Drivers claim 'bad' gasoline harmed their vehicles

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - Two drivers tell the Contact 5 Investigators they filled up at the Mobile station at 7000 PGA Boulevard within 24 hours of each other and both claim they received contaminated gasoline.

Lorraine Coffey said she filled up her gas tank at the station and just a few miles later noticed a big problem.

"It started bucking and bucking, like a bronco kind of bucking," said Coffey.  

It cost more than $1,000 to have her gas tank cleaned out and her Jaguar repaired.

"Just be careful where you get your gas," she said.

The next day, Mike D'Andrea claims the same thing happened to him.  His car is still in the shop and said it will also cost more than $1,000 for repairs.

The Contact 5 Investigators discovered state gas inspectors responded last week and took samples of the gasoline.  Those samples are being analyzed right now at a state facility.

However, in an email, Mobile Spokesperson Margaret Chabris said they had their own technician test the gasoline tank and found "no problems with the gasoline, and we were given the OK to resume sales of that product."

In the email she also stated, "Given that there have been only two issues and no other apparent problems, we wonder if this location was the actual source of the car problems."

The drivers involved said there is no doubt their car troubles started after filling up at the station in question.

The station's insurance carrier is investigating the two complaints.

This comes just a few weeks after substandard gasoline s hut down the pumps at a station right across the street and a month after a Contact 5 Investigation led to the pumps being shut down at two additional stations and exposed the fact that there is no requirement for stations to be inspected annually.