TORONTO – At least one person whose car was badly damaged after filling up at a Toronto gas station is suggesting a class-action suit against the gas station owners.
John Cook filled up his Audi station wagon at the Neon Gas Station in Leslieville on April 11. Shortly after he says, the car broke down.
“The car stalled and had I had to haul it to the dealer. It was done. It was toast,” said Cook, who works in the advertising and branding industry. Cook says he paid about $1,100 to have the car repaired.
Consumers first began noticing problems with their cars after they filled up at the gas station in April. Those who contacted Global News at the time reported similar breakdowns. In one case, the driver couldn’t start her car after filling up at the Neon station, located on Queen Street East.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) regulates fuel tanks in Ontario though it is not responsible for regulating fuel quality. The agency told Global News in April they had run tests at the Leslieville gas station and determined “water is not present in any of the tanks.”
Neon’s owners have steadfastly said in the past there was no problem with the tanks, referring to the TSSA quality inspections.
But on June 4, the TSSA ordered Neon to replace “spill containers”, to remove “one unused underground tank” and remove “two unused above ground tanks”. The station’s premium fuel pumps, which had been shut down for several weeks, have reopened. TSSA declined an on-camera interview.
Cook says vehicle owners who suffered damages ought to be compensated, saying Neon’s owner had agreed to meet him to discuss the damages. “Of course he didn’t show and any subsequent phone calls were not answered,” Cook said.
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