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Old Oct 22, 2011, 10:26 am
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BearX220
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Couldn't Find Charger Fuel Door Release

I had a weird experience on my way back to LAX last night in a new (500-mile) Dodge Charger from Avis.

I drove the car less than 100 miles around LA and pulled into the Arco station on Century Blvd, running a little late, to top up the tank before returning it. After turning the car off I realized I could not for the life of me locate a button or latch inside the car to pop the fuel filler door. I looked all over the dashboard, center console, glove box, button console on the door's armrest -- nothing. I got out and tried pressing the door itself at different edges -- nothing. Finally I gave up and drove to the Avis return lot. Explained to the roving return guy that I had tried to buy gas without success, and HE couldn't find a way to pop the fuel door either. "Sometiimes it's in the trunk," he said (?), so we looked in there too. No dice.

The agent added $21 in fuel charges to my rental tab but suggested I go inside and ask to have it lifted, which I did -- and when I told my story to the counter guy, he took the fuel charge off without arguing. Then when I stepped outside heading for the shuttle bus, the roving agent yelled over at me: "Hey, I found it! I found it!" I trotted over to see. Triumphantly the agent flung open the driver's door on the Charger. Toward the rear of the door's floor-level storage bay was a tiny, unlit black button. With the door closed it would be about abeam with your left hip, impossible to locate except by feel.

Ridiculous design and I wonder how many Charger renters get socked for fuel fees because they can't figure out how to put gas in the car and don't want to appear dumb when they return it (not one of my worries)?

Other than that the Charger was a surprisingly nice ride. Great big purring high-powered road-sled for crawling along Santa Monica Boulevard at 4 mph.

Last edited by BearX220; Oct 22, 2011 at 11:43 am
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