Chevrolet Cruze LS may leak gas after rear crash

NHTSA campaign 18V304000 · Reported 2018-05-10 · General Motors LLC

critical How serious is it? About this label

The danger here is fire after a crash, which is about as serious as it gets, though the leak only happens in a rear-impact and rollover and GM does not tell owners to stop driving or park outside.

What's wrong, in plain English

On these cars, which came with a tire inflator kit instead of a spare tire, the fuel tank can leak gasoline after a hard hit from behind followed by a rollover. A pressure sensor on the fuel tank can be damaged in that kind of crash and let fuel escape. Spilled gasoline near anything hot or sparking can catch fire. Dealers will install a lock-ring that shields the sensor from damage in a rear-end crash, free of charge.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 18159 covers your Cruze. 2. Book the repair with a Chevrolet dealer — they install a protective lock-ring on the fuel tank. 3. Call Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 for help; the repair is free.

Affected vehicles (1)

2018 Chevrolet Cruze

Who to contact

Chevrolet — official Chevrolet recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-222-1020

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Chevrolet fuel system recalls: leaks that risk fire and sudden stalls · all 13 Chevrolet recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Cruze LS vehicles, equipped with a gasoline engine and a tire inflator kit instead of a spare tire. The vehicles may leak gasoline following a rear-impact crash and a rollover. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Safety risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a lock-ring on the fuel tank that will shield the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor from damage in a rear-impact crash, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18159.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.