NHTSA Complaint #11270119 — 2013 FORD FUSION

AFTER DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND I GOT OUT, I SMELLED GASOLINE. I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR AND ALL AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND COULD NOT SEE ANY LEAKS. I USED A FLASHLIGHT AND A MIRROR BUT DID NOT REMOVE ANY PANELS. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS JUST FUMES, BUT THE GASOLINE SMELL WAS JUST AS STRONG AFTER I DROVE THE CAR THE NEXT TIME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE UNDER BODY FUEL LINES JUST FORWARD OF THE FUEL TANK WERE RUSTED THROUGH AND LEAKING. THERE IS A RETAINING CLIP THAT SECURES THE LINE AND THAT IS WHERE THE LINE WAS RUSTED. THERE WAS NEVER EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK OTHER THAN THE SMELL, BECAUSE THE SPLASH GUARD THAT GOES UNDER THE FUEL LINE WAS PREVENTING THE LEAK FROM MAKING IT TO THE GROUND. I COULD NOT SMELL THE GASOLINE WHILE DRIVING, ONLY AFTER EXITING THE CAR.