Close to a dozen drivers in Cupertino are left frustrated after fuel pumped into their automobiles damaged their vehicles.
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.”
That same day Bethany Faler said she filled her tank for at the Alliance gas station on Stevens Creek Boulevard for her to only shake and die on her.
According to mechanics they took the vehicles too, the culprit was diesel fuel. And the repairs were not cheap.
“The total repairs were over $4300 to the mechanic,” Faler said.
Four drivers have already filed formal complaints with Santa Clara County. However, NBC Bay Area has found 10 drivers that said they have the same issue.
“It is unusual to have more than one complaint coming from the same station about problems with fuel,” said Stan Toy, the Deputy Saler at Santa Clara County Weights and Measures Division.
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Toy said the county tested the fuel on July 2 at the gas station and reported the fuel had no traces of diesel.
Though, Weights and Measures said it is possible for fuel lines could have been cleared by the time they originally tested.
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Rashad Woodley said he pumped gas at the Alliance gas station on July 8, and since then his car has been in and out of mechanics shops for weeks.
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.
“Our inventory report does not show a mistake,” he said. “We are working with Weights and Measures and want to make sure if there is anything wrong, we remedy it.”
Hadad said if diesel was dispensed, there would be more complaints as the location gets over 300 drivers pumping fuel each day.
After more complaints surfaced throughout July, the country returned and tested the fuel on Tuesday. Findings from a state lab were returned to the county on Thursday. Toy with the county Weights and Measures Division told NBC Bay Area that all samples of unleaded gasoline taken from three pumps at Alliance passed and were not found to be contaminated with diesel.
Toy said that new complaints about this gas station will be investigated and that "It would help the investigation if it were reported to Weights & Measures soon after the incident."
