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Oakville U-Gas mishap totals customer cars

Since our original story aired, more victims came forward and told 5 On Your Side how bad the damage is to their cars.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – The fuel at an Oakville gas station damaged trucks and cars when customers pumped contaminated fuel.

U-Gas allowed customers to pump diesel from the unleaded gas tank and unleaded gas from the diesel pump.

Since our original story aired, more victims came forward and told 5 On Your Side how bad the damage is to their cars.

One victim, Michael Briggs, now owns a Toyota Avalon, but he won’t be forgetting his BMW SUV.

“It meant a lot to us and it was very hard to give it up,” Biggs said.

He lost the SUV after he said he drove it to U-Gas in January to fill it with diesel and got regular gas instead. U-Gas’ owner admitted the error to 5 On Your Side, diesel was in the gas tank and gas in the diesel tank.

“You have to replace the entire fuel system, the fuel tank, the injectors, the filters,” Biggs said.

The mishap resulted in about $22,000 worth of damage.

“I was floored, which is why I called two other BMW service managers to find out if that was the right amount,” he said.

But it was. The insurance company of the distributor, C C Dillon Co., declared the SUV a total loss and sent a check for $22,000. The amount is about a fourth of what it would cost to replace the SUV.

“I’m not happy about it,” he said.

Briggs was quick to compliment the insurance company of the fuel distributor, C C Dillon, for sending him a check quickly.

Jason Beishir said he is less satisfied. He said his truck needed an entire engine as a result the fuel mishap.

“It feels like they’re winning and I’m losing … all I get is that used engine from the salvage yard and that’s it,” he said.

Beishir said the insurance company won't agree to buy an $800 warranty on the used engine.

“The last thing I want to be is broken down on the side of the road,” he said.

U-Gas’ owner Wallis Companies blames the fuel distributor for the mistake.

A representative for the distributor C C Dillon will not comment because the matter is still being investigated.

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