Gas tank/ fuel line fracture, leaking gas when I fill it up, strong gas smell/odor. Stops leaking at around 3/4 tank. Very dangerous for my 16 year old to drive. Vw dealership refused to correct, wants to charge me 2600, to fix I bought the car for 4200 3 months ago.
2004 Volkswagen Passat: gas smell in the cabin
5 of the 279 complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Passat describe gas smell in the cabin.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
Gas smell in the cabin by model year
What owners say
Vehicle: 2004 vw passat 4motion sedan w/1.8l turbo, automatic transmission filled vehicles fuel tank, noticed strong gasoline smell inside vehicle, noticed fuel dripping from fuel tank of vehicle to ground. Cannot fill tank without gas dripping to ground; fuel leak is next to exhaust system underneath vehicle (very dangerous). Found following information: manufacturer: volkswagen of america, inc summary: volkswagen is recalling 412,000 my 1999-2005 passat (5th generation) vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and produced after june 14, 1999. These vehicles may have an underbody heat shield that can become damaged. In addition, affected vehicles with automatic or manual transmissions may have a fuel line (1.8t engines only) or fuel tank ventilation valve (4motion/all wheel drive only) that can leak due to fracture.
I began noticing a very strong smell of gasoline coming through the vent while driving. When I pulled over to check under the hood, I noticed that the rigid fuel line had cracked where it passed through a mounting bracket on the upper rear of the engine bay. The crack was emitting a steady flow of fuel onto the engine and exhaust manifold. We did not drive the car any further and had the line repaired with a patch of flexible fuel line material.
We have begun to notice the smell of fuel in the cabin of our car. The smell occurs when the car is full of gas; otherwise, with a half tank of gas, there are no odors. The car is a 2004 volkswagen passat gls 1.8t 4motion with the 5 speed automatic. Vw has made no promises to remedy this issue.
My 2004 vw passat: was driving when noticed a gasoline smell in the car. The car stalled, heard a pop sound from under the hood and immediately saw smoke/orange flame -the engine was on fire.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling 412,000 my 1999-2005 passat (5th generation) vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and produced after june 14, 1999. These vehicles may have an underbody heat shield that can become damaged. In addition, affected vehicles with automatic or manual transmissions may have a fuel line (1.8t engines only) or fuel tank ventilation valve (4motion/all wheel drive only) that can leak due to fracture.
- Risk
- A heat shield that may contact the exhaust system can result in a vehicle fire. In addition, a fuel leak from a fuel line or fuel tank ventilation valve, in the presence of an ignition source, can lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install additional underbody heat shields on vehicles with automatic transmissions to cover the possibly damaged areas and flash all 1.8t engines with a precautionary software update. Dealers will also inspect and adjust the fuel line routing on 1.8t vehicles and the fuel tank ventilation valve on 4motion/all wheel drive vehicles, and replace components if necessary free of charge. The recall began on june 13, 2008. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 08V156000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the high pressure diesel pumps were produced with an improper fastener, which could allow diesel fuel to escape from the pump.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the diesel pump. The recall began on february 8, 2005. Owners should contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 04V586000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2004 Volkswagen Passat fuel smell
Is gas smell in the cabin a common problem on the 2004 Volkswagen Passat?
5 of 279 owner complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Passat (2%) mention gas smell in the cabin. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Volkswagen Passat?
There are 2 recalls and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Volkswagen Passat
Fire or smoke 24Check engine light 21Jerking 19Stalling 16Fuel leak 15Fuel pump 14Engine failure 12Hesitation 9Loss of power 8ABS 7Overheating 7Transmission failure 7Harsh shifting 6Adaptive cruise 5Tire blowout 5Water leak 5
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