Imagine your brand new car, the pride of your driveway, suddenly refusing to start. That's exactly what happened to dozens of drivers on Vancouver Island, all thanks to a batch of bad fuel from a local Gas N Go station. But here's the twist: the owner claims it was a simple ethanol imbalance, easily fixed. Is it really that simple when people's vehicles are potentially damaged?
Shirley Ward, a resident of Denman Island, experienced this firsthand. On December 20th, her nearly-new 2025 Mazda wouldn't even turn over. "So Sunday morning a tow truck arrived and he was unable start it so it had to be towed off island and towed into Mazda service in Courtenay," Ward recounted. The diagnosis? Likely water contamination in the fuel tank. After nearly $1,000 in towing and repair costs, she and her husband were finally able to get their car back on the road.
Ward traced the problem back to a fill-up at the Gas N Go in Buckley Bay just before catching the ferry home on December 19th. Her husband, Bill Peters, added, "We just wanted to know the details and what was the cause and we figured out the cause was the fact that we filled up at Gas N Go." It turns out, they weren't alone.
Social media lit up with similar complaints from drivers who had fueled up at the same Gas N Go location on December 18th and 19th. Ward estimates that dozens of people on Denman Island and in Union Bay experienced similar car troubles.
Following the incident, Ward reached out to Gas N Go and its owner, the Wayne Procter Group, seeking reimbursement for the $1,200 in expenses incurred for the tow, repair, and rental car needed in the interim. "I’m still waiting for a response, I don’t know anybody else that has had much of a response at all," she lamented. Ward's niece, Susan Weseen, echoed her concerns, stating, "And when I heard what had happened it was pretty concerning and I was really surprised with Gas N Go’s lack of response."
Wayne Procter, the owner of Gas N Go, addressed the situation, telling CHEK News that the problem stemmed from an issue with the ethanol content in the fuel. "The problem was the ethanol content in the product seemed to be just off and would make your car run probably not as good as it should and once the tank full was run through your car would go back to normal," he explained. He estimates that he's received around 30 complaints related to the bad fuel.
But here's where it gets controversial... While Procter claims that the issue would resolve itself after running through the contaminated fuel, Ward insists that her car wouldn't even start. This raises the question: was the problem truly just an ethanol imbalance, or was there something more serious at play? Could the damage to some vehicles be more severe than initially acknowledged?
Procter acknowledged potential delays in responding to complaints due to the Christmas holidays, but assured customers that he is committed to making things right. "Basically it happened over two days and it’s been rectified and fixed and we’re doing some other preventative things to make sure it never happens again," he stated. As for Ward's specific complaint, Procter indicated that his team had requested confirmation of her expenses and that reimbursement would be issued promptly upon receipt. He anticipated the funds would be transferred within a day or two.
Gas N Go insists that they are taking preventative measures to ensure this doesn't happen again. But is that enough? Should gas stations be held to a higher standard when it comes to fuel quality control? What responsibility do they have to compensate customers for damages beyond just the cost of repairs, such as lost time and inconvenience?
Author's note: Dean Stoltz has been chasing news stories in different markets across Canada for over 26 years. He and his family settled in the Comox Valley in 2006.
What do you think? Was Gas N Go's response adequate? Should customers expect more from businesses when faulty products cause damage? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
