2008 Toyota Prius fuel system, gasoline problems

“THE FUEL GAUGE FOR MY 2008 TOYOTO PRIUS RECENTLY BECAME INACCURATE AND IT WAS DETERMINED DEFECTIVE ACCORDING TO THE TOYOTO DEALERSHIP, WHICH REQUIRED ME TO SPEND $1,115 TO HAVE IT AND ITS GAS TANK REPLACED. I WROTE TOYOTO ON JUNE 24, 2017 ASKING THAT THEY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE DEFECT. WHEN THEY FAILED TO RESPOND I CALLED TOYOTO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER, WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME BECAUSE THE DEFECT WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY" AND THERE HAD BEEN "NO RECALLS." PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ORDER TOYOTO TO CONDUCT A RECALL AND REIMBURSE ITS OWNERS. INACCURATE DEFECTIVE PRIUS FUEL GAUGES APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, WITH REPAIRPAL.COM REPORTING 119 COMPLAINTS. AND IN THE PAST THE NHTSA HAS DETERMINED THAT INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE "IT MAY RESULT IN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND STALLING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH."”

“INCORRECT FUEL GAUGE/RUBBER BLADDER CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUTDOWN WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. GAUGE SHOWED 2 BARS 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN. *TR”

“I NORMALLY GET ABOUT 450 MILES OUT OF ONE 11.9 GALLON TANK. RECENTLY, I DISCOVERED MY FUEL GAUGE LIGHT GOING OFF AT 300 MILES. WHEN I FILLED UP MY TANK IT ONLY TOOK 7 GALLONS, LEAVING 5 GALLONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE TANK. AFTER FILLING IT UP, FUEL GAUGE LIGHT WENT OFF JUST BELOW 300 MILES. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE I ASKED ABOUT IT THINKING THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY FUEL SENSOR. I WAS ADVISED BY THE CLERK THAT IT WAS THE BLADDER, AND TO JUST KEEP IT FULL-THATS ALL. HE GAVE OTHER ADVISE LIKE MAKE SURE THE TIRE PRESSURE ON MY TIRES WERE GOOD (THEY WERE ROTATED AND CHECKED A WEEK PRIOR TO THIS), AND TO CHECK MY AIR FILTER. NOW I AM CONFUSED, AND DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL IS ACTUALLY IN MY TANK. I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE FOR 3 1/2 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM TILL NOW. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATED THAT WHEN THE FUEL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE HAD AT LEAST 3 GALLONS OF FUEL LEFT. A TOW TRUCK APPEARED ON THE SCENE TO DELIVER MORE FUEL TO THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 33,000.”

“2008 TOYOTA PRIUS: REFUELING STARTED TO BECOME A PROBLEM AT 35,000 MILES. TANK WOULD NOT REFILL COMPLETELY AND GAS IS "BURPED" OUT TANK. VERY FRUSTRATING REFUELING BECAUSE GAS HOSE CLICKS OFF REPEATEDLY EVEN THOUGH TANK IS NOT FULL. TYPICALLY TANK WILL TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 2 GALLONS OF FUEL AFTER THE FIRST TIME IT CLICKS "FULL". IT TAKES 5 MINUTES TO PUT IN LAST 2 GALLONS AND THEN FUEL BUBBLES UP AND POURS OUT OF TANK. I COULD SEE THE AIR BUBBLES WORKING THEIR WAY TO THE SURFACE AS THE GAS TANK BURPS OUT THE FUEL. THE BLADDER GAS TANK IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHEN TANK IS FULL. MICHAEL'S TOYOTA OF BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON HAS BEEN WORTHLESS - FIRST TELLING ME THEY AREN'T AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND THEY HAD NO PROBLEM REFILLING THE CAR AND THE LAST TIME TELLING ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND I SHOULD CALL TOYOTA. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE... THANKS HEAVENS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAVE NO INTEREST IN DOING FURTHER BUSINESS WITH THEM. TOYOTA SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT AND REPLACE THE BLADDER GAS TANK WITH A REGULAR VERSION. *TR”

“ON 7/26/10 I PURCHASED 2008 CERTIFIED TOYOTA PRIUS. I DIDN'T RECEIVE CAR UNTIL 7/28/10. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP ON 7/29/10 BECAUSE THE INSIDE CABIN SMELLS LIKE GAS AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED ON FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT IT DID SMELL LIKE GAS AND IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. CURRENTLY TOYOTA IS LOOKING AT CAUSE OF PROBLEM. I FEAR THIS CAR MIGHT BE A DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF HIGH POWER VOLTAGE AND GAS FUMES. VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY INSPECTED AND SOLD IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION. DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED FROM IS LONGO TOYOTA LOCATED IN EL MONTE, CA. *TR”