Motorists are being warned of expensive repair costs after a filling station error saw drivers put the wrong fuel in their cars.
Drivers have reported issues with their vehicles since visiting a filling station in Tiverton at the end of September.
One driver said he had filled his Vauxhall Insignia estate car with petrol unknowingly, thinking it was diesel.
He warned that this mix-up at the pumps has left him with a staggering repair bill of £2,800, with other drivers also complaining of expensive costs.
Graham Stevens told the BBC that he had put £50 worth of fuel into his car, which he thought was diesel, rather than unleaded petrol.
He explained that he lives nearby to the petrol station, so didn't notice any issues with the vehicle at first.
However, when the forklift operator went to drive off for work the next morning, the car was "spluttering and eventually died".
While he managed to get to work eventually, 18 miles away in Dunkeswell, the Vauxhall Insignia eventually broke down completely.
Many drivers reported issues with the fuel pumps at the petrol station
|PA
A mechanic confirmed to Mr Stevens that the filling station issue had likely blocked his fuel injectors because of petrol contamination.
Mr Stevens claims that the major retailer that operates the filling station admitted the fault, stating that the pipes had been "connected incorrectly during installation".
He continued, saying: "They told me not to contact them again and that their insurance company would be in touch. But I've heard nothing since."
"It's appalling. There's been no empathy, no support. I was lucky I had £400 in my pocket to get the car going again, but I can't afford the full repair."
Around 150,000 cases of contaminated fuel issues are recorded every year | PALATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The driver claimed that he had heard from "nearly 40" people who were also affected by the same problem.
Another driver, Fergus Alexander, said he also purchased fuel worth £70, which he believed to be diesel.
However, the 65-year-old from Tiverton later found out that it was actually petrol after his car also broke down.
Estimates from the RAC suggest that misfuelling is incredibly common in the UK, with the mistake happening every three minutes.
Some of the drivers were forced to pay for expensive engine repairs
| GETTYA third impacted motorist, Jamie Wilson, also believed he had filled up with unleaded, but realised it was diesel after his car broke down.
The 24-year-old reported that he was driving home when his car stopped accelerating properly around "three minutes down the road".
Mr Wilson, from Tiverton, said he was almost home when the car broke down, so opted to leave it on the roadside before taking it to the garage the following Monday.
The driver was left without his car for the weekend, adding that he was forced to fork out £200 in repairs.