NHTSA Complaint #10863493 — 2011 AMERIVAN TOYOTA SIENNA

WE BOUGHT A 2011 SIENNA IN LATE NOVEMBER 2015 TO REPLACE OUR 2004 SIENNA THAT WAS TOTALED IN A COLLISION WITH A DEER. THE 2004 HAD BEEN PARKED IN OUR GARAGE FOR 12 YEARS WITHOUT INCIDENT. OUR 2011 WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE FOR FOUR MONTHS AND THE FUEL LINE, ABOVE THE GAS TANK, WAS GNAWED THROUGH BY A RODENT. THIS COULD HAVE JUST BEEN A $200 ANNOYANCE TO GET THE FUEL LINE REPLACED BUT IT TURNED INTO THE 2011 BEING TOTALED AS MY WIFE SAT IN IT, BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY STREET WITH HER FLASHERS ON. SHE WAS ON THE PHONE TO AAA TO GET A TOW AND WAS REAR-ENDED BY AN INATTENTIVE DRIVER. WE HAD THE CAR TRANSPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEARER IN GREEN BAY, WI AND ASKED THEM TO DETERMINE WHY THE CAR STALLED ON MY WIFE. THE DEALER SAID THEY DISCOVERED A LOT OF DOG FOOD ON TOP OF THE TANK AND THE FUEL LINE HAD BEEN GNAWED THROUGH. I TOLD THEM TO FIX THE FUEL LINE ISSUE AS I THOUGHT THE CAR COULD BE REPAIRED. TURNED OUT THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECIDED TO TOTAL IT INSTEAD. WE REPLACED THE TOTALED 2011 WITH ANOTHER 2011 SIENNA. TOOK DELIVERY OF THE CAR AND PARKED IT IN OUR GARAGE FOR THE FIRST NIGHT. MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR TO WORK THE NEXT MORNING AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG. SHE WENT OUT DURING HER LUNCH BREAK AND NOTICED A PUDDLE OF GAS UNDER THE CAR. SHE STARTED THE CAR AND OBSERVED GAS RAPIDLY DRIPPING DOWN FROM THE FUEL TANK ONTO THE GROUND. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO TOYOTA, THEY DROPPED THE GAS TANK, AND SHOWED ME ME THAT THE FUEL LINE HAD BEEN CHEWED AGAIN. ANOTHER $200 TO REPLACE THE FUEL LINE AGAIN. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THE FUEL PUMP FORCES GAS OUT OF THE CHEWED FUEL LINE FAST ENOUGH TO POOL ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND THEN RUN OFF. LIQUID GAS AND GAS VAPOR WERE PRESENT WHEN MY WIFE'S CAR WAS REAR-ENDED. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO FIRE. TOYOTA WAS CONTACTED AND THEY HAD NO RECORD OF SIMILAR FUEL LINE ISSUES WITH THE 2011-2016 MODEL SIENNAS, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN BAD