...Hole in the gas tank?

[2o6]

So, I'm getting my Yaris serviced because I have a hole in my gas tank!


$832 dollars.


Has this happened to anyone else here? How normal is this? I wonder if I ran something over, and it popped a hole.

[WeeYari]

Nope, never heard of anyone with this complaint. With anti-syphon devices in the filler neck, punching a hole in the tank has become a common way for theives to steel gas.

[2o6]

Yeah, and aftermarket support is nil, and the tank itself is expensive.



Aargh.

[Geoff Peace]

Originally Posted by 2o6

So, I'm getting my Yaris serviced because I have a hole in my gas tank!


$832 dollars.


Has this happened to anyone else here? How normal is this? I wonder if I ran something over, and it popped a hole.

When you say you have a 'hole in the gas tank' do you mean that literally? or do you mean you have a leak? The petrol tanks are made of some sort of 'plastic' and can leak from the filler union or the breather or the petrol pump fitting. If it is indeed a hole I tend to agree that someone has tried to steal petrol.

Regards Geoff Peace.

[2o6]

There is a physical hole in the bottom of the tank.

[CTScott]

The gas tank is tough plastic. It must have taken something pretty serious popping up on the road to penetrate it.

It is a very expensive part new, but they are readily available at junkyards for a fraction of the OEM cost.

[Hamster]

Does your mechanic think that the hole was done intentionally, as others here are suggesting? If so, you might want to contact your insurance company....I bet they'll cover it, minus your deductible.

[auxmike]

I would have loved to see a pic of this...

[2o6]

Originally Posted by Hamster

Does your mechanic think that the hole was done intentionally, as others here are suggesting? If so, you might want to contact your insurance company....I bet they'll cover it, minus your deductible.

There's nothing I can do about that, the tank had been patched at one point, and the tank broke at the patch. I've had this car since March, so there's not much I can do there.

[2o6]

In my experience, I would rather just give the dealer my car. I know it'll be done right.

[2o6]

This turned into a crapshow on the Toyota dealer's part.


"I honestly felt I got some of the worst customer service I have ever had.


Saturday - I notice the fuel leak, so I drive the car down to Summit Toyota/Scion of Akron. The original dealership used to be called "Montrose" and was recently bought out by a new company. I had gotten my car serviced there before (transmission fluid change) The guy says since the part isn't exactly expected to go out so soon, and the fact it's a national holiday my car won't be done until Wedensday. Oh well, I can't drive the car, so I'm forced to leave it.


I inquire about getting a loaner; I'm told I can't because I'm under 21. (??? What would have happened if I would have bought a new Toyota? Would I still have been left high and dry?)

The service tech says he can call Enterprise and do a "direct bill" purchase order where they can override the age limit and send me a car.

Guy calls Enterprise and says that this is correct, but given the fact it's a national holiday weekend, there are no cars able to rent. Understandable, I guess. I tell the guy I will come back Tuesday morning to get a new vehicle.

Tuesday - (Over the weekend, I called the call center and confirmed that there were cars coming back in Tuesday morning)

We try to get the rental setup and all of a sudden, I'm greeted with "Sorry sir, we can't do that." We can only do a purchase order if the car is an accident or insurance claim. I call corporate and try and fight/override this but to no avail. Toyota refuses to give me a car, despite me explaining the fact that I have to have a vehicle for my job.

I'm able to use the Econoline for my JJ's runs on Tuesday and Wedensday.


Wedensday - The part should be in for the car, and the car gets on the rack around 2PM ish. I get the car back around 5PM. I figure, aside from the loaner car issues, I can finally put this behind me; the car is fixed.

Or so I thought.


I'm happily maintining 60MPH with cruise control on, but then I notice the car seems to be decelerating. I think to myself, huh maybe I accidently canceled cruise control. I press the gas pedal, but NOTHING HAPPENS. The car comes to a complete stop on a freeway bridge with no shoulder. I'm stuck in the right lane, in a small car on a freeway bridge where traffic is going 60MPH or more. Yes, people are trying to move out the way. Yes, I'm terrified as heck.

I'm able to get the car started, and I literally pretty much leave the car at the service dept's door. The clerk and manager makes excuses saying "Well, service is gone. There's nothing we can do. Sorry, sir".

This morning, I get a call from the dealer miffed that my car is back. I told them it stalled and I get a reply of "Well, I don't know how that happened. Fuel tanks and stalling aren't really related issues". What a douche-y way of trying to throw the problem back on me.

They are able to replicate the issue.

They track it down to debris down in the fuel tank, I decide to let the loaner issue lie, but I did bring it up again since now this problem is their fault. Still no loaner, and I'm frustrated, because I wasn't 100% sure if I could even use the Van.

The service guy says "Yeah, it's a piece of dirt caught in the lines. It's not your fault or ours, but we aren't going to charge you for it." (WHAT!?) Don't act like you're doing me a favor by doing your job.



I tell the service guy that I feel like they are going out of their way to not help me. He replies with "Well, what can I do to make sure you don't feel this way" and I tell him that I want some sort of deduction from my bill; I don't feel like I got the service I paid for, and the repair literally put me in a life or death situation. When he tells me my car is ready, I mention the billing aspect and he pretty much flat out ignores it. He gives me an "invoice" for a "world-class car inspection - no charge" and a certificate for a "VIP carwash/detail" and says "Oh, sorry sir."

I don't even know how well the service was performed; I asked "Is there any more debris in the fuel system" and I get a reply of "It seems like it's running fine".

[CTScott]

There's a mesh filter on the intake of the fuel pump, so the "new" tank would have had to be full of debris to plug the filter enough to stall it.

[Altitude]

^^ Stuff like this is the reason I never take my car in for service. DIY all the way.

[2o6]

Originally Posted by CTScott

There's a mesh filter on the intake of the fuel pump, so the "new" tank would have had to be full of debris to plug the filter enough to stall it.

Which worries me. The tank at least looks new.

[2o6]

I am in the process of filing a complaint with Toyota Corporate.

[jetaimejsc]

i had an incident with my local toyota dealer. Took the car to get oil change just like i had been doing every time it needed one. I decide to take it earlier due to a trip from TN to TX which is close to 12 hr drive. Im on my way to TX and i stop for gas about near to Little Rock AK and my cousin says, "dude, theres smoke coming out of ur car" im like nah, its a new car, it cant have that, i ignore it.

Decided to stop at Little rock for breakfast...i park and ton of smoke is coming out from the front of the car. I open the hood and what do you know....THERE WAS NO OIL CAP ON...grrr. they forgot to put it back on. I found the cap right where the hood latches on or releases it. Same spot after a good drive down. Called them up and told me to take to a near toyota dealer and they will clean it and add oil. Never did, cleaned it and added oil the ol DIY way. Got back to TN and went straight to dealer. Nothing happened. I complained and complained and nothing. just a free oil change and a good car wash and engine bay cleanup. Avoided going back. This happened in 2008. I decided to go back for a battery around mid 2009 and i saw a plate saying Best Auto Service of 2008? how they do that.

DIY FTW...nuff said...sorry for lost post

[2o6]

Toyota dealer called my house, left a message saying that they're pretty much not going to do anything. Part of me wants to fight it, part of me wants to leave it alone.

[09sedan]

get a lawyer involved and fight it, teach the s.o.b a lesson