Dear Tom and Ray:

I took my 1989 Mazda 626 LX to a garage and told them I smelled gas near the tank after driving. They said that water collects on the top of the tank in these cars, and after 10 years it probably rusted through. They charged me a lot to replace the tank, and guess what? I still smell gas near the tank after driving. Is it possible the tank was in need of replacing anyway? How do I get them to fix it right this time? -- David

Ray: How do you get them to fix it right? Give them more money! That always works for our customers.

Tom: Unfortunately, they guessed wrong. Almost all cars do have that problem with gas tanks rusting from the top. The tank is wedged up under the floor pan of the car. And on a 10-year-old car with a gas smell at the tank, that was a reasonable guess. And yes, you probably would have needed a tank in the near future anyway, and, in fact, maybe you even needed it now.

Ray: But you certainly should go back and let them know that the problem is not fixed. It could be a gas line going to or from the tank. And if they didn't replace all of the rubber lines while they had the tank out, they were certainly remiss. If that's what's leaking, they should do that job for the cost of parts only and not charge you labor again.

Tom: But it could also be the vapor recovery system that's leaking. And if that is the case, it would be fair of them to charge you for that additional repair.

Ray: This is one of those cases where they screwed up, but did so in a very reasonable way. They've probably seen so many gas smell problems that resulted from rusty tanks that they just replace them automatically. You were the exception to the rule, but based on my experience, you would have needed the tank real soon anyway.

What is the most cost-effective way to buy a car? Tom and Ray hash it all out in their pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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