Richboro Wawa customers who got bad gas could see reimbursements soon

Some Richboro Wawa customers whose cars were damaged by contaminated gas may see repair reimbursements in the coming days, according to the company.

“Our team is working with every single customer impacted by the incident as fast as possible,” Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said in a statement. “Rest assured, we’re looking at every possible avenue to get these customers taken care of swiftly and are hoping to minimize inconvenience.”

Wawa’s latest update comes a week after some customers’ vehicles broke down after fueling up at the Bucks County store.

» READ MORE: They fueled up at a Bucks County Wawa, then their cars broke down. Who will pay for repairs?

Local mechanics said the repairs range from $3,000 to $4,500. At least one customer said he’s been told it will cost closer to $10,000 to fix his newer SUV.

Wawa identified the problem as “an issue with fuel equipment” that impacted one tank at the Richboro location, and the problem was addressed promptly with no ongoing impact. Company officials are working with its equipment manager to determine exactly what wrong. The Delaware County-based company has repeatedly apologized to customers for the inconvenience.

Several customers told The Inquirer this week that their cars started “violently shaking” and “bucking” within a day of getting gas at the Wawa. Mechanics in the area, who are servicing more than 30 impacted cars, said they determined it was a fuel issue, but they could not identify what contaminant was in the gas without sending it to a lab.

The mechanics said they have replaced fuel pumps, fuel injectors, spark plugs, and ignition coils, as well as flushed out all the fuel systems on impacted vehicles.

Two customers who spoke to The Inquirer said they heard from Wawa’s claims department late this week.

After a stressful nine days, Marissa O’Neill, 41, of Churchville, whose car died last week as she drove her daughter to a Lancaster-area Cub Scout camp, said she got some “good news” on Friday. The Wawa claims department told her the company would reimburse the cost of a rental car, along with repairs, she said. O’Neill had not yet received the funds Friday because she didn’t have the final repair cost from her mechanic.

Bruce, the Wawa spokesperson, declined to answer questions about how many claims have been filed, how many customers had received reimbursements, and whether other non-repair expenses — such as towing and rental car costs — would be reimbursed for affected customers.

“Right now, claims are getting resolved, and we are speaking directly with any customers who were impacted by the issue to quickly review and reimburse all of their expenses in the way that works best for them,” she said. “In addition, we will work directly with them to address any additional questions.”

Wawa continues to encourage customers who may have been affected to file a claim on its fuel guarantee page.