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Vehicles damaged after fuel mix-up at gas station
FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon reports.
NOKOMIS, Fla. - A mix-up at a Circle K gas station in Nokomis is leading to some costly repairs for drivers. Customers thought they were pumping gas, but instead, they were pumping diesel.
Local perspective:
On Thursday night, Bill Houghton stopped at the Circle K, located at 2490 Laurel Road in Nokomis. After filling up his tank, he headed south towards his Sarasota home.
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"It started to sputter a bit on the way back home," he told FOX 13.
Houghton thought it could possibly be a tick with his newly purchased vehicle, but the next morning he knew it wasn't that.
"It had smoke, it hadn’t done it since I bought it. It had an odd smell coming out of the exhaust. Just running horribly," he said.
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Houghton wasn't alone. Brittney Young encountered the same thing after filling up her new Kia. She said her car also started to sputter out on the highway.
"I called Kia and I had it towed to them, so they could look and see what the issue was and that’s when they found the diesel in my gas tank," she said.
Houghton found out the same diagnosis after going to AutoZone.
"He said, ‘that’s the same thing that happened to another customer.’ He said it might be bad gas, because this is the second bad one I’ve seen today," said Houghton.
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What they're saying:
On social media, both Houghton and Young found others with the same problem.
A spokesperson for Circle K told FOX 13:
"At Circle K, we guarantee and stand by the quality of our fuels. However, issues sometimes arise, and we encourage customers to report them to us as soon as possible for review by our claims department.
The car troubles experienced by customers who purchased fuel at our gas station in Nokomis resulted from diesel fuel being delivered inadvertently into a gasoline storage tank. As soon as we became aware of the situation, we shut down the pumps. On Saturday, we emptied, cleaned and replenished our storage tanks and resumed fueling operations at the site.
We sincerely apologize to anyone affected by this incident, and we are committed to making it right for them. We have heard from several customers who filled up at the store, and we are helping with their claims. After reviewing and verifying their claims, we will reimburse affected customers for any repairs and associated costs related to this incident. Any customer whose vehicle may have been impacted at this location can contact Circle K Customer Service toll-free at 1-855-276-1947."
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What's next:
Repairs have ranged upwards of $700 for some.
"We are barely getting by as it is and can’t really afford any extra bills to cover something that wasn’t even our fault," said Houghton.
He and Young just hope everything will be made right.
"As long as I can get my repair money back, I’ll be happy, and I know accidents happen, people are human. I totally understand that, but I want Circle K to make sure they make everything right for everybody, so nobody has to come out of pocket for their mistake," said Young.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said:
"The department is aware of a possible fuel issue at this location and is actively investigating.
Consumers experiencing issues after purchasing fuel should file a complaint with the department by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or by visiting fdacs.gov. If the investigation determines that there is an issue with the fuel, the department can assist impacted customers with receiving reimbursement for any required vehicle repairs."
The Source: Information was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon through customers of Circle K, information from Circle K and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.