Tank Assembly problems of the 2007 Toyota Corolla

I stopped at a gas station to fill my gas tank and while this was being done I heard a loud bang similar to a gunshot. When I started my car there was a loud rattling sound. I stopped the car and got out to look underneath but couldn't see anything hanging. Since I was near home I started the car and drove slowly home. I took it to the dealer the next day and they repaired the gas tank strap passenger side. I told them I considered this to be a design defection and a safety issue. They stated there has been no recall despite the fact that they had seen quite a few of the same problems. I had to pay for the repair. Toyota corp has refused to reimburse me for the repair because my car is out of warranty. I have had many cars and have never had this problem before. I am told that there is a drivers side strap as well so I suppose I can look forward to this happening again plus since it is due to corrosion I can expect this to happen again in about five years. I do not know how likely this is to lead to the gas tank dropping but I don't feel to good about it.

This car only has 65,000 miles on it and has hardly been driven given the fact that it is 4 years old. I heard a loud rattling noise and took it to a mechanic. He told me that a bolt came off the heat shield by the gas tank. I'm surprised that such a lightly driven car could already have such expensive problems. . Read more...

The vehicle check engine light comes on. The codes identify it as p0456. When we took it to the dealer, they tried to tell us that an animal had made a small pinhole in the gas return line. They wanted to charge 600. 00 to replace the tank or they could temporarily fix it until we could get that done. The temporary fix after a few months opened and we got the alert again. Taking it back they said the temp fix was okay and they couldn't find anything wrong. Upon return home, I looked and found the temp fix was electrical tape rapped around the line. There was evidence of leakage and you could smell the gas. I removed the tape and it appears this is a very thin hose. It is in a position over the tank where wind could blow it up and hit the underside of the car. That is not smooth and could have caused the puncture. Taking to another dealer, they wanted to say the same thing. Animal damage and they didn't even really investigate. I have the vehicle and hose. I also read a number of similar cases online. When you look at the hose, it does have an antichaphing foam near the lower half of the hose close to the wheel area. Nothing on top of the tank. Appears to me they know they have a chaphing problem and choose to blame it on animals as that is hard to prove. Some of these vehicles have had explosions due to this issue. I think this is serious and needs investigation.