A routine stop at the gas station can quickly become an expensive nightmare. Drivers describe pulling away from the pump only to have their vehicles sputter, stall, or completely shut down.

“Everybody thought they were going home after they got their gas,” Brenda Smalls said following a reported fuel mix-up at a Speedway in Wake Forest. “It didn’t happen like that.”

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Another driver said her car stopped while he was traveling on Interstate 95. “My car cut off right on 95,” she said.

New numbers obtained exclusively by 5 On Your Side show that complaints about suspected bad fuel are rising across North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services received 108 fuel-quality complaints between June and September 2026. During the same period in 2025, the agency received 88. That represents a 23% increase in one year.

How the state investigates suspected bad fuel

The department’s Fuel Quality Program conducts routine inspections at gas stations, but it also relies on consumers to report possible problems. After receiving a complaint, the state assigns an inspector to visit the station, review available records, and collect fuel samples for testing.

If a product fails to meet state quality standards, inspectors can shut down the affected pumps until the problem is corrected and the fuel passes another inspection. But inspectors can test the suspected fuel only if it is still at the station when they arrive.

At the Speedway on Capital Boulevard in Wake Forest, the station reported that diesel fuel had mistakenly been delivered into its regular gasoline tank. By the time state inspectors arrived, however, the affected fuel had already been removed. The state was therefore unable to independently confirm the reported mix-up through its own testing.

At a Valero station in Holly Springs, inspectors arrived while water-contaminated fuel was still being sold. The affected pumps were shut down until the problem was corrected and the fuel passed a follow-up inspection.

“There’s always a possibility that there’s still some contamination lingering,” state fuel-quality inspector Valerie Thoms said. “That’s why we always go back and check to make sure everything gets cleaned up, and the fuel is up to specs for the customer.”

Problems confirmed at five local stations

5 On Your Side reviewed state fuel-quality records dating back to 2022. Those records show complaints involving 33 gas stations within WRAL’s viewing area.

State testing confirmed fuel-quality problems at five of those stations:

Family Fare, 5460 N.C. Highway 42, Garner

SW&W, 3405 N.C. Highway 242, Benson

Refuel, 7202 Knightdale Boulevard, Knightdale

Eddie Gooch Grocery, 3651 N.C. Highway 56, Franklinton

Rose Mart, 5901 N.C. Highway 97, Elm City

Two additional stations acknowledged delivery mix-ups, but inspectors could not independently confirm the problems because the affected fuel had already been removed:

Refuel, 750 Laura Duncan Road, Apex

Speedway, 13960 Capital Boulevard, Wake Forest

State testing did not verify a fuel-quality problem at the remaining 26 stations. That does not necessarily mean nothing happened. In some cases, inspectors found the fuel met state standards. In others, the specific fuel involved in the complaint may no longer have been available to test. A consumer complaint is also not, by itself, proof that a station sold contaminated fuel.

What drivers should do

Timing matters when reporting suspected bad fuel. Drivers should immediately save their gas receipt and record the station’s name, location, pump number, type of fuel purchased, and the approximate time of the transaction.

If the vehicle is examined or repaired, drivers should also retain the mechanic’s diagnosis, photographs, fuel samples, and every related bill. Those records create a paper trail and can help inspectors identify and test the correct product before it is removed or replaced.

The Department of Agriculture says inspectors may test the station’s fuel, examine its underground storage tanks, and review delivery and maintenance records. Fuel that fails state standards can remain closed until the problem is corrected and testing confirms the product is safe to sell.

Drivers can find complaint instructions and access the state’s online reporting form here.⁠ (ncagr.gov⁠)

Why does bad fuel reach drivers?

The increase in complaints raises a larger question: Why are these incidents happening? Potential causes can include delivery errors, water entering storage tanks, equipment failures, or mistakes made while handling fuel. 5 On Your Side is now examining whether inadequate training, aging equipment, or gaps in oversight are contributing to the problem and what can be done to prevent drivers from unknowingly purchasing contaminated fuel.