It is also a solvent that can dissolve parts used in vehicles not designed for ethanol. Automakers complained because it'd cost them something like an extra $100 per vehicle under the hood.

I recall watching an uncle rebuild grandma's carburetor, because her car kept flooding. He shows me part of the original fuel jet and the replacement. The new one has a little synthetic grommet on it, the old one has an empty notch in the same spot. They blamed it on the ethanol.