Gas station customers say cars stopped working after filling up

Mechanic says 2 vehicles towed to his shop from Flash Foods

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – "What is wrong with my car?" is the question that some drivers are asking after they said they got gas at a Fernandina Beach gas station and then their vehicles stopped working.

John Jones, a mechanic with Sonya's Tire and Automotive Center, said Tuesday that at least two vehicles were towed to his automotive shop from the Flash Foods gas station at Tarpon Street and Atlantic Avenue

"The very first vehicle came in. We did a fuel test on it, and the first thing we noticed is that there was water in the fuel," Jones said. "You shouldn't have water where gas goes, and you shouldn't have gas where water goes. The biggest thing at this point is the customers' cost."

Jones said it could cost anywhere between $300 and $600 to repair.

"Around Christmas time, that's a big hit," he said. 

Brandon Harville spoke with News4Jax by phone, saying Jones found water in his Acura's gas tank. 
Harville said his car gave him trouble a mile away from the gas station. 

"It started to stutter and kind of run funny, which it has never done," he said. "All of a sudden, it's breaking down like an old junker, and then, so I got almost the way home before it completely just died, and then I couldn't get it started again."

His wife posted about the gas station and the incident on Facebook, saying, "We got gas this morning and my car died just a few minutes later. We had the car towed to Sonya's this morning, and we were informed that we were the second car brought in for the vehicle dying just shortly after getting gas."

The mechanics said they believe others may have been impacted and more cars could show up Wednesday.

A good sign: Plus gas and Premium gas are no longer available, and Harville said the gas station will refund him his money.

Despite the experience, Harville said he was happy that the gas station will pay his mechanic bill. He looks forward to getting his car back. 

When News4Jax went to the gas station, employees said they had no comment. 


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