Court Orders Gas Station Operator to Compensate for Hybrid Toyota Damage from Substandard Fuel

The Netanya Magistrate's Court ruled that substandard fuel caused the breakdown of a nearly new Toyota hybrid car, ordering the gas station operator to compensate the car owner and insurer AIG about 26,000 shekels. The incident occurred in December 2020 after the owner's wife refueled the vehicle at a station on Raziel Street in Bat Yam, managed by the company Ramatop. The car was only four to five months old and had been running normally until the refueling. Two days later, the car stalled, was towed to a garage, and was found to have sustained damage.

The plaintiffs argued that the car traveled only a short distance after refueling, unlike the usual range of a hybrid vehicle with a full tank. The station operator denied the claims, stating no proof of fuel defect existed, noting hundreds of other cars refueled there without issues, and denying a definitive link between the fuel and the damage. Judge Merav Daniel Bonen accepted the plaintiffs' version as more reasonable and criticized the defendant for not inspecting the car or sampling the fuel promptly despite being informed days after the incident.

The court also noted that the operator's refusal to present evidence under its control, such as complaint logs or station alert data, worked against it. Ultimately, the operator was ordered to pay approximately 26,000 shekels in compensation. The lawsuit was not filed against Paz, which clarified it does not operate the station and is not involved in the case. The deadline for appeal has not yet passed. Paz stated to Walla News that it is not connected to the lawsuit and that the station is operated by the landowner.