# 1994 BUICK LESABRE — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
> NHTSA complaint `162769` · 1999-08-03 · General Motors, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** BUICK
- **Model:** LESABRE
- **Year:** 1994
- **Manufacturer:** General Motors, LLC
- **Component:** FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
- **Speed:** 45 mph
## Narrative
WHILE DRIVING ON AN URBAN HIGHWAY, MY WIFE NOTED THE STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN THE CAR.  SHE WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AT THE TIME.  SHE THOUGHT THE SMELL MIGHT BE COMING FROM A SOURCE EXTERNAL TO THE CAR SO SHE SHUT THE AIR VENT AND STARTED THE AIR CONDITIONER.  SHE STARTED TO FEEL FAINT AND NAUSEAS SO SHE LOOKED FOR THE NEAREST EXIT TO SAFELY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY.  THE ODOR OF GASOLINE AT THIS POINT WAS CAUSING BLURRED VISION AND DIFFICULTY WITH HER MOTOR CONTROLS.  SHE STOPPED ON A SIDE STREET AND IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE CAR TO GET SOME FRESH AIR.  SHE WAS HELPED BY SEVERAL BYSTANDERS WHO ENSURED THAT SHE WAS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE CAR AS THE GASOLINE ODOR WAS EXTREMELY STRONG.  SHE DECLINED AN AMBULANCE BUT IN RETROSPECT SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED AS SHE HAD HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS.  HER HUSBAND, WRITING THIS REPORT, ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WITHIN ONE HALF HOUR.  WHAT I FOUND WAS THE HOOD UP AND JUST A FAINT SMELL OF GASOLINE.  AFTER HELPING MY WIFE AND GETTING HER COMFORTABLE, I WENT BACK TO THE BUICK LESABRE TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS OBVIOUS.  SEEING NOTHING, I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR WITH THE HOOD UP.  BEFORE THE CAR STARTED,  A SPRAY OF GASOLINE WAS OBSERVED UNDER THE HOOD AND I IMMEDIATELY ABANDONED ANY FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE.  AFTER THE GASOLINE VAPORS DISSIPATED, I INSPECTED THE ENGINE FOR FUEL LINE LEAKS.  DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, I COULD SEE LEAKAGE COMING FROM THE GASOLINE RETURN LINE.  THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FAILURE OF TH
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*