All of the sudden I have this very strong smell of gas around the car after driving it. I’ve looked on the ground for droplets and nothing, under the hood and nothing. The car runs fine, 169k, but oh that smell! Any ideas on what it could be????

 

check around the gas tank filler neck and the seal on top of the tank for the fuel pump - both seals can get old and leak.

 

If you smell gas, be careful. Gas fumes are highly volatile. A spark can ignite the gas and you could have an explosion or a fire.

MT6127 gave you a good starting point. I had a gas smell coming from my 2000 Toyota MR-2. It would smell more when parked on an angle (car leaning to the side - parked on a hill side) or if I had just filled the tank. No drips under the car either! I did some research and found that there's a plastic check valve on top of the gas tank. It's not easy to get off, unless you drop the tank. I didn't want to drop it all the way, so I placed wood blocks under. I removed the hold down bolts and slowly began taking blocks away until I could reach the valve. Yup, there's a big crack! I replaced the valve (there's a rubber grommet that attaches to the tank. I didn't want to drop it in the tank, so I very carefully put installed it with some grease to hold it in place, then I put grease on the new valve and pushed it in place! Bingo!!!

I haven't looked at the gas tank on the V70, but most likely it has a rubber seal on the filler tube or it's welded to the tank. There is probably a plate where the fuel pump (in tank) is mounted and the seal could be bad too. Or, it could be somewhere along the fuel line (I'm thinking there's a line going to an external fuel pump, then from the fuel pump to the fuel rail on the engine). There may also be a return line from the engine back to the fuel tank. Check each area by smelling for gas. If you can't find it, try GAS GLO32. It's a dye you add to the fuel in the tank - run the car and the dye will show where the leak is.

Good luck and please be careful.

 

You can:
1) Run the tank down to below 1/4 full and see if you smell it then. Park at different angles. If, when real low on fuel, the smell disappears you have some idea of the source.
2) Get down to the "frame" just ahead of the LR wheel. Smell around and look to see any leakage.

Are you capable and reasonably hands-on? Do you have a floor jack and some stands?

Are there any smaller service stations near you? Scope 'em out for availability or unapproachable clutter. Then, at a time when you're smelling the fumes, go and ask for an inspection.

Fumes are not to be ignored.

 

very likely its the plate that mounts the in tank pump in the gas tank opening. The plate is plastic and it cracks, there was a safety recall but you're out of date by now.

Disconnect battery neg, unplug rear seatbelt harness near the door, both sides.
Start pulling side panels in the rear bay so you can access the rear seat mounts, see youtube vids for this.
Pull rear seats. Find the access panel and I'm fairly certain you'll find a pool of gas on top of the pump access cover.

Sop up the gas, dry thoroughly and get it clean as a whistle. Pull the fuel line and wire harness off.
I cleaned the plastic plate with brake cleaner and paper towel, don't scuff with sandpaper, tiny scratches will only provide a migration path for fuel leaks.
Get some slow epoxy , chemical and gasoline resistant JB weld marine type works great, 4 hr set but allow 24 hr to fully cure.
Mix it up and fill the top of the plastic cover plate, I used the whole batch, both tubes.
I did mine 3 years ago and it has not returned. Be sure to reinstall seats and plug seatbelt elec connectors before connecting battery or you will set an airbag code.
https://www.google.com/search?q=J-B+...w=1344&bih=699