WESTLAKE, Fla. — A Lake Worth woman is facing a $26,000 repair bill for her Lexus after she says she unknowingly pumped diesel fuel from a premium gasoline pump at a Mobil gas station in Westlake. The incident, which left her car's engine destroyed, may have affected multiple other drivers who are now sharing similar stories.
WATCH: WPTV asks, who is responsible?
Ellie Ferguson said she stopped at the Mobil station at the intersection of Persimmon Boulevard and Seminole Pratt Whitney Road to fill up her tank before driving home after a dinner with her grandchildren.
Engine Seized Minutes After Fill-Up
Ferguson told WPTV's Western Palm Beach County reporter, Michael Hoffman she selected the premium 93-octane gasoline and pumped nearly 14 gallons. About 15 minutes into her drive, the situation turned dire.
"My car just started rattling and shaking and just engine shut down," Ferguson said.
She had her Lexus towed to a dealership, where she learned the cause of the catastrophic failure.
"They called me the next day and said, 'We found diesel in your tank,'" Ferguson recounted. "And I said, 'There is no way I put diesel in my car. I put 93.'"
Dealership mechanics informed her the damage was extensive, requiring a complete engine replacement at a cost of $26,000.
Other Customers Report Similar Problems
A review of local social media groups suggests Ferguson is not the only driver affected. Multiple posts on a Westlake community Facebook page show other customers complaining of identical issues after buying premium gasoline from the same Mobil station around the same time.
To understand the mechanical impact, Hoffman spoke with an automotive expert.
"It can be catastrophic for your engine, and you don't really know that you're pumping it into your car until it's too late," said Todd Bender, a manager at Angel's Autobody.
Bender explained that, in a best-case scenario, a car will run poorly. "Worst case scenario, it'll actually lock up your motor and hydrolock it, and it can damage the internals of your engine and require it to be replaced," he said.
Pressing for Accountability
Hoffman began pressing for answers about who is responsible for the costly damages.
A spokesperson for ExxonMobil, which licenses the Mobil brand, stated, “We do not own or operate retail stations in Florida. Recommend that you contact the owner/branded wholesaler for comment.”
After multiple emails and calls to the corporation listed as the property owner went unanswered, Hoffman finally reached a manager at the Westlake station by phone. The manager confirmed the station was aware of the problem and said steps were being taken to address it.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates fuel pumps, has been contacted regarding the number of official complaints filed against the station. Hoffman is awaiting that data.
Ferguson said the station's management called her and instructed her to file an insurance claim against them. However, her request for that instruction in writing has so far gone unanswered.
"It's not right," Ferguson said. "It's not right."
WPTV will continue to press the station's owner for a response and investigate how diesel ended up in a gasoline pump, how many drivers were affected, and who will be held responsible for the damages.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
