South Carolina drivers are left with high repair bills after a local Circle K sold contaminated gas
There’s a reasonably positive outlook for 2025 regarding cheap gas prices. However, drivers have more to worry about than what they pay to fill up. Recently, people using the gas station pumps at a South Carolina Circle K learned there was water in the gas. Now, they’re left with hefty repair costs and no answers from the gas station.
There’s always the chance of contamination at gas station pumps
According to Live 5 News, a couple in South Carolina used the gas station pumps at Circle K on December 31st for their 2023 GMC truck. Notably, their truck runs on diesel, and the report says they filled the tank. The couple, Adrienne Lett and Uriel Salazar, could drive home but began to experience issues driving the following morning. They reported that the truck made a rattling noise and that they got a notification that the system detected water in the gas tank.
They thought back to filling up at the gas station pumps the day before. According to Uriel, “That’s when I started freaking out because I have this $100,000 asset that I’ve been taking like pristine care of over the last two years, and to have it just not work anymore. It was very frustrating.”
The couple then took action. Adrienne reached out to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and asked that they inspect the gas station pumps. In the meantime, they also contacted Circle K but received no answers. The SCDA investigation didn’t take long, and they learned that there was water and sediment in the gas, which was the reason for their vehicle issues. The department also forced Circle K to stop selling diesel until they could clean the pumps.
Regarding the issue with the gas station pumps, Adrienne said, “Ultimately, we shouldn’t have to pay for this. This is not our fault as this is the gas station’s fault, and they should have coverage for this and whatnot and it shouldn’t be on us.” Luckily, they have another vehicle to use, but many drivers who bought the contaminated gas may not. The couple is still hopeful Circle K will handle the repairs, which is usually the case when there’s a fuel issue.
Check out this recent article on how cheap gas prices could be in 2025 for more reading.
Check out this recent article about contaminated gas at a Georgia gas station for more reading.
