A typical day for many drivers turned out to be anything but after discovering they filled their cars with miss-marked fuel.
This mistake affected numerous drivers and damaged their cars.
Dealerships and garages have been getting calls all day about cars not starting or running abnormally.
After getting checked, it was found that many cars were filled with a type of gas that their car does not accept.
“As I was driving, I noticed something was immediately wrong. I didn’t know what it was. I was stepping on the accelerator on my car, and I noticed that the car was like sputtering,” said James Thigpen, whose car was damaged by diesel fuel.
According to Country Fair Incorporated, on Tuesday, May 23 diesel fuel was mistakenly delivered into the unleaded gasoline storage tank at the Country Fair located on Old Perry Highway.
The company said it happened between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
“Mistakes happen, I’m human I’ve made mistakes,” Thigpen said. “Personally, I think it’s probably going to be expensive.”
James Thigpen said he was having a normal day. Dropped his kids off at school and was on his way to work when he reached a roadblock. He had to get his vehicle towed and found out that his car was filled with diesel fuel.
“Gas is obviously more or less denser a liquid than diesel, and diesel is more of an oil by-product,” said Joe Gonzales, an auto technician at Interstate Nissan.
Gonzales said that diesel can cause damage and result in a pretty pricey repair.
“It all depends on how far that diesel gets into that fuel system,” Gonzales said “The injectors could get clogged, the high-pressure fuel pump which is on the majority of vehicles now, could get clogged and it could cause internal engine damage.”
Country Fair released a statement saying in part:
“Country Fair sincerely apologizes to all our customers who were affected by this incident.
Country Fair cares about our customers and the community and is committed to covering any costs associated with vehicle repairs if any are required.”
Auto repair experts told us if you think you’ve been affected it’s best to get your car checked by a professional.
“I’ll still get gas from County Fair, you know, I’m not going to like, not get gas from them. Like I said, I believe they’re going to make it right and as long as we do, we’re going to be good,” Thigpen went on to say.
The full statement is available here:
“On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, diesel fuel was mistakenly delivered into the unleaded gasoline storage tank at our Country Fair convenience store at 7650 Old Perry Highway, Erie, PA 16509. This was an isolated incident that took place at this location only.
Country Fair sincerely apologizes to all our customers who were affected by this incident. Country Fair Cares about our customers and the community and is committed to covering any costs associated with vehicle repairs if any are required.
If you purchased gasoline between 5:00am and 9:30am and believe your vehicle was affected, please contact us directly at 814-898-1111 to file your claim.”
