NHTSA Complaint #10929813 — 2008 CHEVROLET HHR

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW...IT IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD...170,000 MILES ...IT IS DRIVEN IN THE NORTHERN IL AREA MCHENRY COUNTY ...I PUT ABOUT 80 MILES PER DAY ON THE UNIT...FOR THE PAST 4 MONTHS MY FUEL MILEAGE HAS DROPPED FROM 26 MPG TO 22MPG...SO I TUNED UP THE UNIT AND THE MPG REMAINED THE SAME...ON 11-16-2016, I WAS DRIVING DOWN ROUTE 12 HEADED HOME ,MY RIGHT REAR TIRE SENSOR CAME ON SO I PULLED INTO A BEST BUY PARKING LOT TO CHECK THE TIRE, IT MIGHT BE GOING FLAT. AS I WAS DOWN ON THE GROUND LOOKING FOR A NAIL IN THE TIRE , I SAW A WET SPOT ON THE PAVEMENT IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE... I WENT THERE TO CHECK OUT WHAT THAT MIGHT BE AND IT WAS FRESH GASOLINE...THEN LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE I SAW A PULSATING FLOW OF GAS COMING FROM THE STEEL FUEL LINE MOUNTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOOR AT A PLASTIC RETAINER HOLDING 2 FUEL LINES COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK HEADED TO THE ENGINE ALONG WITH 2 BRAKE LINES...I DROVE THE HHR HOME AND INSPECTED THE FUEL LINE CAREFULLY... IT WAS RUSTED COMPLETELY THRU INSIDE THE PLASTIC LINE RETAINER...THE RETAINER SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM...IT CATCHES AND HOLDS ROAD SALT INSIDE THE RETAINER...IT TOOK 8 YEARS TO RUST COMPLETELY THRU THE FUEL LINE...A GREAT FIRE HAZARD...I'M VERY LUCKY THAT MY TIRE SENSOR MADE ME LOOK UNDER THE HHR AND SEE GASOLINE LEAKING... I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WILL NOT EXCEPT RESPONSIBLY FOR RUSTED FUEL LINES... ITS NOT UNDER WARRANTY...I TOLD THEM THAT IT TOOK 8 YEARS TO RUST...THEY SAID THAT IT HAS 170,000... IT PAST ITS LIFE SPAN...IT'S 8 YEARS OLD...WHAT DO I EXPECT...I TOLD THEM THAT I EXPECT FUEL LINES TO LAST FOR EVER... IT'S THE 21 CENTURY...INTERESTING THE 2 METAL BRAKE LINES IN THE SAME RETAINER ARE IN PERFECT CONDITION...THEY SEEM TO BE POWDER COATED, SO WHY NOT THE FUEL LINES. 2 THINGS THAT WE NEED, IS TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AND NO GASOLINE LEAKING ON THE PAVEMENT ...I HAVE PICTURES OF THE FUEL LINE. *TR