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Fuel Line Corroded and Leaking Fuel on 2012 with 53K mile and Cost to Repair $1200

20K views 35 replies 24 participants last post by  IndyVolt13 
#1 ·
Recently noticed a gasoline smell in and around my car, even fuel pooled under my car. Dealer service technician located the leak and told me it had corroded from road salt and mud. Also that it wasn't covered under warranty and the service book claimed 10 hours of technician time to replace it due to the high voltage electrical issues and the difficulties in accessing the line. This seems like a very premature issue as well as a serious safety issue. I don't know if I can own a car that I have to replace the fuel line every 50,000 miles and spend $1200. I have to question my appreciation for the car as well as its design for durability.
 
#2 ·
Am surprised the Voltec power train warranty wouldn't cover this. Suggest you contact your Volt Adviser for help.
 
#3 ·
a serious safety issue.
Yes, get it fixed.

Regarding durability, the fuel line on my 5+ year old 2011 with 80k miles is fine. I do wash the underside during the winter, though how effective that is in salt removal is hard to say since I can't see the underside.
 
#5 ·
Interesting. Auto manufacturers have been building cars for a long time now, and I would have to say it is extremely surprising that they would produce a fuel line that actually leaks in just 4 years. Could it be that a first time poster is telling a bit of a fib?

VIN # B0985
 
#9 ·
I've never had to replace a fuel line in any car in more than 50 years of driving. Some of the cars I have owned were very high mileage and old. If this is true, you should be filing a safety problem with the national vehicle safety board. If this is a common problem, they will require a recall. I've not heard of anything like this in a Volt, sorry to hear of this problem, good luck!
 
#10 · (Edited)
Sorry to hear about this. I believe this is a first so something most unusual is happening. My suggestion is to contact a Volt advisor and see what they have to say. My guess would be that there has been some type of trauma in lieu of or in addition to the corrosion.

Beyond that, not getting it fixed isn't an option. You've got a dangerous situation on your hands and in your garage.
 
#11 ·
... Dealer service technician located the leak and told me it had corroded from road salt and mud.....
Could post some pictures of the problem area so the rest of us know where to look for this situation, please?


(If it really exists....)
 
#12 ·
Certainly not common, for any vehicle today.
I've never had to replace a fuel line on any vehicle we've owned, and some have gone to 14-15 years before we upgraded.
And we have winter, and lots of salt.

My guess is line was a bit rusty (normal, surface rust) and line was damaged by road hazard and tech saw rust, hole in line, 2+2...
 
#15 ·
A 4 year old brake or fuel line won't have this issue without other damage.

From what I've seen on my 13 year old truck, they will rust for many many years before needing replaced - having a fuel line done this week in fact. That's in salty/brine winter road conditions and parking on gravel/grass to make underside rust worse.
 
#16 ·
Hmm. A new member posts an issue two days ago, with no follow-up. Makes me wonder.
 
#20 ·
The gas fumes became so strong from the leaking corroded fuel line that no one would ride with me. I dared not store it inside with the fuel leaking on the floor. So the car sat for several months. I paid the $1334 dollars for the 12 hours of labor and $180 in parts (pipe 20938757 and pipe 22961708). It had 54000 miles. It just strikes me as poor engineering design. I emailed Customer Care and they gave me a case #8-2726605923 and a Senior Advisor supposedly named "Hugo" TEM013CAC. But even after being assured he would call me after actually talking to someone. He still hasn't called. I've called several times. I should think this deserves a discussion with someone from GM. I feel abandoned.
 
#24 · (Edited)
#23 ·
http://gm-volt.com/forum/album.php?albumid=1489&attachmentid=118977

The pics can be accessed from the OP member page...but they aren't clear at all.
GM has/had an issue with brake and fuel lines on their trucks, but this would be extremely fast even for that issue. If you want better help from the forum, we would need clearer pictures.
 
