CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A third-party fuel provider mistakenly mixed diesel fuel with gasoline at a Meijer gas station in Clinton Township, potentially damaging the engines of dozens of vehicles.
Meijer shut down the pumps at the station on Groesbeck upon learning of the mix-up. The grocer began contacting customers who filled up between 6 a.m. last Tuesday, March 17th, and 1 p.m. last Thursday, March 19th.
I spoke with Debra Totzke, who is one of a number of drivers who filled the tank of her brand-new 2026 Ford Escape with the mixed fuel.
"Scary. I was scared like, oh, this is ... my car, you know, how am I going to get anywhere, you know," Totzke said.
Totzke said her SUV has been running smoothly since she refueled her half-empty tank last week. However, expert mechanic Earl Butch Hood, owner of Hood’s Car Care Clinic in Detroit, warned other drivers may not be so lucky.
"The car would run really bad, it might be knocking, smoking, but the biggest thing is, is that even if you get it out, some people, like we had one lady drive to us, smoking like crazy," Hood said.
Hood said diesel is thicker than gasoline and can damage piston rings in the engine. He advises drivers who mistakenly fill up with it to not start their cars and instead have them towed to a shop to get the fuel line and tank flushed.
"On an average, it could be about anywhere from $800 to $1,250. Drop the tank, clean it out, refill it," Hood said.
INTERVIEW: Earl Butch Hood talks about the effects of a diesel mix-up on vehicles
"Sometimes we have to replace the fuel pump," Hood said.
"It can go all the way up to, hey, not only do I need to clean the tank, you need to replace the engine. OK, so now you got a $5,000 to $6,000 bill easy, and that depends on the size of the engine, alright, and don't let it be a turbo," Hood said.
Meijer said it will reimburse customers for vehicle damage caused by the fuel mix-up. Those impacted should call 616-791-5484 to file a complaint.
Related Story: Fuel mixup at Clinton Township gas station leads to car troubles for customers
The company said it has been in contact with the third-party fuel provider to ensure this does not happen again. But for some customers, engine trouble or not, the damage is already done.
"I'll never go back to that one again," Totzke said.
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