More people have come forward complaining that after they pumped fuel pumped at a Cupertino gas station it damaged their vehicles.
Bethany Faler of San Jose said her car had to be towed from the Alliance gas station on Stevens Creek Boulevard because her car never made it out. And Alex Lau of Cupertino said his mother’s car dies not long after pumping gas at the station on June 28.
According to mechanics they took the vehicles too, the culprit was diesel fuel.
“We called the tow truck who turned it into the dealership,” Lau said. “They told us there was diesel in the car engine diesel running through the engine.”
Danean Gallaher of Cupertino had finished filling her tank on June 28 with what she thought was unleaded fuel, but after driving three block her car “completely died.”
A mechanics assessment of Gallaher’s read that “the tech found blue diesel in tank.” and recommended to “remove fuel and flush all fuel lines replace fuel. “
She said she paid close to $2,900 to repair her car.
Last week, Faler told NBC Bay Area that her repairs were over $4,300.
Last week NBC Bay Area reported that there were close to a dozen complaints. Now, there are 23 drivers that have filed complaints with the Santa Clara County Weights and Measures Division.
However, Santa Clara County Weights and Measures Division said each time they tested the fuel there was no trace of diesel. Though, Weights and Measures said it is possible for fuel lines could have been cleared by the time they originally tested on July 2 and 3.
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Drew Raymond, the interim agricultural commissioner at Santa Clara County said the station keeps on passing the county's tests.
“It is unusual to have so many complaints come from the same gas station,” he said.
The station’s owner Ed Hadad said he was only made aware of the issue when the county came and ran their original test. Hadad added he only knew of one complaint.
“We are cooperating with authorities and providing all our records and documents,” Hadad said. “Nothing has pointed to a problem at our station.”
Hadad said if diesel was dispensed, there would be more complaints as the location gets over 300 drivers pumping fuel each day.
With an increased number of complaints, the country has asked the state to intervene and help with the investigation.
