Jeff Sherid of Los Angeles said he has a blast driving his high-performance BMW.
“It’s the funnest car I've ever driven. It handles amazing,” Sherid said.
He takes good care of the car, so he doesn’t skimp on gas and uses only premium grade.
“It’s a cup of coffee. If I’m putting $60 in it, what's the big deal if I put $63 in it,” he said.
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But for the past year, Sherid said his car hasn’t been running as well as it should.
“It’s a very rough idle, it goes tuh duh duh,” he said.
Sherid said he repeatedly took his car to a BMW shop, and the techs told him the problem was the fuel.
“The only thing that came up was that I was putting low grade fuel in it. And I don’t do that,” he said.
Sherid said he uses the same pump at the same gas station nearly every time he fills up. So the I-Team turned to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
“My team tests automotive products, including gasoline, diesel and things like motor oil, transmission fluid,” said Megan McWayne, a scientist for the department.
It’s McWayne’s team’s job to make sure drivers get the quality and quantity of gas that they pay for at the pump.
McWayne said the state randomly tests gas from stations across the state. And it also investigates any complaints it receives.
“The sample is taken immediately to the laboratory where we test it,” McWayne said.
Her team tested the fuel from the pump Sherid uses, and the sample passed. He is getting what he’s been paying for. But that isn’t always the case.
In the last fiscal year, the state received 139 complaints about gasoline from drivers who said they didn’t receive the grade or quantity they paid for. The state found 23 violations.
The year before, the state received 111 complaints and found 35 violations; a 31 percent failure rate. So far this fiscal year, the state has received 63 complaints and has issued eight violations.
"People’s vehicles are a significant investment in their lives and maintaining those vehicles and getting the most miles out of them is probably important to them,” said McWayne.
As for Sherid, he’s stumped. “Then I’ll have to go talk to BMW,” he said.
BMW didn't respond to the I-Team's request for comment. But at least for now, Sherid knows he’s getting what he pays for.
Anyone who may have a concern about the gas they receive can file a complaint here.
