July 24, 2024
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Wawa and Bucks County officials are investigating multiple reports of cars having mechanical issues after fueling up last week at the store in Richboro at 870 Second Street Pike.
Multiple car owners who recently filled up their tanks at a Wawa in Richboro have had their cars break down not long after getting back on the road. The issue has prompted an investigation by the Bucks County Consumer Protection office as drivers affected face expensive repairs.
If the problems are traced to the store, Wawa could be on the hook to pay for the damages.
The issue appears to be connected to a fuel pump at the Wawa on the 800 block of Second Street Pike near Bustleton Pike.
"Wawa in Richboro has bad gas!" Joan Lenahan wrote on Facebook and warned others in a separate post on a Northampton Township community page. More than a dozen people commented about similar mechanical problems they had after stopping at the station on July 17 and 18. The complaints follow a theme of problems with engines, fuel injectors and catalytic converters that arose not long after people got regular grade gas at the station.
Lenahan told the Bucks County Courier Times that her son's Jeep needed more than $3,000 in repairs after it stopped running and the check engine light activated.
The problem also surfaced on a Roxborough Facebook group.
"My brother filled up at that Wawa and his car was dead within 20 minutes," a commenter wrote Tuesday.
Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said Wednesday the company is aware of the issue. The problem is believed to have affected one fuel tank at the station, but Bruce did not share details about the cause.
"We are working with our fuel equipment manufacturer to investigate and understand the issue including the timing of any potential impact," Bruce said. "At this time, we believe that this was an isolated incident that may have affected a limited number of customers."
Wawa has a Fuel Quality Guarantee that requires the company to pay for car damages that can be proven to stem from an issue with its gas. The company's claims process involves having the car inspected by a qualified technician with an A8 certification from the Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. The steps to complete the claim must be done within 45 days of the fuel purchase. Car owners must submit a claim form, a fuel receipt from the pump, a copy of the repair invoice and proof of payment for the repair.
Consumers also can file complaint forms with the Bucks County Consumer Protection office. Car owners are advised to have their mechanics save samples of the gas removed from their tanks so it can be tested for water contamination or other sources that could cause damage.
Lenahan's mechanic, Millevoi Brothers Richboro Automotive, told the Courier Times the business had seven cars all with similar issues and fielded calls from at least 10 people who said they had problems after filling up at the Richboro Wawa last week. Other mechanics in the area also reportedly saw a spike in issues connected to the store and needed to address problems with spark plugs, ignition coils, fuel injectors and fuel pumps.
"Evidently there are many, many people in the area who now have engine problems with their cars dying all over the place," one person wrote on Facebook after getting gas at the Richboro Wawa last week and learning of the problems other car owners were having.
Another wrote on Facebook, "Praying I get reimbursed for this disaster I’m dealing with."
