NORFOLK, Va. — Several customers from a gas station in the Bay View section of Norfolk have come forward after our initial story on June 1.
A Norfolk resident who wished to remain anonymous previously told 13News Now a quick fuel-up at the 7-Eleven off East Bayview Boulevard and Tidewater Drive on May 27 ended up as a $1,100 car service fee.
Her mechanics spotted water along with gas in the tank of her vehicle. They suspected containers at the station let water seep through.
"It made me think if it was bad gas, how many other people put that in their cars and their cars acting strange and they don't know what it's from?" said the anonymous driver.
Several people on our Facebook page shared personal accounts of car troubles after fueling up at the same location recently. One commenter suggested there are even more cases posted to a local neighborhood page.
A couple of people messaged 13News Now staff, saying they had to take their car into the shop too.
Water in fuel is never good, according to shop foreman Gary Mugavero with Carmasters Automotive. "But it really all depends on how much water actually gets into the gas tank."
He explained there's no way to know about water in the gas tank as you're pumping. But if the car feels just a little bit off, Mugavero said you could possibly make the fix on your own.
"You can get some of the additives from any of the big parts stores, you should be OK. If you get it to where it's running pretty badly or not running at all, that would require removing the gas tank, flushing out the fuel system and on certain model cars, you'd have to pull the injectors out to make sure you pulled the water out," he added.
When it comes to those car repairs at a shop, Mugavero outlined costs ranging in the hundreds to upwards of $1,000.
According to our initial conversation with the anonymous driver mentioned in this story, a manager at the 7-Eleven assisted her last week. She and her husband visited the store where they said a manager helped them out, providing information about 7-Eleven insurance and instruction.
One week after placing an inquiry with 7-Eleven media relations, a company spokesperson sent the following statement in response to our follow-up request:
“We received reports of tainted gas at 8595 Tidewater Dr. in Norfolk and took immediate action to stop the sale of gasoline. 7-Eleven removed and disposed of the gasoline. Gas operations have since been reopened. Customers who believe their car was impacted may call 1-800-255-0711.”
And despite us asking, the company did not specify how many drivers were affected, how drivers would be exactly accommodated nor did they detail what the location's mishap was.