Driven cars with plastic fuel tanks at least since the 86 BX. Never a moment's trouble. Only leaks have been from lines; steel rusted and rubber flexible sections perished. I cannot give chapter and verse but I'm fairly sure there will be strength and impact resistance standards for tanks - remember the (US) Ford Pinto issues?
In OP's shoes I'd be looking very closely at area of damage to tank so as to corroborate the "FOD" story. I'd have thought the possibilty of a nail or whatever thrown from the road piercing a tank was pretty unlikley. Has it been hit by something else such as a speed bump, mounted kerb, shed tyre casing or other chunk of road debris? In the unlikley event of the tank itself failing then the most lilkey scenario would be a split along a seam?
I guess the high cost of replacement is because half the rear end needs dismantling so as to access the tank.
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