Trading Standards officers have launched an investigation into a suspected batch of contaminated petrol that is thought to have caused thousands of cars to break down.

So many vehicles have juddered to a halt that owners face delays in getting them fixed as garages have been inundated and spare parts are running out.

Drivers complained their cars began misfiring and losing power after buying petrol from filling stations, including Tesco forecourts, in the South-east.

Tesco said they had carried out "extensive" tests on current and past batches of unleaded, including fuel from affected cars, and had found no contamination. The wholesalers, Greenergy, had also been unable to find the cause of the problem. The chief executive of the Society of Motoring Manufacturers, Christopher MacGowan, said: "I have been in this industry for many years and I cannot remember a similar occurrence on this scale.

"It appears there is a rogue load of petrol in the United Kingdom at the present moment but until we actually can track down exactly where it has come from and also what the precise problem with it is, it's very difficult to give meaningful advice to drivers."

The petrol affects cars' oxygen sensors, which keep the car running smoothly, or which shut down the engine if there is a problem, allowing it to be driven a short distance at low speed.

The problem is concentrated in London and the South east, although Adam Cracknell, a spokesman for the RAC, said its members from Norwich to Brighton had been affected.

Ian Hillier of the Trading Standards Institute said the consumer protection body had received about 100 complaints from drivers and has begun an inquiry.

Initially it was suspected that the petrol was contaminated with ethanol, but tests had ruled that out, Vanessa Guyll, the AA's technical specialist, said. Tests have failed to determine what the problem was.

The UK Petroleum Industry Association, the trade association representing the nine main oil refining companies operating in the UK, said: "The problem is not thought to be widespread and we have no reports of quality issues with petrol supplied from UK refineries.

"Reports received from motoring organisations and other sources indicate that the source may be a batch of fuel supplied to some large independent retail sites."

A Tesco spokesman said: "Whilst we cannot currently trace any problem back to Tesco fuel we will of course continue to urgently work with our supplier to identify what might be behind it."

Darren Ross, 42, took his Saab convertible 1.8T back to the dealers after a dashboard warning light came on. He said that the garage had dealt with 15 other cars with the same problem within a week. Mr Ross faces a delay while parts are ordered, and a bill of £200 as the fault is not covered by the car's warranty.

He said: "I'm really angry. I want compensation... It has been a massive inconvenience to me and I am also concerned about the long-term damage it might have done to my car's engine."

Independent

Petrol price rise threat as forecourts pull rogue fuel

Published: 04 March 2007

Supermarkets were last night clearing their forecourts of the contaminated petrol blamed for causing thousands of cars to break down after the source of the problem was traced to a depot in Essex.

Harvest Energy, based in West Thurrock, said tests had found "unusually high levels of silicon" in four of its petrol storage tanks. The contamination had not been detected before sale to retailers, including supermarkets because routine tests did not look for silicon, the company said.

Industry estimates suggested the contamination has cost small businesses millions of pounds in lost earnings. And Ray Holloway, of the Petrol Retailers Association, said the crisis could raise petrol prices by 2p a litre.

"The stock on the forecourts is being withdrawn and they are replacing it with clean petrol," he said. "The increasing demand is pushing the prices up."

The Trading Standards Institute confirmed the presence of silicon in spot checks on fuel from forecourts. Experts believe the contaminant is damaging fuel sensors and causing cars to switch to emergency settings.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said supermarkets should pay out immediately for lost fuel and repairs.

The Independent

forwardone Wrote:Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said supermarkets should pay out immediately for lost fuel and repairs.

This will make a lot of starving lawyers rich.
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Quote:This will make a lot of starving lawyers rich

Maybe no need for lawyers. It looks like Tesco at least are prepared to foot the bill.

Quote:LONDON (Reuters) - Tesco apologised on Tuesday to drivers who bought contaminated petrol from its forecourts and promised to pay for any car repairs.

The supermarket chain ran full-page advertisements in national newspapers saying its fuel supplies were back to normal.

Motorists across the country complained that their cars broke down or suffered serious problems after buying petrol from Tesco and several other retailers.

"We'd like to say how sorry we are," Tesco said. "More to the point, we'd like to promise to pay for the repairs.

"We have traced the problem to a batch of unleaded fuel from a storage facility used by one of our suppliers in Essex.

"All the affected stores in the southeast of England have been refuelled with a fresh, clean supply."

It was not clear how many Tesco customers would be eligible to claim compensation or how the process would work.