A routine gas stop in Spring Branch, Texas turned into a financial nightmare for one Uber driver, and local reports suggest several other drivers are dealing with the same fallout. Here is what happened, what the warning signs look like, and what every driver should know before pulling up to the pump.
Gas prices have been painful enough on their own lately. The last thing any driver needs on top of that is filling up a tank with fuel that is not actually usable. But that is exactly the situation playing out in Spring Branch, a community in northwest Houston, where customers at a Circle K location on Long Point Road say they drove away with contaminated gasoline and paid the price in tow bills, mechanic fees, and in at least one case, a complete engine replacement.
The story broke into public view when Uber driver Jack Tillett shared his experience after a weekend stop went catastrophically wrong. He had just wrapped up a ride and stopped quickly to refuel before heading back out. A short time later, his car was backfiring, sputtering, and ultimately dying on the side of the road. He had to push it off the street, wait for a tow truck, and then brace himself for a repair estimate that no one wants to hear. A mechanic told him the engine was done.
The culprit, according to Tillett and a station employee who confirmed the issue to Fox 26, was water in the fuel supply. An employee at the independently operated Circle K acknowledged that four to six customers reported problems, and said the contamination issue had since been resolved. The store was also reportedly working with its insurance company on possible reimbursements for affected drivers. Fox 26 reached out to Circle K corporate for comment but had not received a response at the time of the report.
What Actually Happens When Water Gets Into Your Gas Tank
Water and gasoline do not mix, and that is the core of the problem. When water-contaminated fuel makes it into your engine, combustion becomes irregular or fails entirely because water simply does not burn the way gasoline does. According to fuel experts at Fuel Logic, contaminated fuel causes rough idling, hesitation when accelerating, and hard starts shortly after refueling. The check engine light often follows, triggered by the engine’s sensors detecting irregular combustion or emissions patterns.
The damage can ripple outward quickly. According to automotive research from EpicVIN, bad gas rarely damages just one component. In most cases, multiple systems are affected. The fuel pump, fuel injectors, and the engine itself are all at risk, with repair costs that can climb into the thousands. That is exactly what Tillett was facing, having already paid $150 just for the tow.
Robert Sanchez, the manager at Firestone River Oaks, told Fox 26 that the warning signs can appear almost immediately. A vehicle that is hard to start, sluggish to accelerate, or that suddenly stalls shortly after a fill-up are all red flags. His advice was direct: if you notice any of those signs, stop driving the vehicle right away. Continuing to drive on contaminated fuel can turn a manageable problem into a much more expensive one.
More Drivers Were Affected Than Initially Reported
Tillett was not alone. KHOU 11 spoke with Jacqueline Santos, who said her sister’s Boba Tea business van broke down after filling up at the same location. Santos said more drivers started showing up while they were all waiting for roadside assistance, each with the same story. Several vehicles ended up being towed from the station. Santos later returned to the gas station and placed bags over the pumps herself while collecting fuel samples.
By Monday, there was a “no gas” sign posted in the station window. The scale of the situation went well beyond the four to six customers initially mentioned by the employee who spoke with Fox 26. For a gig driver like Tillett, the stakes were especially high. Without a working vehicle, there is no income. He told reporters he had been unable to work since the incident, making the repair timeline not just an inconvenience but a direct financial crisis.
What You Can Learn From the Spring Branch Incident
This situation is not entirely unique to one station or one city. Similar incidents have been reported at gas stations across the country, including other Circle K locations in states like Louisiana and North Carolina, where water contamination in underground storage tanks has been confirmed by state agencies. Contamination can happen when tanks develop leaks, when deliveries go wrong, or when heavy rainfall creates conditions for water intrusion into storage systems.
So what should drivers take away from all of this? A few practical points stand out.
Automotive experts at King Fuels recommend keeping your tank at least half full when possible, which reduces the condensation inside the tank that can contribute to water contamination on your end. They also suggest filling up at stations with high fuel turnover, since fuel sitting in underground tanks for long periods is more prone to degradation.
If you suspect you have gotten bad gas, the advice from mechanics is consistent: do not keep driving. Get it towed if necessary. The longer a vehicle runs on contaminated fuel, the more damage accumulates to the fuel pump, injectors, and engine. Catching it early is the difference between a fuel system flush and a brand-new engine.
What to Do If This Happens to You
If you find yourself in a situation like the Spring Branch drivers, documentation is your most important tool. KHOU 11 outlined a clear set of steps for affected customers. First, hold onto every receipt and record the date, time, and location of the fuel purchase. If possible, collect a fuel sample before the tank is drained or repaired. Then contact the gas station directly and make sure your complaint is formally on record.
In Texas specifically, drivers can also file a complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which is the state agency responsible for overseeing fuel quality at gas stations. Having documentation in hand makes any insurance or reimbursement claim far easier to pursue. The Circle K on Long Point Road was reportedly already in contact with its insurance provider over the incident, which is promising, but affected drivers will need their own paper trail to be part of that process.
Tillett put it simply when talking about the experience: he had about a month left on the road under his belt when the car just quit. The hope now is that automakers and fuel systems might one day include sensors that alert drivers to fuel quality in real time. Until then, knowing the warning signs and acting quickly remains the best protection a driver has.