Drivers stopping to fill up at one petrol station have been left with potentially costly damages after it was revealed the fuel they put in was mixed with water
Motorists have been issued with an urgent warning after “contaminated” fuel was found at a supermarket petrol station. Should the fuel cause issues, it could cost hundreds of pounds to have it removed and the damage fixed.
Drivers have been reporting problems with their cars after they had used a pump at the Sainsbury’s petrol station in Droitwich earlier this month. It has since been noted that this pump could have been accidentally mixing fuel with water.
Some motorists are now having to count the cost of the damaged fuel, with one driver being hit with a £500 bill to repair her car. Sainsbury’s has warned against using the specific pump and has offered to work out compensation with those affected.
The Sun reported that the driver had paid a visit to the petrol station on Worcester Road earlier this month to stock up on much needed fuel. But almost immediately after she drove away, her car appeared to be rejecting the fuel, with a warning light showing up on her dashboard.
After she got home, she did some extra research into the case, and found that she was not alone in her issue. It was revealed on a Facebook group that other customers who had visited the same petrol station were also having problems with their car.
She would end up going to the mechanic to have her car checked out, and found that she had put fuel “contaminated with water” into her car. But despite being hit with internal problems to the car, the woman admitted she felt “lucky” that there was not a “horrendous amount of damage” to her vehicle.
However, despite everything, the woman says she is still expected to be down “roughly around £500” due to the cost of repairs and towing. In a statement to the BBC, Sainsbury’s — who owns the petrol station — said they would be planning to reimburse her for her costs.
But after having her fingers burnt at the petrol station, the woman said she would not be stopping by to fill up there any time soon. “I personally will now choose to pay a little bit extra to go to a different fuel station,” she explained.
“I just don’t trust it anymore. It’s sad really because I want to save money but I’m not willing to go through this hassle again.”
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said that they had in fact discovered an issue with some diesel pumps that were located at the Droitwich petrol station. These tests had been carried out between February 8 and 10.
“We’re sorry for any issues this may have caused,” the spokesperson continued. “Any customer who experienced a problem they believe is linked to fuel purchased during this timeframe can contact us on 0800 636 262 for further assistance.
“Customers will be asked to provide proof of purchase for the fuel,” they went on to clarify. “This will asked for along with documentation and costings from a local garage for any damage they believe was caused so that we can review each case and offer an appropriate resolution.”
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