Southwest Side Road Ranger's Gas Damages Cars Due To Water Dilution

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hoses are out, and fuel tanks are being cleaned at the Road Ranger gas station at 34th and California, but Christian Zamarron said it's four days too late for his car.

"They just need to take responsibility," he said.

Zamarron said he put regular gas in his Mazda Thursday, and then his car died.

"All of a sudden my car stopped accelerating, and then I was like, 'What's going on?'" he said.

Zamarron called the dealer.

"So the dealer calls and tells me the majority of what's in my gas tank is water," he said.

It was a nearly $1,500 repair job. Besides receipts, Zamarron also filled a bottle up with clean fuel, and one with gas from his tank.

"This is gasoline mixed with storm water or something," he said.

CBS 2's Dana Kozlov spoke with two other people who claim there cars were also damaged due to Road Ranger's watered down gas. The company's general counsel Steve Brooks conceded workers found water in the premium tank Friday, due to a broken lid seal likely exacerbated by last week's heavy rainfall. But he said only premium and mid grade gas were affected.

"They're saying that their basic, the unleaded is fine, but it's not, because my car is proof of it," Zamarron said.

Brooks didn't get back to CBS on that discrepancy, but he said customers with damage should call the company, which will pay for repairs.

Brooks said if a customer filled up at the station and had problems but not a receipt, call the company anyway. Security cameras can help verify if a purchase was made.