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Problem:
When filling the gas tank does the pump kick off after less than a gallon of gas?

Solution:
There seems to be a problem with Toyota, Hyundai and other long lasting car brands. If your car is having trouble fueling at the gas station, I might have the answer. Sometimes this is because of a failure with the Charcoal Canister. The canister filters out evaporated gas in the tank and returns it to the engine. If you find that your dealership is too expensive and you're willing to risk the chance that it's just your charcoal canister or you just want to be informed before going to a shop, this is for you. Figure 1 is a generic picture of a gas tank and the charcoal canister (it's usually behind the left back tire).

Figure 1: Don't pay attention to any of the text except for "clogged".

 Figure 2 shows the actual hoses.

Check the rubber hoses that run left into the plastic box. Squeeze them to make sure there's nothing in them. If the hose feels crunchy or it feels like a solid rubber hose, this usually means the charcoal pellets have been sucked out of the canister and are clogging the air filter.

So what do you do if you find the canister has gone bad?
Use the diagrams above to show your mechanic, because 99% of the mechanics will tell you they've never replaced a charcoal canister.. Also, if it's a dealership make sure you ask them to give you the old parts. Some dealerships will try to tell you the whole vapor system has gone bad. Get a second opinion! On newer cars the check engine light should go on. If it hasn't, you're probably safe to go with a shop other than your dealer. So why take it to a dealership? If the check engine light is on, the car's computer must be reset after installing the part. I recommend going to AutoZone first (or a place like it) where they can run several engine tests for free.

Figure 3 shows what the canister looks like