As if rising gas prices weren't enough, residents of the Louisville, KY area now have to contend with the pricey fuel apparently causing hundreds of
dollars of damage to their cars. Hundreds of motorists have found themsevles stranded in recent days when their cars ran out of gas, despite their
fuel gauges showing sufficient fuel in the tank.
Marathon Ashland has reported that gasoline from their distribution center is to blame for the problems in Kentucky and Indiana. The fuel was somehow
contaminated with sulfur. They have offered to reimburse drivers who suffered fuel-gauge failures for repair costs.
Courier-Journal.com
CourierJournal.com
The problems aren't exclusive to any particular make, model or year of car. They also aren't exclusive to Louisville; similar problems have been
reported in dozens of cars in Erie, PA
The story is the same, though: hundreds and hundreds of drivers are driving with what fuel gauges are showing as quarter to half full tanks, but they
are finding themselves stranded in the middle of the road as the gas runs out. Mechanics are telling the same story in regards to what is causing
the malfunction: something about the gasoline in these markets is damaging the sensor in the fuel pump.
What's even worse is that some motorists who have had their pumps replaced since this started nearly two weeks ago are finding themselves stranded
again; the replaced pumps are still failing.
Kentucky AAA is estimating around 100 new reports per day are coming in to their offices over the last week to week and a half. Nearly all reports
involve late model American-made cars, and no particular gas station chain seems to be the culprit.
The repairs cost between $200-900 dollars to replace, and no company or government agency has yet stepped forward to assist drivers with the cost.
Related Stories:
Erie, PA
[Edited on 21-5-2004 by Banshee]
