GHAZIABAD: Around 30 vehicle owners have submitted a police complaint after their cars broke down allegedly within hours of refuelling at a fuel station in Morta between Aug 26 and 29.On Saturday, angry customers gathered at a Bajaj HP filling station near pillar number 609 after their cars, some of them high-end models such as Kia Sonet, Kia Seltos, Scorpio, Innova, and Fortuner, developed engine snags.They accused the outlet of selling adulterated diesel and claimed the alleged impurities in diesel may cost dozens of car owners heavily, with estimates suggesting repair bills of up to Rs 3.5 lakh per vehicle.Sachin Tyagi, whose Kia Sonet broke down, said the problem surfaced immediately after refuelling. “I had filled my tank on Aug 26 and drove towards Raj Nagar Extension, but the car would not cross 40 kmph. The next day, it refused to start. At the showroom, I was told impurities in diesel had choked the fuel system and repairs would cost me Rs 3.5 lakh,” he said, adding the 45 litres of diesel had cost him Rs 3,951, with the current price at Rs 87.8 per litre.Another motorist, Mohit Tyagi, faced similar trouble with his Kia Seltos. “My driver was headed to Haldwani after refuelling the car at the Morta pump, but the car broke down midway. It has to be towed back now,” he said.For Shuvam Tyagi, the setback was doubled. “Both my Scorpio SUVs are lying at the showroom. One broke down the morning after refuelling, so I used my second vehicle. After refuelling, it also suffered the same fate,” he said.By Thursday, at least 29 affected car owners had come together to stage a protest. “All of us had refuelled at the same station between Aug 26 and 29. The manager refused to accept responsibility, so we called the police. We will also move the consumer forum,” one of the protesters said.Residents said hundreds of cars and trucks had refuelled at the station during the period, raising fears that the scale of damage may be wider than currently reported.Mechanics at authorised service centres confirmed that impurities in the fuel had damaged engines. A Mahindra showroom mechanic told TOI, “The fuel filters were completely clogged and injectors ruined. Depending on the model, repairs could range between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh.”Abhishek, the manager of the Bajaj HP station, acknowledged receiving complaints but stopped short of admitting fault. “We have sent diesel samples for testing. Until the results are in, I cannot comment,” he said.Automobile experts said contaminated diesel can severely damage filters and injectors, often leading to expensive replacements. Even small debris in the fuel can choke injectors and harm pumps. And in such cases, timely replacement of filters is critical, they said.