Ever had to repair/replace a fuel tank?
Driving home one night recently I went over a bit of a branch that was laying in the road, it caused a loud thud but I just assumed it was from hitting the undertray as everything felt and sounded fine immediately after. Gave the car a quick check over once I got home but as it was dark I couldn't really see a great deal.
Come the morning, I look underneath the car again and can see a slow but steady drip of diesel coming out of a 2 inch gash in the fuel tank. Thankfully I only had about 30 miles left in the tank so I've propped the car up on axle stands as to keep whatever is left in there away from the hole. I've cleaned it, dried it and it's not leaked for a few days now.
I've had a scout online and replacement tanks are in the £200-300 region, and considering it goes across the width of the car, over the exhaust, I'm going to assume it's a ballache to replace. I plan on running the car into the ground, but considering the car's probably only worth about £4k, that might end up being sooner rather than later...
Anyone ever tried those plastic fuel tank epoxy repair kits or is it a lost cause? I've come across a few options online but curious to know whether anyone else has had any joy with something like these?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weld-Plastic-Diesel-Petrol-Repair/dp/B00ECYTSU8
https://www.repairingproducts.co.uk/product/quiksteel-plastic-tank-repair-kit/
Cheers!
(It's an 11 year old Audi Q3 2.0 TDI for what it's worth)
Posted Aug 12, 2026, 2:10 PM UTC