WITHSTAND THE BREAKAWAY FORCE SPECIFIED IN 7.11.6.2. (150 POUNDS IN ANY DIRECTION THE VEHICLE CAN MOVE)" IN ADDITION, I BELIEVE THIS MOUNTING VIOLATES NFPA 6.9.3 (RECEPTACLE NOT INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS) AND 6.9.4 (INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE WITH OPERATION OF THE FUELING NOZZLE). THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REFUELED. THE ONLY DAMAGE IN THIS CASE WAS TO THE RECEPTACLE MOUNTING. THE MOUNTING WAS APPARENTLY NOT EVEN STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND THE FORCES OF CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING THE FUELING HOSE AND NOZZLE DURING NORMAL FUELING OPERATIONS.