RALEIGH, NC (WNCN) — When he fills up his truck, Rashaun Brown hopes he gets what he paid for.
“When you think about refueling, think about refueling and refueling to your full potential,” Brown said.
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Brown, who relies on a working vehicle for his job, stopped at a gas station in Raleigh with his co-worker on Thursday morning. He and other drivers asked why the pumps at several gas stations had been clogged recently.
“Maybe they don’t have a problem with the fuel,” said Melissa Spencer, director of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ fuel quality laboratory. “Maybe it’s the pump itself. But for some reason they bag it and there’s a sign there.”
Spencer said her department has seen a record increase in complaints this month, ranging from slow pumps to contaminated fuel. Of about 50 reports, about half were related to problems with water in the fuel.
“How (water) gets in there is hard to say,” she said. “Every place is different. It could be that there is a crack in the tank or in the pipes that is allowing the water to come in. If the water table rises, it can come in that way.”
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Parts of North Carolina experienced several inches of rain and flooding from Tropical Storm Debby in August. Spencer said the state continues to investigate each report, but there may be a connection to the increase in complaints.
Spencer said the last spike in complaints came in January, with a total of 36 complaints. In total, there have been about 236 complaints so far this year. Since 2021, Spencer said, the highest monthly numbers have been between 24 and 27 complaints.
“We take every complaint seriously,” she said. “We investigate. Even with people who call 2-3 months after the sale, we go and check the product.”
Spencer said the complaints came from 37 gas stations across the state. Some received multiple reports. “If we find a phase separation in the tank, we stop selling the product and the station has to get the problem fixed,” she said. “Once the problem is fixed, we go back and inspect it before they can resume sales.”
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Spencer said her staff tries to respond to complaints within 24 hours of receiving them, but not every driver files a report. “The sooner we get these complaints, the sooner we can review the product and have a better response,” Spencer said.
Vincent Belmonte, general manager of Epic Auto Center in Raleigh, said water and fuel are simply a bad combination for your vehicle. “It depends on how much water is in the fuel,” he said. “If the ratio of fuel to water in the tank is over 50%, you’re going to get pure water sucked into the intake and into the fuel system. That doesn’t burn. It degrades the fuel quality.”
Belmonte said water strips the ethanol from gasoline. Repair costs can be high and depend on how much water is in the tank and how long the car has been driven. He said, “You can lock up your engine, you can damage your fuel system, you can damage your fuel pump, you can very quickly spend thousands of dollars on repairs.”
If customers have concerns, Belmonte said the best option is to have their car towed and checked by a mechanic. “Of course they’re angry,” Belmonte said. “They buy gas at the gas station and expect it to be gas, not water. In many cases, the customer ends up getting stuck with the bill.”
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Spencer said that while lawsuits and insurance disputes sometimes occur, there have been times when a gas station and customer have been resolved. She said there are about 7,000 gas stations across North Carolina, the number of complaints is often low, and they want to make sure drivers get what they pay for.
Spencer said clogged and slow gas pumps can often be a sign of a problem. She also advised against buying gas if the gas station is in the middle of receiving a delivery because the force of the fuel delivery can push dirt and sediment particles through the pump, even if a filter is in place.
If you suspect there is a problem with the quality of the fuel you purchased, you can contact the NC Fuel Quality Laboratory at 984-236-4770. Complaints can also be filed online at this link.
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