LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas woman says a recent fill up at her local gas station ended up with a trip to the mechanic and a hefty repair bill after water was discovered in her gasoline.
Kiera Lindsey says its a chore you just have to do -- filling up the car with gas.
A Las Vegas woman says a recent fill up at her local gas station ended up with a trip to the mechanic and a hefty repair bill after water was discovered in her gasoline.
Kiera Lindsey says its a chore you have to do -- filling up the car with gas.
In February, Lindsey visited her local gas station at Ann and Simmons in North Las Vegas and didn't think much more of it.
"I got a full tank of gas, drove to my parents house after work, and I hung out for about 15 minutes, and I went back to get into my car, and It would not start at all," said Lindsey.
Lindsey eventually had to have her car towed to a repair shop.
A mechanic at BMW drained the gas tank and discovered there was water in the fuel that had caused some expensive damage.
"At first, I thought, was somebody out to get me?" said Lindsey.
"I was like no because my gas tank has a lock on so there's no way anyone can tamper with it, so my first thought was to drive up to the gas station to see what was going on," explained Lindsey.
Video provided to 13 Investigates shows yellow tape surrounding the gas station and gas pumps.
Lindsey said the pieces began coming together and she contacted Terrible's gas station.
Lindsey said the representative she spoke to gave her the impression that she wasn't the only one affected.
13 Investigates has reached out to Terrible's via email four times but did not receive an immediate response.
13 Investigates also contacted the Nevada Department of Agriculture which is the agency that oversees and inspects gas stations and fuel quality.
"If water is found, it's typically found on the very bottom, unless it's stirred up," said Kipp Blauer, the Nevada Department of Agriculture area supervisor for Las Vegas.
"There's water in some tanks, but there has to be a certain percentage of water in the tank before it affects the motor," explained Blauer.
Blauer said the agency inspects each of Nevada's 20,000 pumps each year and they must meet strict standards of accuracy and quality.
Blauer also knows the inner workings of the gas stations and more importantly, the underground fuel tanks.
"On the bottom of the tank, there is a rise that comes up 6 to 12 inches, and there has got to be at least 6 inches of water in that tank for it to be drawn into the filters and typically the filters will filter the water out," explained Blauer.
Plus, 13 Investigates requested all pump inspection reports from the Ann Road and Simmons Drive location for the past three years.
READ: PUMP INSPECTION REPORTS 2016-2018
The reports showed the inspectors found no abnormalities or fuel quality issues during their visits.
Inspectors visited the gas station on March 4 after Kiera filed a complaint.
READ: GAS STATION RE-INSPECTION REPORT
According to the report, inspectors once again found nothing wrong with the pumps or the gasoline.
However, Blauer said a lot of time had passed between the day the gasoline was dispensed and when the station was re-inspected.
Blauer added if there was a fuel quality issue it may not show up weeks later.
Blauer recommends if there is a suspected pump or fuel quality issue to report the matter immediately to the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
Blauer said there are stickers at each pump with a phone number and website to visit as well.
As for Lindsey, she contacted her insurance company, and she is waiting to hear back from Terrible's.
