HOUSTON — Hahleemah Wright’s BMW stalled within approximately 1,000 feet of a Houston gas pump after she filled it with gasoline, leading to $1,329 in repair costs. A mechanic later drained the fuel tank and found the gasoline was mixed with water.
“I had not gotten maybe a thousand feet,” Wright said. “And it just completely stopped. I tried to turn it on again. It wouldn’t turn on.”
“To be hit with a $1,400 bill in the blink of an eye at no fault of myself is a huge inconvenience and is unjustified,” Wright said. Her experience prompted her to file a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which investigates fuel quality issues and may dispatch an investigator to take a fuel sample for laboratory testing.
Under Texas state law, TDLR can fine a gas station between $500 and $3,000 and may revoke its license for selling contaminated fuel. If lab testing confirms contamination, the agency will take enforcement action based on how the gas station responds to the findings.
Other drivers posted on the Nextdoor app about similar experiences with bad gasoline from the same Houston station, including photos and reports of high repair bills. Filling up with contaminated gasoline can cause a vehicle to stop working almost immediately and result in repair costs in the thousands.