Login
My Garage
New hero

Tesco contaminated fuel chaos leaves cars stranded

By Tom Gibson | August 21, 2021

Share

Why not leave a comment?

See all | Add a comment

Motorists were left with tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage as they refuelled with contaminated diesel at a Tesco petrol station.

Tesco contaminated fuel chaos leaves cars stranded

Car were brought to a shuddering halt, some almost instantly, after the blunder at the garage in Surrey.

Vehicles were unwittingly filled up with diesel fuel contaminated with water, according to Tesco, and the retailer has since launched an investigation into how this could’ve happened. 

Those left stranded called fuel specialists and breakdown companies but had to wait for hours for tanks to be drained and refuelled. 

Steven Berry, one of the drivers impacted, told Surrey Live: "I filled up, drove about 50 metres and the car died on me, the engine died out. It became very apparent very quickly that it was a mis-fuelling issue.

"Mainly because I broke down beside somebody else sat there stranded, and they said they'd done exactly the same thing. I looked around and there were cars everywhere, I counted 15."

Tesco contaminated fuel chaos leaves cars stranded  Image

The 54-year-old driver, from Camberley, Surrey, said "it was clear" the diesel was contaminated. He added: "We have photographic evidence and some people have samples which are going to get analysed."  

"I literally just screamed at everybody to shut it down and put cones across the entrance way."

"We all make mistakes but it's how they are dealt with. The customer service just was not there. I'm not worried about compensation, I want them to review their process so if it happens again it will be less stressful for the customer," he said.

A spokesperson said: "There was a brief window of time on Sunday when a small number customers of the petrol station at our Sandhurst Extra refuelled their cars from a fuel tank that had previously been closed due to water contamination.

"We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused and we are looking into how this happened.

"We are contacting customers who have made us aware that they were impacted and we’ll cover the cost of any repairs needed to their vehicles as a direct result of this."

 

Related Articles

Polestar 7 electric SUV coming in 2028 – Here’s what you need to know
Polestar confirms its new electric SUV, the Polestar 7, for 2028. It’s set to rival the Tesla Model Y and be built in Europe for the first...
Jul 04, 2025
Inside the parking fine scandal – Faulty machines, £100 fines, and no way to fight back
Private parking firms issued 14.4M fines last year. Here’s how the DVLA is making millions selling driver data.
Jul 04, 2025
Tesla’s sales slump continues – Is a budget model the answer?
Tesla's sales are falling for the second year in a row. Could a cheaper EV be the comeback they need?
Jul 04, 2025
North Yorkshire’s first permanent speed camera knocked down just hours before going live
North Yorkshire Police have launched an investigation and confirmed they believe the damage was intentional
Jul 02, 2025