Kizashi Club

So, I just got an urgent safety recall for my 2011 Kizashi. Says the Fuel Tank may crack. Yikes….

Took them a while to find you LOL. I got that recall a couple of years ago I think. I'm often hesitant to let the shop touch my car (even if it's a recall) as it often comes back worse than it went in. But in this case I got it back in good shape with a bunch of new parts! I wonder where these recalls come from anyways? I've been on this forum for years and I've never heard anyone have problems with a fuel tank! Kind of like that infamous spider that crawled in the fuel lines that no one actually ever had a problem with.

This is round two of the spider problem. I'm ignoring it.

I had it done last year. If you’re in California it’s mandatory because it involves smog emissions or something; you can’t renew your vehicle registration without doing this recall. If you live outside of California or any other state that might also mandate it for emissions, you’re probably fine with putting it off.

Whether or not you should have this recall work done is largely up to your driving conditions and whether the pros outweigh the cons. I had it done and living in California, the registration issue was just one reason. My main reasons were a bit more unique to me.

First, the newer recall pertains to an actual replacement of the susceptible fuel tank and venting system rather than a modification to the vent. The first recall was largely to install a filter on the vent tube to prevent spiders from entering and creating a blockage. However, this very filter was later determined to trap too much dirt and possibly obstruct the venting of the fuel tank: the very issue they were trying to prevent. The 2nd recall actually addresses the problem directly by replacing the entire fuel tank with a modified design with better venting. I figured this was a plus for a few reasons including that it meant getting a new fuel tank free of corrosion and sediment build-up and possibly a new fuel pump and fuel filter. I got the car back with a new fuel cap too. Given I sometimes drive off-pavement on dirt roads, I was concerned about the issues with the 1st recall filter and preferred the actual prevention of the issue with a revised fuel tank design.

The second reason I was keen on having this done was because I had an exhaust rattle somewhere near the fuel tank area. I knew the recall would require the removal of the exhaust thus inadvertently fix the rattle. When I got the car back after the fuel tank replacement, the rattle was gone. Mission accomplished.

So, whether to get this recall done is largely up to you and your driving conditions. I personally like the idea that the Kizashi will be fine on dirt roads now without any worry. I also like that at 100,000 miles, I have new fuel system components including possibly a new fuel pump. If you plan to keep your Kizashi a while and have it run for many more miles down the road, this recall work might actually be beneficial.

Kuro, did they replace your fuel pump or didn't they? Possibly... I would think it would be listed on the RO if it was. It is not part of the recall parts covered under the recall AFAIK, so if it was replaced you'd have very likely been charged for it. You would certainly have known about that expensive little addition. I had the first recall done, but am passing on this one. Farr too much bad can come from the dealer monkeys tearing in to an AWD gas tank replacement. I keep the tank fairly full most of the time and especially when it's parked in the garage through the winter months. I also leave the gas cap cracked when it's sitting parked for any length of time as well to equalize the pressure through temperature changes decreasing the rare possibility of the tank cracking.

Ronzuki wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 12:12 am Kuro, did they replace your fuel pump or didn't they? Possibly... I would think it would be listed on the RO if it was. It is not part of the recall parts covered under the recall AFAIK, so if it was replaced you'd have very likely been charged for it. You would certainly have known about that expensive little addition. I had the first recall done, but am passing on this one. Farr too much bad can come from the dealer monkeys tearing in to an AWD gas tank replacement. I keep the tank fairly full most of the time and especially when it's parked in the garage through the winter months. I also leave the gas cap cracked when it's sitting parked for any length of time as well to equalize the pressure through temperature changes decreasing the rare possibility of the tank cracking.

I need to check the itemized list but I don't think any company would charge for parts related to a recall. They would either just include it or reuse the old one. The reason I think a new fuel pump is a possibility is because it's technically part of the fuel tank and would take techs time (thus adding to costs) to replace them. I think it would be cheaper for Suzuki to include a fuel pump so a tech didn't have to bother putting the old one on a new tank. Of course, this is an assumption so I'll try to find my documents to see what was replaced. I can also call and ask the place to see what they say about the fuel pump as part of the recall.

I agree that this recall is somewhat of a personal call on weighing pros vs. cons. For me, the pros outweighed the cons and I don't regret having it done.

They absolutely would charge for any additional parts not provided with a recall. I believe OldTech had fixed a customer's leaking fuel pump, here in the corrosion belt, after a botched recall tank fix' by the another shop that performed the recall work unsuccessfully. Nothing new about any of the stuff surrounding the fuel pump that I recall seeing in his pics. They stuck the old pump back in to the new tank w/ what was left of the nasty original pump retaining parts. Causing...wait for it...a leak! The exact thing the 'safety' recall was intended to prevent. What they should have done was alert the customer to the issue and informed them of the situation and didn't.

AS you say where one lives and their own car's situation will dictate the "recall" or "not to recall". Me? Yeah, I'll take a pass on that one until it's actually a problem. Much like I've passed on the shifter recalls on both the Kizashi and SX4. IThey aren't broken so they don't need fixin'. If either of those become a problem (highly doubtful at this point) then I'll address it.