A police complaint was filed by as many as 30 vehicle owners claiming that their cars broke down allegedly within hours of refuelling at a fuel station in Morta between Aug 26 and 29.
On Saturday, a group of irate customers gathered at the Bajaj HP filling station near pillar number 609 after several vehicles— including high-end models like the Kia Sonet, Kia Seltos, Mahindra Scorpio, Toyota Innova, and Toyota Fortuner—suffered engine issues.
The customers alleged that the station had supplied adulterated diesel, which they believe caused the damage. According to some estimates, repair costs could reach up to ₹3.5 lakh per vehicle, potentially leaving dozens of car owners with significant financial losses.
According to one of the vehicle owners, Sachin Tyagi, whose Kia Sonet broke down, said the problem surfaced immediately after refuelling. “I had filled my tank on Aug 26 and drove towards Raj Nagar Extension, but the car would not cross 40 kmph. The next day, it refused to start. At the showroom, I was told impurities in diesel had choked the fuel system and repairs would cost me Rs 3.5 lakh,” he said, adding the 45 litres of diesel had cost him Rs 3,951, with the current price at Rs 87.8 per litre.
Another vehicle owner names Mohit Tyagi said that his Kia Seltos faced similar issue and said that “My driver was headed to Haldwani after refuelling the car at the Morta pump, but the car broke down midway. It has to be towed back now”.
For Shuvam Tyagi, the setback was doubled. “Both my Scorpio SUVs are lying at the showroom. One broke down the morning after refuelling, so I used my second vehicle. After refuelling, it also suffered the same fate,” he said.
As many as 29 affected car owners had come together to stage a protest. One of them said “All of us had refuelled at the same station between Aug 26 and 29. The manager refused to accept responsibility, so we called the police. We will also move the consumer forum”.
As per the residents, this could be the tip of the iceberg since many cars and trucks had refuelled at the station during the period, raising fears that the scale of damage may be wider than currently reported.
Mechanics at authorised service centres confirmed that impurities in the fuel had damaged engines. A Mahindra showroom mechanic told TOI, “The fuel filters were completely clogged and injectors ruined. Depending on the model, repairs could range between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh.”
The manager of the Bajaj HP station, Abhishek acknowledged the receiving complaints but did not admit any fault and said that “We have sent diesel samples for testing. Until the results are in, I cannot comment”.
Auto experts said contaminated diesel can damage filters and injectors, causing costly repairs. Even tiny debris can block injectors and harm pumps, so timely filter replacement is important.
