Drivers in Apex say they’re facing an expensive problem: bad gasoline they say is all tied back to a single gas station.
According to a spokesperson for Refuel, the company identified a “compromised fuel delivery” at a location on Laura Duncan Road in Apex.
The problems have left multiple cars crippled, and owners worried about repair costs. It is unclear how many vehicles in total were affected by the fuel.
“I started to feel my car lurch, and make some grinding noises,” said Dan Hillard, an Apex resident who began experiencing issues just a few miles after filling up at the gas station.
“It sounded like it was going to be expensive,” he said.
Hillard managed to make it home – but only just, and he wasn’t alone. Kristen Montgomery’s stepfather is visiting from Ohio and also filled up at the Refuel on Friday.
“They’re stuck. They’re stuck in another state with the wrong gas,” she said. “They can’t drive the car at all. It’s completely shot.”
A litany of others also commented on social media, all reporting similar symptoms, and all after visiting the same station. Their conclusion: bad gasoline.
Sunday, the Refuel on Laura Duncan Road was open – but the diesel pumps were wrapped in “out of order” bags, and all pumps had signs on them warning “premium gas only.”
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is responsible for investigating reported bad or contaminated gas and encourages anyone who experiences an issue to report it. The Department says its Fuel Quality investigators investigate about 200 consumer complaints yearly, often tied to gas mixed with diesel, water, or sediment.
The Department hasn’t confirmed whether they’re aware of or investigating the issues at the Apex Refuel.
Hiller says he’s never had any previous issues with this car, or that gas station. He’s planning to have the car towed to a mechanic on Monday – and hopes whoever’s responsible makes this right for everyone now facing a hefty bill.
“I just hope the station and the corporate office takes care of everybody. Obviously a lot of people are impacted,” said Hiller.
In a statement to WRAL News, the spokesperson said they want customers to contact them if they were affected by the fuel and want to resolve the issue.
You can read the full statement, and how to get in touch with someone if your vehicle was affected below:
Dear Valued Customers,
We recently became aware of concerns regarding fuel quality at our Laura Duncan Road location in Apex.
While we hadn’t received prior complaints to our corporate office, we identified a compromised fuel delivery on Friday morning and promptly ceased fuel operations to prevent further issues.
If your vehicle has been affected, please contact us directly so we can address and resolve the situation together.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure the quality and safety of our services.
Please reach out to us directly at riskmanagement@refuelmarket.com or call the main office at 843-388-4966 and we will reach out quickly to address this. Wes Pate, Vice President of Loss Prevention and Risk Management at Refuel
