Defective fuel disabled a new car: station to pay 26,000 shekels in compensation
The Magistrate's Court in Netanya ruled that fuel that did not meet standards at a Paz gas station in Bat Yam, managed by the Rametop company, caused the breakdown of a five-month-old hybrid Toyota. The company will compensate the car owner and the insurance company AIG.
After a car owner refueled his new vehicle and it broke down, the court ruled that the fuel did not meet standard requirements. Consequently, the station operator must pay approximately 26,000 shekels in compensation to the car owner and the vehicle's insurer.
On December 10, 2020, the wife of the car owner, identified as C., refueled their hybrid Toyota at a Paz gas station on Raziel Street 5 in Bat Yam, managed by the Rametop company. At the time, the car was brand new, having been on the road for only four to five months. Two days later, the car stalled completely and was towed to a garage, where damage was discovered.
Plaintiffs argued through attorney Ori Bechar that the car was running perfectly before the refueling. While a hybrid car typically travels 500–700 km on a full tank, this vehicle traveled only 3–60 km after the refueling, establishing a causal link between the fuel and the damage.
The station operator rejected the claims, arguing that no defect in the fuel was proven. The defendant company claimed that the sampling process was conducted without their presence, preventing real-time verification. They also asserted that hundreds of other vehicles refueled from the same tanks during those hours without incident.
Following a six-year legal process, the Magistrate's Court in Netanya determined that the fuel did not meet standards. Judge Merav Daniel Bonen ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering the Rametop company to pay approximately 26,000 shekels.
Judge Bonen criticized the operator: "The plaintiffs have no motive to blame the defendant for damages to a new car under manufacturer's warranty. The defendant had the opportunity to have the car inspected by an expert immediately after being notified on December 13, 2020, but failed to do so, relying instead on unsubstantiated claims."
The court found that although the plaintiff reported the malfunction three days after refueling, the defendant consciously chose not to inspect the car or sample the fuel for three months. The court noted that the defendant's failure to present evidence within its control worked against it.
It should be emphasized that the gas station is not owned by Paz, and no lawsuit was filed against the company. Paz stated: "The company is not related to the lawsuit and does not operate the station. This is a station operated by the landholder."
