Gas station's fuel mix-up proving costly for customers

Some motorists who filled up at theUltramargas station in Prescott, Ont., last week have had to deal with costly repairs after the station's gas tanks were mistakenly filled withdiesel fuel.

On Jan. 17, Ultramarsaid it became aware that thegas tanks at the Prescott location off of Highway 401had been accidentally filled with dieselinstead of regular gas. Motoristsmay be able to drive off after filling with diesel, but it won't be long before their vehicle's engine sputters and they are calling a tow truck.

That's what happened toShonaDurocher. She filled her F-150 truck at the Prescott Ultramarlast Wednesday. By the following evening her vehicle had stopped working.

She paid hundreds of dollarsto have her truck towed to a nearby Ford dealership in Brockville, Ont., where they identified the problem anddrained the diesel out of her tank and refilled it with regular gas.

"I can just imagine all the other cars that have had issues," Durocher said.

She said while she was at the dealership, other vehicles were coming in with the same problem.

Compensated for damages

Ultramarin a statementapologized"for any inconvenience" and said it has refilled its gas tanks with the proper fuel at the Prescott location.

Customers affectedshould send in their names and contact informationto the Prescott gas station to be compensated for any damages, the company said.

Durocher said she was told to take photocopies of her receipts and send them to the gas station for reimbursement but said thecompany hasn't told her how long it will take to get her money back.

She also has to bring her car back in fora full system check because her check engine light has come back on.

"It's affecting people's lives," said Durocher, who added many people in that area livein the country and can't rely on public transit if their car isn't working.

Dealership repairs 15 cars

Durocher is not the only one who has had issues.

Riverside BuickGMC, a dealership in Prescott,had 15 vehicles come in with mechanical problems in the past week because they were filled with diesel fuel, according to ownerStuartBirnie.

Half of them had to be towed in, and all had to be drained and refilled with regular gas. Birnie said these repairscoston average $150 to $200 per vehicle.