Drivers took to Twitter and Facebook like town criers spreading the word about the mishap that had their motors calling it quits.
“This morning my car started sputtering not wanting to run… inside smelt like rotten eggs,” tweeted Penny Kardos-Farmer.
Went&got gas yesterday at Ultramar in Prescott Ontario 112 - this morning my car started sputtering not wanting to run inside smelt like rotten eggs find out diesel somehow had been put in with reg gas- accident or .. #ultramar ...
— Penny kardos-farmer (@PennyKardos) January 18, 2018
She is just one of many who say they filled up with regular gas sometime between Jan 16 -18 at an Ultramar location off Hwy 401 in Prescott, but what they got instead was a tank full of diesel. It is most commonly used by trucks and can be damaging for the majority of cars.
Karen Hoare of Brockville says she is angry and being forced to use a rental while her car is getting repaired.
“I think it will be a big bill,” Hoare told CTV News.
But that bill is one Ultramar says it will pay.
In a statement the company writes:
“We invite customers affected by this situation to go to or contact the gas station to give all the necessary information (name, phone number, etc.). Ultramar will compensate customers for the damage caused by this situation. Should they have any further question, they can call the Ultramar Customer Satisfaction Center at 1 800 363-6949. We regret any inconvenience this caused our customers.“ – Pierre Tessier
By the company’s own timelines, it was the morning of January 16th that tanks at the Prescott location had diesel coming out of the “regular” gas pumps.
Ultramar spokesperson Pierre Tessier says “As soon as we were made aware of the situation - in the morning of January 17th, the site was shut down. The tanks have been drained, cleaned and refilled with gasoline.”
The incident has fueled widespread frustration from drivers who say they have already paid out of pocket and have not heard how long it will take to be reimbursed.
“So now I have to go to Kia … get them to take out my gas tank and drain it,” writes Kardos-Farmer who says she’ll have to pay $400 in repairs.
Hoare says it’s costing her repair money and car-rental money to get around in the meantime.
CTV News confirms an Ultramar location in Vars was hit with the same incident on January 15th. In that case, drivers say Premium pumps had pumped diesel into their tanks.
With files from CTV's Stefan Keyes.
