NHTSA complaint #11353843

Owner complaint summary

(VEHICLE IS 2019 WITH 7404 MILES RECORDED ON DATE OF INCIDENT). MORNING OF 18TH AUG 2020. THE CAR SAT OVERNIGHT SO WAS 'COLD' WHEN I STARTED IT. I IMMEDIATELY SELECTED REVERSE AND BEGAN BACKING UP (EXACT SPEED UNKNOWN, BUT 'SLOW'). APPROX 10 SECS AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE THE VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE ENTERED THE COCKPIT - I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. EXITING THE VEHICLE I COULD SEE A TRAIL OF FLUID 10 FT LONG ON THE CONCRETE DRIVEWAY AND THE SCENT IDENTIFIED IT AS GASOLINE. I LIFTED THE HOOD & GASOLINE WAS ALL OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE AND DRIPPING DOWN OFF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HOOD. LOOKING CLOSER I COULD SEE POOLS OF GAS HAD COLLECTED ANYWHERE THERE WAS A DEPRESSION IN WHICH LIQUID COULD COLLECT ON & AROUND THE ENGINE. SEVERAL LITERS OF GASOLINE HAD BEEN EJECTED OVER THE ENGINE. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST ALFA SERVICE DEALERSHIP (GOLLING, BLOOMFIELD HILLS). THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED A BROKEN/SPLIT FUEL HOSE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY. THEY VERBALLY TOLD ME THE PART WAS SENT TO ALFA CORPORATE AND I SHOULD CONTACT THEM TO FOLLOW THE INVESTIGATION. I CONTACTED ALFA CORPORATE AND THROUGH EMAIL EXCHANGES, DISCOVERED THAT ALFA CORPORATE WILL NOT BE INVESTIGATING THIS SAFETY ISSUE AT ALL. I ATTACH ALL THE EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE BELOW. MY VERY SERIOUS CONCERN IS THAT THE DEALERSHIP VERBALLY SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED - "MAYBE A WEAK SPOT" - BUT ALFA CORPORATE WOULD INVESTIGATE. AT THAT POINT I WAS SATISFIED. THEN SEVERAL DAYS LATER ALFA CORPORATE INFORMED ME THAT THE DEALERSHIP GUESS OF "MAYBE A WEAK SPOT" WOULD BE THE OFFICIAL CONCLUSION AND END OF THE INVESTIGATION. I MENTION IT SEVERAL TIMES IN MY (ATTACHED) EMAILS BUT IT IS OBVIOUS THAT I AVOIDED BEING IN A MOVING FIREBALL BY ONLY MINUTES AND MAYBE LUCK. AN INVESTIGATION BY AN ENGINEER IS THE MINIMUM I WOULD EXPECT FROM ALFA CORPORATE.*DT*DT*JB*DT*JB*AS