Edmonton driver sold bad gas says station owner won't cover full cost of repairs

An Edmonton driver who was sold bad gas at an Esso station in east-central Alberta last month says the station's owner is refusing to pay for the full cost of repairs to his vehicle.

Sheldon Waquan, who works as a manager at an IT company, told CBC News he filled up the tank of his 2014 Lexus IS 250 with premium gas on Aug. 1, after a camping trip.

Waquan said shortly after driving away from the Esso station in Wainwright, Alta., the car started sputtering. The engine then stopped and failed to start again.

Waquan said the next day, he had his car towed about 200 kilometres to DynEco Automotive Service Centre, a Napa Autopro shop in south Edmonton, and received an estimate for about $6,000 in repairs. That day, he contacted the gas station's owner, Sunghee (Sunny) Kim, and sent him the estimate.

Two days later, Kim sent Waquan a text message saying, "they can start fixing your car and let them send the invoice by e-mail."

About two weeks later, while his car was still in the shop, awaiting replacement parts, Waquan said, Kim got back in touch to say that other customers who had bought the bad gas submitted invoices for lower amounts. He forwarded two other customers' invoices, plus an email from a car dealership estimating repairs would cost a similar amount.

Kim believes Waquan has asked for too much money, telling CBC News that the three other complaints were "happily solved," each for less than $1,000, but Waquan wants the bill paid in full since he didn't cause the damage to his car.

"All I did was fill my car up at his gas station and [I] drove away like any customer would," he said.

"It's pretty disappointing."

Repair shop defends invoice

The biggest charges on Waquan's invoice from the repair shop were for fuel tank and fuel pump service. 

The shop told him that they could have just removed the tank and flushed the lines, but if the fuel pump contained contaminated fuel, it could fail prematurely.

Shop owner Mark Stevens told CBC News that higher-end vehicles like Waquan's have less tolerance for grit, dirt and moisture than older pickup trucks do.

"You're taking a big chance by not changing the pumps," he said.

Marty Sims, a longtime mechanic and instructor in NAIT's automotive programs, said repairing a car affected by bad gas can cost between $500–$1,000, but more if contaminated fuel has circulated in the fuel system.

He said if a car has already been driven with the bad gas inside, removing the tank and flushing the lines only gets rid of part of the problem.

"There is always going to be some left in the rest of the fuel system, and there really isn't a good way to flush it out per se, so the extent of the damage can be pretty far-reaching — in that case I would, personally, probably recommend doing a larger-scale repair," he said.

"I wouldn't be surprised to spend $5,000 or $6,000 to replace all of my fuel system on a small gasoline car."

'People think all Esso stations are rich'

A spokesperson for Imperial Oil, which supplies independent stations licensing the Esso brand, linked the bad gas to "a site operational issue" and said it was not related to the quality of the company's fuel.

Kim said water vapour can develop in a station's gas tank during hot weather or enter through the tank lid underground.

According to the owner, this is the first time his station has dealt with this problem. He said he took out a line of credit to cover customers' repairs, confirm the water contamination and have water removed from the gas tank.

He said Waquan asked for too much money — nearly $7,000, including the cost of towing his vehicle — and that the other customers who complained submitted invoices for much less.

Kim described himself as a struggling businessman who has lost thousands of dollars because of the gas incident.

"Mistakenly, many people think all Esso stations are rich but it is not necessarily true," he said. 

Changing offers

Waquan said Kim initially offered to pay him $4,000 — $3,000 for the repairs and $1,000 for a rental car — but he declined.

He said Kim later offered $3,000, through a lawyer.

Waquan considered submitting an insurance claim but he was told that the company would have to treat it as an at-fault collision, as if he had put wrong gas in the vehicle. Alternatively, his insurance company said, he could pursue the matter in court. He is now preparing to file a civil claim against Kim's business.

Waquan said he wants just the repair bill paid in full and he will take care of the fuel and towing costs.

While the car has remained in the shop for nearly seven weeks, he has been relying on family members for loaner vehicles.

"It's unfair for me, and anyone like me who goes through this process," he said.