At Fuel Fixer, we’ve been helping stranded motorists since 2009, responding to thousands of wrong fuel incidents every year across the UK. Now, after analysing more than 57,000 fuel drain enquiries received during 2024 and 2025, we’re sharing what our data reveals about the scale of misfuelling on Britain’s roads.
Our latest analysis, based on 57,047 real-world cases, provides one of the most comprehensive publicly available insights into wrong fuel incidents in the UK. With a nationwide network of more than 35 mobile response units completing around 17,500 fuel drain jobs each year, we see first-hand that misfuelling remains an everyday problem affecting private motorists, businesses and fleet operators alike.
Wrong Fuel Continues to Dominate Callouts
Of all the fuel-related incidents where a cause was recorded, 86.7% involved drivers putting the wrong fuel into their vehicle, making misfuelling by far the most common reason for our callouts. A further 9.1% of cases involved AdBlue contamination, highlighting another growing issue for modern diesel vehicles.
Our data also confirms that diesel vehicles remain the most commonly affected. Around three-quarters of all wrong fuel callouts involve diesel cars, with petrol mistakenly put into diesel vehicles accounting for between 75% and 78% of incidents.
Interestingly, we found that diesel being put into petrol vehicles occurs more frequently than the 5% figure often quoted in older industry reports, suggesting the issue may be more common than previously believed.
Fridays are the busiest day for misfuelling
Our analysis reveals clear trends in when wrong fuel incidents occur.
Friday is consistently our busiest day of the week, generating 29% more callouts than Sunday, which remains the quietest day.
Seasonally, May and August recorded the highest number of incidents in our dataset, each seeing approximately 12% more callouts than January. Increased holiday travel, bank holidays and higher road usage are all likely contributors.
The Vehicles We Attend Most Often
Because Fuel Fixer works extensively with private motorists, fleets, leasing companies and vehicle rental providers, our data offers an interesting snapshot of the vehicles most commonly involved in wrong fuel incidents.
Across the two-year period, the most frequently attended models were:
- Nissan Qashqai – 1,459 incidents
- Volkswagen Golf – 1,114
- Vauxhall Astra – 859
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 744
Volkswagen was the manufacturer we attended most frequently, accounting for 12.4% of all wrong fuel cases.
It’s important to note that these figures reflect the popularity of these vehicles on UK roads and within commercial fleets, rather than suggesting they are more prone to misfuelling than other models.
Most Drivers Realise Their Mistake Before Filling the Tank Completely.
One encouraging finding from our research is that many drivers recognise the mistake before completely filling the vehicle.
The median amount of incorrect fuel dispensed was just 20 litres, with more than half of all customers stopping at or before this point.
However, despite widespread advice not to start or drive the vehicle after misfuelling, 68.4% of customers had already moved their vehicle before contacting us.
Fortunately, most hadn’t travelled far. The median distance driven was only 1.5 miles, while 93% had driven fewer than 10 miles, significantly reducing the likelihood of severe fuel system damage.
Acting Quickly Can Save Thousands.
The financial consequences of continuing to drive after misfuelling can be significant.
A standard Fuel Fixer mobile fuel drain typically costs between £150 and £299, allowing customers to get back on the road quickly and safely.
By comparison, delaying action can result in major fuel system damage. Replacing a high-pressure fuel pump can cost between £1,000 and £3,000, while replacing both the injectors and pump may cost £3,000 to £8,000. In the most severe cases, complete fuel system repairs can exceed £15,000.
During 2025, our median response time has been 49.7 minutes, with most customers back on the road within 75 to 90 minutes of making their call.
Misfuelling Is More Common Than Many Drivers Think.
Although many people assume putting the wrong fuel into a vehicle is a rare mistake, our experience tells a very different story.
Every day, our technicians attend motorists who have accidentally misfuelled at petrol stations across the UK. In many cases, drivers are distracted, unfamiliar with a hire or company vehicle, or simply making a momentary mistake during a busy day.
As our analysis demonstrates, misfuelling is a routine occurrence rather than an unusual one. The good news is that, when handled promptly, most incidents can be resolved quickly without long-term damage.
As we often tell customers, the most important step is simple: stop, don’t start the engine, and call for professional assistance as soon as possible.
