Drivers still left without cars after fuel mix-up in Colorado causes costly damages – 9News
Many drivers are now left in limbo, waiting for calls back from gas station owners on whether they will be reimbursed for their car damage.
AURORA, Colo. — Gas stations around Colorado are starting to get back up and running after hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel were mistakenly mixed into unleaded gasoline and distributed around the state. But hundreds of drivers are still without a car and facing repair bills in the thousands.
The Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety said the contamination originated at an HF Sinclair terminal, where fuel trucks were loaded with diesel beginning Wednesday afternoon and continuing into early Thursday morning. That fuel was then delivered to multiple retail chains, including King Soopers, Costco and Murphy Express, according to state officials.
On Thursday morning, Lauren Zweitzig got gas at the King Soopers location off of Smoky Hill Rd in Aurora, and the impact was immediate.
“I got about a half mile down Smoky Hill, and my car just stopped working,” said Zweitzig.
Zweitzig got a tow and later got a maintenance report that said, “the fuel system is full of diesel fuel.” The estimate to repair the damage: more than $5,000, including a full fuel-system replacement and extensive cleaning.
“There’s a lot to be fixed,” she said.
King Soopers has confirmed 13 affected locations, spanning from Castle Rock to Boulder, and said it shut down impacted pumps and began remediation as soon as the issue was identified. One Murphy Express station was affected. Other retailers have not yet released full lists of affected stations.
While many gas stations have since resumed operations, for drivers like Zweitzig, the consequences are far from resolved.
She said King Soopers initially told her she would be contacted by a third party claims administrator within 24 hours — a call that never came. In the meantime, her insurance company has advised her to prepare to move forward on her own, but that means paying for the deductible herself.
That advice mirrors what consumer advocates and insurers have told 9NEWS: while contamination is not the driver’s fault, claims can stall when liability between retailers, suppliers, and insurers is still being sorted out. Drivers may face out-of-pocket costs for deductibles, rental cars, and towing while waiting for reimbursement.
“I would like to not have to pay the deductible, you know, so well, I’ll just see. I’ll keep, you know, calling,” said Zweitzig.
Her insurance did assure her that the accident would not increase her premium.
Zweitzig told 9NEWS she eventually received a call from King Soopers Saturday afternoon, providing her with a claim number and saying someone would follow up Monday. She’s hopeful this means the company will cover the deductible.
For Zweitzig, the experience has also shaken a basic assumption.
“You think you’re putting in what you always put in your car. And it just was not it that day,” she said. “For a long time, I’m going to be thinking every time I put gas in, just hoping the car starts and everything’s good afterwards,” she said.
State officials are urging anyone who believes they were affected to contact the station where they fueled up and file a complaint with the Division of Oil and Public Safety, which said it is continuing to trace where the contaminated fuel was delivered.