#25 ·
I finally paid the $1330 dollars to have the corroded fuel lines replaced because it was undriveable any longer. Prior to the job, I specifically asked the GM dealer to keep the fuel lines so that I could review them, however, they strangely scrapped them before I could look at them. Being a little frustrated about having to pay for replacing corroded fuel lines after only 53,000 miles. I asked the GM warranty group to review the situation. The second level warranty manager, told me I should be washing the underside of my car. Mind you, the location of the area where the fuel lines corroded was so high up (back of passenger seat) and under the car that you would have to put the car up on a lift to even access the fuel lines for washing. The second level warranty manager told me that he regularly washed the underside of his car (when asked, he could not provide any detail how he did this, just that I should be washing the underside of my car). A clear dodge of responsibility by GM. Clearly seems like a fragile design.
 
#29 ·
Prior to the job, I specifically asked the GM dealer to keep the fuel lines so that I could review them, however, they strangely scrapped them before I could look at them.
I often request the old part to review. The only time they won't is if it's a warranty repair. I'd have refused to pay, had then go in their parts trash, and fish them out.

told me I should be washing the underside of my car.The second level warranty manager told me that he regularly washed the underside of his car (when asked, he could not provide any detail how he did this, just that I should be washing the underside of my car).
I use as 2 foot wand extension on my garden hose and run it back and forth along both side, the front and rear of the car. I can turn the wand at various angles and I basically give the car a thorough spray several times. I do this on nice winter days here in Chicago. And this year there were many of those. Also, many car washes do underside spraying.

A clear dodge of responsibility by GM. Clearly seems like a fragile design.
Going on 6 years and will be hitting 90k miles this week. No issues. Given that yours is the first and only report here of this issue since the Volt was released, I'd have to disagree with your "fragile" assessment.
 
#30 ·
Your "engineering intuition" should also be telling you that in light of the fact that the largest owner's group on the internet has never heard of such a fuel line issue on the Gen1 Volt, (many with 4-6 times your accumulated miles in similar geographical conditions) that there might have been some highly unusual chain of events that created this damage. Please feel free to post a copy of the dealership repair order so we might ascertain what repair op-codes they utilized and their explanation of the damage and unusually high cost of repairs.

WopOnTour
 
#27 · (Edited)
That bill looks in the best case, unusual...12 hrs to replace two fuel lines???...What about the excuse of the Voltec/ Battery to enlarge the difficulty of the repair?...Probably to change 2 fuel lines you dont need more then 1 hour,,,and I do not see the need to disconnect the main battery for something so mechanical... the $1330 should be reduced to $133, or nothing !. Fight back. Happy EASTER.
 
#28 ·
Don't know what it's like in Iowa but where I live salt is on the roads 4 months a year. As a chemist, I can say even stainless steels are susceptible to salt corrosion so if it isn't plastic or rubber sooner or later it's vulnerable.
Don't car washes do the undersides?
 
#31 · (Edited)
I know this thread is long dead, but I thought I would post my experience anyways, just in case it was useful to somebody. I bought a 2012 volt recently and it started to leak gas. Very similar issue to the original post I think. My mechanic did it for a few hundred dollars, but he did take some short cuts. He only bought one section of line and cut and joined it. The line runs under the engine sub frame. To replace the entire line, or both lines, the sub frame must be dropped apparently. This likely would take 12 hours as in the invoice posted.

The line surprisingly is stainless steel. It has a sensor in it. Probably pressure. It is hung at one point by a hanger that protects the line with some fabric. At this hanger a couple of pin holes were found. It may have been corrosion or possibly wear from rubbing. There was no corrosion any where else on the line. It looked new once wiped off. On the new install the hanger material was removed. It is unlikely washing the underside of the car would have helped.
 
#32 ·
Glad to know I'm not the only one. My 2012 volt has had a nagging fuel smell for a couple years. Once I was sure it was the Volt and not one of the many other possible sources of the fuel smell in my garage I took it in but the Chevy dealer swore they couldn't find a leak and didn't smell anything. I put up with it since then but it has slowly but surely gotten worse. I still don't have anything visible on the garage floor but the scent is extremely strong now. So I took it back and wouldn't ya know it they found the very same leak y'all are talking about in this thread and are quoting me about $1500 saying the entire battery pack has to be removed to get at it. I'm not happy. I'm considering the short-cut described above but I'll need them to confirm where on the line the leak is. I'll call the dealer but I highly doubt they'll be willing to consider a splice repair. I'd probably have to try to find an aftermarket shop. Just wanted to confirm the person who posted this is not making it up.
 
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