Drivers say premium diesel from a Morrisons garage in Kirkcaldy wrecked engines and forced vehicles off the road, sparking calls for compensation and possible legal action.David Stockwell holding a bottle of premium contaminated diesel (left) from Morrison’s and a bottle of typical diesel without contaminants (right).(Image: Cate Gillon)

Contaminated car fuel has wrecked vehicles in Scotland as fuming owners are left with huge repair bills.

Motorists accused a major filling station company of “negligence” after the affected fuel from a supermarket pump cost them thousands of pounds in repairs.

David Stockwell, from Aberdour in Fife, filled up his 2012 Volkswagen Golf with premium diesel at Morrisons Kirkcaldy on August 9. A few days later his wife Katharine was driving down the A92 when the car suddenly lost all power on a dangerous stretch of the road.

Roadside recovery experts found the fuel tank full of a milky-like substance and, despite the car being quickly drained, its entire fuel system and engine were destroyed. With replacement parts costing £4k – more than the car was worth – it was written off, leaving David and Katharine in financial difficulty.

When the couple posted about their ordeal online, they were shocked to discover others who had been affected by the same issue after filling up at Morrisons Kirkcaldy – as early as December 2024 and then in a spate of new incidents in August this year.

Owners have formed a group and threatened to take legal action against suppliers, Motor Fuel Group (MFG), describing the situation as “scandalous.”

David, 44, told the Record: “We have no car, no admission of liability or answers from MFG. They’ve just said they’re investigating.

“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.

David purchased a full tank of the premium diesel from Morrison’s in Kirkcaldy, in August 2025, causing his car (pictured) to be written off.(Image: Cate Gillon)

“I was made redundant a few months ago so the financial pressure is a lot – we don’t have any disposable income right now.

“Then to hear that the exact same thing has happened to multiple people was just shocking. It’s negligence when it’s happened earlier this year too. I think it’s a scandal.

“We’re convinced many more people have been affected too – they just don’t realise.”

Anne Robertson(Image: Supplied)

Anne Robertson, from Burntisland, says her Volkswagen Tiguan is still being repaired after suddenly breaking down on August 11.

“I had filled up at Morrisons a few days before,” she told us. “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.

“It’s been at the garage ever since and I expect it is going to cost at least £4,000.

“It’s just been a nightmare. I could not believe that it had happened to numerous other people too.

“I do not have much faith that they will repay us – it just seems like the little consumer against the big boys.”

Window Cleaner Marc Norrie says it’s cost him £7,000.(Image: Supplied)

Window cleaner Marc Norrie, from Kinghorn, received £100 from MFG after he complained over damage to his work van in February that has cost him nearly £7,000.

He said: “Like everyone else, I filled up with premium diesel at Morrisons and a few days later my van lost all power.

“My garage said the fuel was contaminated. It cost £3,800 in repairs and another £2,500 for a hire van for 10 weeks.

“The financial toll it’s taken on a small business is immense.

“Then I discovered there had been other cars with the same damage in December so they’d taken no action to fix this.

“I was offered £100 in compensation which I refused and my complaint is ongoing.

“To hear that it’s happened again to others is disgusting – it’s absolute negligence.”

The diesel pump is now out of order. (Image: Supplied)

The Record has also spoken to other car owners reporting the same faults. They reported that the pump at Kirkcaldy is now out of order.

Fuel Drainage Scotland confirmed they have attended multiple call outs to cars breaking down in the Fife area with engine failure due to suspected contaminated fuel. All had reported filling up with premium diesel at Morrisons Kirkcaldy.

Owner Stevie Craig said: “The first breakdown of this nature was in December and there’s quite a lot now with the same failure.

“It seems to be isolated to Kirkcaldy and there have been no reports in other parts of Scotland.

“In my view, a chemical has been mixed in and contaminated the fuel. The repercussions have been huge for customers.”

Metal filings indicating contamination in the tainted fuel had caused damage to the engines of the cars that filled up at Morrisons.

Owners took samples from their tanks showing greasy sediment at the bottom, along with samples from the pump in question.

Morrisons and MFG were contacted for comment.