Motoring Discussion > Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled Legal Questions
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn Replies: 11

 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - Falkirk Bairn
Elderly driver pulls up at the pumps............a service station where the attendant fills the car.......takes the money.

300yds after leaving the petrol station the car grinds to a halt............30 litres of unleaded in the diesel engine.

Attendant says nothing, petrol station owner is unavailable.......

I said to deliver letter to garage holding them responsible and to contact Volvo garage to get the car towed but not repaired until the filling station/their insurers agree to repair bill.

Any further suggestions?
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - madf
Get name of attendant.
Keep receipt.

Driver to write down - and get typed up his statement - he asked for diesel? - signed and witnessed and dated. ASAP. Whilst still fresh in mind

If he did not specifically ask for diesel, he's partially to blame

If he said "fill it up" ... case dodgy.

Garage defence:
"He said "fill her up"

Did not ask for diesel.

No sign on car
etc...

I would argue : owner is responsible for checking the right fuel put in.
Last edited by: madf on Sat 31 Mar 12 at 16:46
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - R.P.
I would suggest that basic training for an attendant is to confirm fuel type by checking the fuel filler flap to confirm.
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - Lygonos
>>I would argue : owner is responsible for checking the right fuel put in.

Weakest defence ever - the only chance the garage would have is if the owner specifically asked for 'petrol' - even then if there is a diesel sticker inside the flap the defence would be laughed at by the small claims sheriff.

I would imagine part of the point of attendant service is for the customer to go for a 'refreshment' and therefore will often not be present.

The other point is so the attendant can press the button to deliver white spirit instead of diesel.....

The attendant should know how to do his job - in this case he appears to have been negligent.
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - Skip
"Elderly driver pulls up at the pumps............a service station where the attendant fills the car.......takes the money."

Attendant service - I thought that dissapeared in the 1970's !
Last edited by: Skip on Sat 31 Mar 12 at 16:48
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - R.P.
Shell do it on their forecourts around here.
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - teabelly
Unless the attendant is deaf there is no way they can mistake a petrol for a diesel! Only exception being the citroen hdi engines as they're actually quiet.

 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - CGNorwich
Filled up at an attended service station in Grassington on Thursday. Makes a nice change to be served these days. Still common on the continent and in Canada
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - Old Navy
I have an anti missfuel device fitted, no-one can put the wrong stuff in my car, (not that they would get the chance to).

www.misfuellingprevention.co.uk/
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - Boxsterboy
Most filler flaps have the fuel type on a sticker. A fuel attendant of all people should know the right fuel for a car.
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - R.P.
Not only know but double check !
 Volvo V70 - Car misfuelled - Bill Payer
I worked in a 'posh' (pretty well all local rich account holder customers) filling station when I was at college and one of the lads was instructed by a bombastic woman to put petrol in the engine of a VW Beetle! Then she tried to start it!

Stupid really - the lad knew perfectly well the filler was in the front. Her husband paid the bill without complaint.
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