EUCLID, Ohio — The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs confirms it found "high water levels" in a tank holding regular gas at the Sunoco on East 222nd Street, which has impacted at least three different drivers.
Ashley Ross is one of the drivers claiming that the gas she filled her tank with at this particular Sunoco damaged her engine.
She told me she purchased regular gas on March 12.
"It was like 6:30 in the morning. I have to be at work at 7:30. My light came on, so I was like, let me hurry up and get gas before I get to work," Ross said. "The pump was pumping really slow. It was taking like 10 minutes, and it just only showed like $5. By the time it got to like $15.50, it was literally like a half a tank, and I was just like, I gotta hurry up and go."
Ross headed to work with no issues.
However, when it came time for her lunch break hours later, she said her car wouldn't start and made sputtering noises.
"I thought maybe it needed a jump, but it's a brand new car. Just got it in November. Once I did that, it wouldn't work, so I had to get it towed all the way to Euclid from Garfield," Ross said.
Her car was taken to a dealership where technicians ran a variety of tests that proved her car was overall in good shape.
When it came time to test the gas in her tank, though, a sample showed it was mostly water.
"It was nothing but water, about one inch of gas, but it was all water," Ross said. "I couldn't believe it. My mouth hit the floor, and I was just so devastated."
In total, Ross said it cost her $1,600 out of pocket and a day's worth of work because she was unable to secure transportation to her job the following day.
She told me it took two days to get her car back.
Ross said she called the gas station to report the issue and ask about next steps.
"They took a copy of my bill of what everything was, but then they took my name and phone number, and I have not heard back, and it's been two weeks," Ross said.
I reached out to Sunoco last week about the allegations.
A spokesperson told me on March 17, "We do not have any contamination reports filed at this location, but we are looking into this matter with our distributor."
According to the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs, this gas station has only had two complaints filed against it in the last 10 years. Neither of which was about gas.
"Consumer affairs does go out promptly upon receiving complaints, but because the storage tanks are refueled often, it becomes possible that they’d be testing a completely different mix of gas than the consumer received," a spokesperson for the department said.
On March 18, the department confirmed a complaint for bad gas was filed against this Sunoco, though.
The complaint was for a purchase of gas made on March 11, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs.
A Weights and Measures inspector then visited the station on March 18.
"This station, like many stations, has a device on site that monitors fuel, water and temperature levels in the fuel storage tanks. When our inspector checked that device, it showed that a high water alarm went on March 11 for tank 1, which held regular gas," the Department of Consumer Affairs told me. "The device at the station didn't have actual level readings for March 11, but readouts on several following days showed high water levels."
The state hasn't adopted water level standards for gas tanks, but the national body that sets Weights and Measures standards, the National Institute of Technology, only allows ¼ inch of water in a tank with regular ethanol blended fuel, per the county's department.
"Our inspector returned to the station to test the storage tank March 19 using a measuring stick with a paste that indicates water level. The storage tank passed that test. Again, the mix in a tank changes every time a new load of fuel is delivered. So, on the 19th, we're testing a very different fuel mix," the Department of Consumer Affairs said.
The department's Consumer Protection division is now awaiting documentation of purchase from the consumer who filed the complaint so that it can assist her in filing a claim against the gas station's insurance.
Separately, the Department of Consumer Affairs received a call on Thursday from an insurance company that is investigating a claim from a different person who said their car was damaged after filling up at the same station.
Ross said she has yet to file a claim or complaint against the gas station, but plans to do so soon.
"I want them to hold themselves accountable. I wanna see compensation because not only, you know, just for how much I spent, but I missed out on a whole full day of work. I had to move around my arrangements for my son, and just like, you know, it makes me paranoid to go to a gas station because I don't know if I'm gonna get water in my gas again. It's just a scary thing, so I really want them to be accountable," Ross said.
Ross posted her experience to social media, and she said several people came forward with similar stories from that Sunoco.
If you find yourself in a similar situation to Ross, here are some tips:
- Keep your gas receipts for at least a week after you buy gas — just in case there's a problem.
- File a complaint with Weights and Measures if your car experiences unusual engine trouble or stops running right after you fill up. (The longer you wait to file a complaint, the more difficult it is to substantiate it.) Make sure you have the date, pump number and grade of fuel handy.
- Keep your receipts for towing or repairs.
- Weights and Measures also accepts complaints about inaccurate prices on street signs, illegible price per gallon or octane displays, and difficulty shutting pumps off.
- You can file a complaint with Cuyahoga County's Division of Weights and Measures online or by calling 216-443-7035. If the issue is at a station in the city of Cleveland, contact 216-664-3388.
I reached out to Sunoco again on Monday with the county's findings, but did not hear back prior to publication.
