Complaint Review: Exxon Mobil

Green pump handles are for Diesel fuel only so we thought. Recently we learned the hard way this is not so.

Mobil stations use green handles to I.D. regular unleaded fuel. Our driver who has been driving a Diesel truck for more than two years without a hitch grabbed the green pump handle at a Mobil Station and filled his tank. He made it two blocks when the truck started knocking and he began to question what he may have just done. He looked at his receipt that indicated he just put in Unleaded fuel.

$600 later the problem was fixed via a towing bill, removing the mixed fuel (at a cost of $250 to dispose of) some parts and the right Diesel fuel. The Service Adviser at the Ford Dealership knew this happened at a Mobil Station before we said anything. He gets several of these a year (more than 12 at this one dealership alone).

In a phone enquiry to ExxonMobil I received a form letter that states "Mobil marks Regular Unleaded fuel with a Green handle". "Mobil complies with all State and Federal regulations".

What good is it to mark pump handles with a color if it does not serve the public in uniformly identifying a product?

Exxon Mobil needs to reconsider its business practices.

Note: In our situation for some reason pump #2 had two green handles one for Diesel and one for Regular Unleaded. This Mobil Station was not even in compliance with Mobil's own policy of pump handle color I.D. This is why our driver got confused with the handles.

In closing: If service stations are going to color code pump handles it would make sense that this color be in uniform with other stations so as not to confuse the public.

I have found ExxonMobil is the only station not using green pump handles for Diesel fuel. They know this and justify it with a form letter. Think about how many people have messed up and how bad this is for our environment due to all the contaminated fuel that is disposed of due to this policy and the costs to the public associated with it.

John
San Clemente, California
U.S.A.