We’ve heard on the KPRC 2 Help Desk that some of you filled your car up with gasoline and a few blocks down the road, the car stopped working.
Filling up with contaminated gas can bring your car to a halt almost immediately — and leave you with a repair bill in the thousands. Knowing what to do next could make all the difference.
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Bad gas stops drivers in their tracks
KPRC 2’s Amy Davis has seen this before. She talked with Hahleemah Wright whose car stalled just feet from the gas pump.
“I had not gotten maybe a thousand feet,” Wright said. “And it just completely stopped. I tried to turn it on again. It wouldn’t turn on.”
When Wright had her BMW towed to a mechanic, the technician drained the tank and found gas mixed with water. The damage from the contaminated fuel cost her $1,329 to repair.
“To be hit with a $1,400 bill in the blink of an eye at no fault of myself is a huge inconvenience and is unjustified,” Wright said.
Wright returned to the station right away, hoping to prevent other drivers from pumping the same bad fuel. On the Nextdoor app, other drivers shared similar stories, posting photos of bad gas from the same station along with high repair bills.
SEE MORE: Amy tracks down gas station owner
Under state law, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation can fine a station anywhere from $500 to $3,000 and can revoke its license.
What to do if you get bad gas
If you fill up with contaminated fuel, experts say time is critical. Here’s what to do:
- File a complaint with TDLR immediately. Visit TDLR’s website and select “Fuel Metering & Quality” from the dropdown menu. The sooner you report it, the better — if the station receives a new fuel delivery before an investigation, contaminated fuel can be diluted or completely dispensed, making it harder to prove.
- Include as much detail as possible. When filing, provide fuel receipts, fuel type, octane rating, pump number and any information about damage to your vehicle.
- Alert gas station management or chain headquarters. Many stations or parent companies will act quickly to stop selling suspect fuel and may voluntarily reimburse customers for repairs. Others may deny there’s a problem — which is exactly why filing with TDLR quickly is so important.
- Always save your receipt. Every time you fill up, hold onto that receipt. If you end up with bad gas, it’s one of your most important pieces of evidence.
Once TDLR receives a complaint, the department reviews the information and may dispatch an investigator to take a fuel sample for lab testing. If contamination is confirmed, TDLR will take action based on how the station responds.
Even with the right steps, though, there are no guarantees that station owners will do the right thing.
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KPRC 2 will continue to follow this story and report on the outcome of the TDLR investigation.