Several customers recently reported having serious issues with their cars after filling up at a Circle K gas station in Nokomis, Florida. They thought they were pumping unleaded gas into their vehicles, but instead, it was diesel. Now, that mix-up has left them with some very costly repairs to the vehicles.

A local repair shop owner told WFLA News that several car owners recently brought in vehicles with problems. They all had diesel fuel in their gas tanks.

“Almost every car has come in on the tow truck,” said Dacey’s Place owner Bryan Dacey. “We have only had one make it here, and maybe they topped it off, and that is why. The new vehicles struggle more; we actually have to drain the tanks and flush all of the lines out. It is a large job.”

Car owners affected by the gas mix-up speak out

One of those vehicles, a truck owned by Tyler Balcom, showed signs of a problem almost immediately after he filled it up with what he thought was unleaded fuel.

“I pulled out of the parking lot, and my vehicle just seemed really slow, like something wasn’t acting right, so I pulled off, checked all of my levels and gauges, made sure all of my fluids were good, scratched my head a little bit, like what is going on with my truck,” Balcom said.

“Then the next morning, I tried to turn it on, and it is just puffing out smoke out of the exhaust, which it has never done before, and it drove for about 10 feet, and it just completely stalled out, and that is when I knew there was a real problem.”

When he posted about his truck on social media, he learned that dozens of others who visited the Circle K were having similar car problems.

Bill Houghton told Fox 13 News that his car “started to sputter a bit on the way back home” after fueling up at the Circle K. He said by the next morning, “It had smoke, it hadn’t done it since I bought it. It had an odd smell coming out of the exhaust. Just running horribly.”

Brittney Young reported that her new Kia started to sputter on the highway after filling her gas tank. “I called Kia and I had it towed to them, so they could look and see what the issue was and that’s when they found the diesel in my gas tank,” she said.

Circle K says it wants to make things right for those affected by the gas mix-up

A spokesperson for Circle K issued a statement to Fox 13 News and WFLA News.

“At Circle K, we guarantee and stand by the quality of our fuels. However, issues sometimes arise, and we encourage customers to report them to us as soon as possible for review by our claims department.  

“The car troubles experienced by customers who purchased fuel at our gas station in Nokomis resulted from diesel fuel being delivered inadvertently into a gasoline storage tank. As soon as we became aware of the situation, we shut down the pumps. On Saturday, we emptied, cleaned and replenished our storage tanks and resumed fueling operations at the site.  

“We sincerely apologize to anyone affected by this incident, and we are committed to making it right for them. We have heard from a number of customers who filled up at the store, and we are helping with their claims. After reviewing and verifying their claims, we will reimburse affected customers for any repairs and associated costs related to this incident. Any customer whose vehicle may have been impacted at this location can contact Circle K Customer Service toll free at 1-855-276-1947.”

The Florida Department of Agriculture is now investigating the gas mix-up

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also issued a statement, writing, “Consumers experiencing issues after purchasing fuel should file a complaint with the department by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or by visiting fdacs.gov. If the investigation determines that there is an issue with the fuel, the department can assist impacted customers with receiving reimbursement for any required vehicle repairs.”

“As long as I can get my repair money back, I’ll be happy, and I know accidents happen, people are human,” Young told Fox 13 News. “I totally understand that, but I want Circle K to make sure they make everything right for everybody, so nobody has to come out of pocket for their mistake.”