Multiple vehicle owners in Scotland are pursuing legal action against one of the UK's largest fuel retailers after tainted premium diesel from a petrol station in Scotland caused catastrophic engine damage.
The contamination episodes, which began in December 2024 and resurfaced in August 2025, have left drivers facing repair costs reaching thousands of pounds.
Several vehicles have been declared total losses after the polluted fuel destroyed their engines and fuel systems.
The affected motorists have united to challenge the operator, accusing it of failing to address the problem despite awareness of the initial contamination incidents.
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Some drivers have launched legal action against the operator of the petrol station, claiming they were 'negligent'
|GETTY
The tainted fuel has created significant financial strain for victims, with some small business owners reporting combined repair and vehicle hire expenses approaching £7,000.
David Stockwell, a 44-year-old Aberdour resident, purchased premium diesel for his 2012 Volkswagen Golf at the Kirkcaldy filling station on August 9.
Several days afterwards, his wife Katharine experienced a complete power failure whilst travelling on the A92, creating a hazardous situation on the busy road.
Recovery specialists discovered the vehicle's tank contained a milky substance. Although the fuel was promptly removed, the contamination had already devastated the car's engine and fuel infrastructure.
The affected drivers said they have been left with thousands of pounds worth of damages to their vehicles
| PA"Firstly, my wife was put in a dangerous position driving and when we heard from our garage that it was irreparable, my stomach just dropped," Mr Stockwell told the Daily Record.
The repair estimate of £4,000 exceeded the vehicle's value, resulting in it being declared a total loss. David, who lost his job several months earlier, described the financial burden as overwhelming.
Similarly, Anne Robertson from Burntisland experienced a similar breakdown on 11 August after refuelling at the same location days earlier. Her Volkswagen Tiguan remains under repair with anticipated costs of approximately £4,000.
She added: "AA said the fuel was milky white and drainage experts could not get the car started again. They said they'd been called out to cars in the area with the exact same issue."
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Window cleaner Marc Norrie from Kinghorn suffered even greater financial damage when his commercial vehicle failed in February following a premium diesel purchase at the Kirkcaldy station.
His total expenses reached nearly £7,000, including £3,800 for repairs and £2,500 for a replacement vehicle during the ten-week repair period. He was offered just £100 in compensation from the petrol station owner.
The contamination problems at the Kirkcaldy filling station followed a clear timeline, with initial incidents reported in December 2024, before a fresh wave of complaints in August this year.
The affected motorists discovered each other's experiences through social media, revealing the extent of the contamination crisis. The premium diesel pump at the Kirkcaldy station has since been taken offline.
Around 150,000 cases of contaminated fuel issues are recorded every year | PAFuel Drainage Scotland has responded to numerous emergency calls in the Fife region involving engine failures linked to contaminated premium diesel from the Kirkcaldy filling station.
Company owner Stevie Craig confirmed the first incident occurred in December, with multiple subsequent cases exhibiting identical failures.
He suggested that the issue could be a result of a chemical mixed in with the diesel, thus contaminating the fuel.
Analysis of the polluted fuel revealed metal particles, whilst vehicle owners collected samples displaying oily residue at the bottom of their tanks, the Record reported.