Smell of Exhaust Fumes in Prius Cab

I would play it safe and take it back to Toyota to see what they have to say. Also you might stop into a muffler shop for an inspection.

 

I purchased a new 2010 Prius in March and since October first had intermittent then consistent issues with strong gas fumes in the car. It was diagnosed by the dealer as somehow having been overfilled; somehow gas got into the tubes that are next to the filler neck which recycles fumes to a carbon filled canister. Raw gas got to the canister, and I was told that it will "take time to work itself out". Meantime the fumes, while less severe made my wife and I sick for nearly two months. The dealer - - and Corporate refuse to fix the problem as a warranty issue.
The Corporate office told me that other people have had this problem as well.
I do not deliberately try to top off the gas tank. With a brand new expensive car such as this, this issue is not acceptable.. and corporate stood behind the local dealer in not covering it under warrenty. (it otherwise would cost $800 to replace the carbon in the canister)
I have been a Toyota customer since 1986.. and this has definitely tarnished my experience of the Company.
Any thoughts?

 

I understand the concept that liquid gasoline might reach the charcoal canister due to overfilling the fuel tank. However, the next time that the car is driven, engine vacuum will purge the gasoline fumes from the charcoal canister.

If you don't make a habit of filling the gasoline tank until liquid fuel starts to spill out of the filler tube, then I think that you should seek another opinion regarding the source of those fumes. There may be a leak in the vacuum lines running from the engine to the fuel tank.

If in fact the charcoal canister is the source, it would seem more reasonable to pay $800 to have it fixed, and then fight the warranty issue - rather than allow your wife and yourself to continue to be physically impaired by the problem. Good luck.

 

Fully filling the gas tank and getting liquid gasoline in the carbon canister WILL NOT cause gas fumes in the cabin. That stuff is all -outside- the cabin. I fully fill the tank sometimes and have never had gasoline fumes inside. Except when I spilled gasoline on my foot.

Time to have the dealer actually diagnose the problem!

 

I get this when driving behind a bus.