Dozens of Cars Need Repairs After Ohio Gas Station Sells Tainted Fuel

Locals are fielding repair bills of up to $1,600 after shops say the gas might’ve been mixed with diesel.

byRob Stumpf|
Dozens of Cars Need Repairs After Ohio Gas Station Sells Tainted Fuel
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Dozens of cars in Ohio are having serious problems after a fueling station accidentally dispensed contaminated gasoline earlier this week.

The Speedway station in Avon Lake, Ohio admitted to Cleveland 19 News that it had mistakenly sold "tainted gas" to customers late Monday and into Tuesday. While the Speedway didn't acknowledge exactly what made the fuel tainted, at least one local repair shop with cars lined up for repair believes that drivers may have received diesel or at least a blend of gasoline and diesel.

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Casey Fields, a service advisor at nearby Automotive Specialty Services, told WKYC that he extracted samples of gasoline from vehicles that visited the Speedway. Upon inspection, he found it to have a green hue. This, according to Fields, is an indication that it had been tainted with diesel.

Repair shops have since begun fielding calls from hundreds of locals who believe that their vehicles may have been affected by the mix-up. And while drivers will need to address the problem, it won't be without cost. Owners who received tainted gas are allegedly shelling out between $1,200 and $1,600 for repairs, as local mechanics quote jobs taking between eight and 12 hours to rid the car of the tainted fuel. These jobs include flushing the fuel system, replacing the car's fuel filter, and potentially replacing injectors.

Fields encourages drivers who believe they were affected to have their vehicles checked, or at minimum have a fuel sample tested.

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The Speedway station temporarily closed to address the tainted gas problem and has since reopened.

“On Tuesday, November 9, we received reports of tainted gas and took immediate action to stop sales of gasoline," said Speedway's parent company, 7-Eleven, in a statement to WKYC. "We have closed gas operations to remove and dispose of tainted gasoline. We plan to re-open gas operations after corrections are completed. Customers who believe their car was impacted may call 1-800-643-1948.”

7-Eleven did not respond to a request for more specific details from The Drive.

As for who will field the costs for repairs, that appears unknown. In cases that we've reported on previously, gas stations that have made similar mistakes will sometimes refer owners to insurance agencies to cover the cost of the fill-up, towing, and repair.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: rob@thedrive.com

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