Diesel fuel costs set new records in Michigan, U.S., AAA says
Michigan set a new record for diesel fuel pricing on Tuesday, with the average price at $6.25 a gallon, according to AAA-The Auto Club Group.
That same fuel had averaged $6.15 on Monday, $5.89 a week ago and $3.65 a year ago in Michigan.
The national average diesel price also set a new record on Tuesday, hitting $6.26 a gallon, AAA says, after reaching $6 a gallon for the first time on Friday. Diesel is the fuel most likely to be used by commercial trucks and is also used by some SUVs, pickups and vans. The trend in higher transportation costs contributed to higher costs for other products during August, the U.S. Department of Labor said last week.
Most passenger cars use regular unleaded gas, and that pricing is directly noticed by consumers on a day-to-day basis. Michigan unleaded gas prices surged an average of 12 cents in 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday, and a gas price analyst says additional price hikes might happen this is week in the state.
Michigan's average price for regular unleaded fuel on Tuesday was $4.43 a gallon, up from $4.31 on Monday, according to AAA-The Auto Club Group. The agency issues trend reports on Mondays and maintains a database with daily reports. Pricing in the Metro Detroit area on Tuesday ranged from an average of $4.34 in Wayne County to $4.51 in Livingston County.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said on social media the jump in Michigan gas pricing that he noticed during the day Monday was "already in the pipeline and is NOT related to refinery issues. Another jump could happen this week based on market responses."
The refinery issues he referred to involve a power outage at a refinery in Joliet, Illinois, and a partial shutdown for maintenance at another refinery in Whiting, Indiana. This combination is affecting retail gas prices across the Great Lakes states, he said.
While the refinery-specific surge is expected to be short-lived, De Haan said, "there's already higher prices (for everyone)."
The above video originally aired on Sept. 14, 2026.
