Pertamina Receives 290 Complaints of Engine Sputtering, Denies Water Contamination in Pertalite Fuel

November 1, 2025 | 10:37 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Pertamina Patra Niaga received 290 complaints about motor vehicles experiencing issues after filling up with Pertalite fuel in several cities in East Java. President Director of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Mars Ega Legowo Putra, denied that Pertalite had been mixed with water.

"We have conducted checks to indicate the presence of contaminants in the product. As a result, we did not find any indication of the mixture of water," said Ega during a press conference in Surabaya on Friday, October 31, 2025.

He stated that Pertamina Patra Niaga had ensured this through checks using three methods: the water paste methodology, density mechanisms, and visual clarity standards for fuel.

Ega stated that almost all complaints came from motorcycle riders. These complaints were submitted through both service posts and social media. "Ninety-nine percent of the complaints are from two-wheeled vehicles. The total number of complaints is 290," he said.

Some of the customers' complaints have been addressed. These complaints must undergo a verification process by officials, which may include providing proof of purchase.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator for Product Application Testing at the Oil and Gas Testing Institute (Lemigas), Cahyo Setyo Widodo, stated that they had also received samples of Pertalite from several gas stations in East Java. The results showed that the Pertalite being sold met the specifications.

"We conducted direct monitoring. The results showed that the Pertalite being sold already met the specifications set by the Director General of Oil and Gas in 2017," Cahyo said.

Previously, some residents of the Surabaya Raya area complained that their motorcycles were stalling or experiencing engine hiccups after using Pertalite fuel from Pertamina gas stations. Pertamina has set up 15 complaint service posts.

Those complaining were spread across several points, including Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Gresik. This includes an online motorcycle taxi driver from Surabaya, Nanang Fakhrudin. "I just filled up with gas yesterday, and now the engine is not running as usual. Today, it's stalling when I accelerate. The same is happening to some of my fellow online motorcycle taxi drivers," Nanang told Tempo last Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

Editor's Choice: Energy Minister Bahlil Sends Team to Inspect Pertalite Fuel Quality at East Java Gas Stations

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