VNL Investigates: Drivers allege bad gas was sold at a couple of local stations

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Gas prices have already hit record highs and consumers are expecting to get what they paid for.

Some drivers in the FM area reached out to the Valley News Live Whistleblower hotline alleging they received a bad batch of gas after filling u at two local stations.

Shay Howard says she visited the Holiday gas station at the corner of University Drive and 1st Avenue N, last month.

“We were on our way to work and we pumped premium gas,” said Howard.

She says things took a turn after filling up.

“10 minutes later the car started making a crazy noise,” Howard said.

Howard says the vehicle then shut down in the middle of the highway and she was forced to two it to the dealership.

“They ran tests on it. They said there was nothing wrong with the engine. They said it was the gas. They said it was all water,” she said.

Howard is now out of more than $800.

She isn’t the only one making similar allegations.

Lisa Lively says after going on a ride on her motorcycle on Sunday, she stopped by the Holiday on Brandt Drive to fill up her empty tank with premium fuel.

“By the time I went to start my bike, it just cranked and nothing,” Lively said.

She says after her bike wouldn’t start, she inquired with store staff.

“I was like, have you had any issues with bad fuel, like having water in the gas? He said “no, I don’t know why anyone has been asking that.” The other cashier sitting next to him just shook his head,” said Lively.

Lively then had a friend check out the problem.

“By the time we let the gas settle, we found it had about 70% of water,” she said.

Both women now say they are hoping the gas stations will take ownership of the issue.

Parrell Grossman from the Consumer Protection Division at the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office says he encourages individuals who may have been affected to submit complaints to his office.

“The Attorney General takes these complaints very seriously,” he said. “We will review those and attempt to mediate those.”

We reached out to the corporate offices for the Holiday stations. We have yet to hear back.

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