NHTSA Complaint #11365591 — 2009 CHEVROLET HHR

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020, I WAS AT MY DAD'S. MY CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. MY NIECE CAME UP SAYING SHE SMELLED GAS AND WAS CONCERNED. WHEN WE COULDN'T FIND AN ISSUE IN THE HOUSE, I SAID MAYBE IT WAS MY CAR. WE WENT OUT TO THE GARAGE AND NOTICED A LARGE PUDDLE ON THE LEFT SIDE (DRIVER'S SIDE) IN FRONT OF THE LEFT REAR WHEEL. I MOVED THE CAR OUT TO THE DRIVEWAY AND WE COULD SEE WITHIN SECONDS IT HAD LEFT A PUDDLE THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL. I LEFT AND DROVE HOME 30 MINUTES LATER. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO CASSIDY TIRE LATER THAT WEEK. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE LEAK, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS PRETTY FREAKED OUT AND TOLD ME MY CAR WAS LEAKING GAS. WE CALLED A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET COBALTS AND HHRS. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT DRIVE THE CAR WHEREVER I TAKE IT AS I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR SAFELY SHOULD SOMETHING HAPPEN. I'VE BEEN OUT TO THE CAR A FEW TIMES AND THE SMELL OF FUEL IS NOTICEABLE. AFTER GOOGLING THE ISSUE AND FINDING AN ABC NEWS REPORT FROM JULY 2020 AND ANOTHER ARTICLE ABOUT A POTENTIAL RECALL AND AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ISSUE, I CALLED A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER TO MENTION THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR IT ON MY VIN AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM FOR REPAIR AND WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR. WHAT CAUSED THE LEAK? I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT IT IS THE CORROSION OF THE METAL? I DON'T KNOW THAT I EVER NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS BEFORE THE 10TH. I DID TAKE IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE LATE MARCH, EARLY APRIL AND NO ONE MENTIONED AN ISSUE WITH FUEL LEAKING OR THE SMELL OF GAS. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS IN MY LIFETIME AND I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE LIKE THIS.