A major 5 on
Your Side solve, a month in the making, has led to big returns for
some area drivers.
In late March, dozens of vehicles across the Triangle
stalled or stopped altogether. The culprit? Fuel tied back to a single gas
station. Now, thanks to 5 On Your Side, related repairs are covered for
life.
The chaos started
at the Refuel station on Laura Duncan Road in Apex, where a third-party
contractor made a critical mistake: pouring diesel into the regular tank and
regular into the diesel tank. Within a day, at least 50 drivers
unknowingly pumped diesel into their gas-run cars.
“I got half a
mile from my house and I got stranded for the next three hours,” said Phen
Wolfe, a driver who had filled up at Refuel just hours earlier.
At first, Wolfe
and other drivers experiencing issues had no idea what was causing their car
troubles. He took his truck to a Toyota dealership, where mechanics discovered
diesel in what should’ve been his gasoline tank.
“I checked my
receipt and it said I had purchased regular fuel,” Wolfe said.
Refuel didn’t
catch the mistake until calls from concerned drivers began pouring in. In
response, Refuel temporarily closed the location.
“We acted
immediately,” a spokesperson wrote to WRAL News. “Our investigation
determined that the issue was an isolated incident to this location and was
caused by a third-party fuel hauler who incorrectly delivered diesel into a
gasoline storage tank and vice versa.”
But by then, the
damage to vehicles may have already begun. Even if caught early, diesel in a
regular gas tank can wreak havoc — causing misfires, clogged systems, damaged
fuel injectors, even total engine failure.
“Things can
progressively get bad over time,” explained Richard Roberts, the owner of Euro
Motors Raleigh.
Wolfe found out
the source of his truck’s trouble from a WRAL report.
“WRAL put in a
little statement on how to contact Refuel, and within 20 minutes I sent off an
email,” he said
Refuel promised
to “address and resolve” any “affected vehicles.” Wolfe’s mechanic bill was a
little less than $2,000.
He sent Refuel
the bill and quickly received a liability form. According to the form, signing
it meant the payment was “final and complete.” The language concerned Wolfe,
who feared his truck could experience issues down the road because of the
mix-up — a high likelihood, according to Roberts.
“I put on the
brakes and said I don’t agree with the verbiage in this contract,” Wolfe said. “I told them I was unwilling to sign and that is when I
reached out to 5 On Your Side.”
In just three
years, 5 On Your Side has helped viewers recover over $1 million —often
by digging through the fine print. So, 5 On Your Side sent Refuel a letter from
Wolfe’s mechanic pointing out that contaminated fuel could cause unforeseen
problems down the road.
“By seven the
next morning I had a new liability waiver and they included language that if
there was a lingering issue tied specifically to this event, that Refuel would
still honor and pay for those charges,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe praised
Refuel, which acted quickly to address the initial situation and his concerns.
“It gives me a
little bit of hope,” he said. “They did the right thing.”
Full statement
from Wes Pate, a Vice President at Refuel:
“At Refuel, the
safety and trust of our customers are always our top priorities. When we were
made aware of the fuel delivery incident at our station, we acted immediately
to investigate the situation and support every impacted customer.
Our investigation
determined that the issue was an isolated incident to this location and was
caused by a third-party fuel hauler who incorrectly delivered diesel into a
gasoline storage tank and vice versa. However, as the retailer, we take full
responsibility for ensuring our customers are taken care of.
We have already
taken steps to remedy the issue, including working with affected customers on
vehicle repairs, enhancing our monitoring protocols, and reviewing our vendor
partnerships to help prevent future occurrences.
We are committed
to maintaining the highest standards for our stores, our service, and the
people who rely on us every day.”
