Illegal petrol costs owners thousands in repair bills

A number of cars in Westmeath have had their engines destroyed – and car owners have been left seriously out of pocket – as a result of ‘petrol stretching’. In a wave of incidents, described by one garage man as being of “epidemic proportions”, vehicles of different makes have been sabotaged by the illegal fuel.

“A huge problem” around Mullingar, Ballymahon, north Westmeath, Longford, and into Roscommon, is how one source described the problem, which badly damages cars when filled with fuel that has been contaminated by kerosene.

One family alone has had two cars damaged – and they know of several others who have suffered problems too as a result of the practice.

“We need to have extra gardaí and customs resources assigned to investigate this,” said TD, Robert Troy this week, as he drew attention to the extent of the problem.

Cllr Aidan Davitt revealed that the issue is set to cost one of his relations in the region of €5,000 after that man’s car engine gave up. “It destroyed the engine of his car and when he brought it back to the garage where he bought it and where it was serviced, the garage were able to tell him it was the fuel he was using that had done the damage and it could not be anything else. ”

One of Cllr Davitt’s neighbours was similarly affected and gardaí and Revenue Commissioners are now investigating both incidents.” I would like to see strong action taken to stamp this out,” he stated.

The claim is that because kerosene is only around half the prices of petrol, at some point along the supply chain, it is being added to petrol – bulking out a tank by as much as 10 per cent, and thus upping the profit that can be made.

Nancy Hennessy and her son Sean, from Castletown-Finea, are two who have been affected by the practice.

Sean’s 07 Megane engine is completely destroyed – and will cost around €2,000 to replace; his mother’s 07 Clio was also affected, and while the car has been “washed out” in a bid to remove all traces of kerosene, it’s no longer running as well as it used to.

“Basically I spent €66 on a fill of petrol, and three or four days later, the car began losing power, and my son brought it to a garage in Mullingar and they have fixed it – but I was at the loss of my petrol as well,” said Nancy.

When Sean heard of his mother’s problem, it was a “not again” moment, as four weeks ago, his car showed the same symptoms, and the engine wound up completely destroyed, the pistons having been severely damaged.

Deputy Troy said: “There is an urgent need to put in place a number of measures to help drivers and tackle these criminal actions.”

He stressed that the practice is a crime.

“This is a growing issue for motorists and their insurers,” he said, adding that some insurers who previously covered engine damage from contaminated fuel are not doing so any more.

“Anyone who has been a victim of this would be out of pocket to the tune of thousands of euro, some as much as €20,000.

“This damage is being caused by a third party and at no fault of the car owner. There needs to be appropriate compensation for these drivers. I believe there is a role here for the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland to intervene to assist drivers where insurers will not cover the cost of engine damage from petrol stretching. Car owners should not be out of pocket thousands of euro for reckless actions they had no knowledge of,” he stated.