NHTSA Complaint #11395066 — 2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

AFTER REFUELING VEHICLE, I NOTICED A STRONG GAS ODOR THAT DID NOT GO AWAY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE THE A CHEVY DEALER WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A CRACKED FUEL TANK CONNECTOR, AS SHOWN IN THE ATTACHED PHOTO. APPARENTLY GM HAS RECOGNIZED THE ISSUE AND HAS SINCE REDESIGNED THE PART, AS SHOWN IN THE SECOND ATTACHED PHOTO. THIS VEHICLE HAS UNDER 80K MILES, HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, NOR HAD ANY OTHER INCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE PART FAILURE. THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE A STRESS CRACK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE, OVER-STRESSED, POORLY DESIGNED, OR POORLY ASSEMBLED PART. IN SHORT, THIS PART SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. FURTHERMORE, THE FAILURE REPRESENTS A DANGEROUS SITUATION, DUE TO THE FUEL LEAK THAT OCCURRED. THE REPAIR WAS ON THE ORDER OF $1500, BECAUSE THE DEALER INDICATED THAT BOTH THE GAS TANK AND FILLER NECK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL REPAIR FOR A RELATIVELY LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE.