BP station near Detroit Metro Airport charged over $4 a gallon when nearby stations averaged $2.80, AG alleges
Michigan's attorney general has opened a price gouging investigation into a BP gas station near Detroit Metro Airport that prosecutors say charged travelers significantly more for gas than nearby stations.
The station under scrutiny is located at 9201 Middlebelt Rd. in Romulus, across the street from rental car return lots on the north end of the airport campus, between Interstate 94 and the Evans Terminal. The business is operated by M-Twelve Fuels LLC.
The Attorney General's office filed a petition in Wayne County Third Circuit Court alleging "probable cause to believe a Michigan gas station near Detroit Metro Airport charged grossly excessive prices for gasoline to unsuspecting motorists."
One complaint from February alleged the station charged more than $4 a gallon at a time when nearby stations were averaging $2.80 to $3.00 a gallon.
The AG's office said it received more than 16 complaints about the station's pricing during 2025 and, all alleging the prices were unfair or unlawful.
Investigators began looking into the situation in April. An investigator visited the station, photographed displayed prices, purchased gas and compared the cost to prices listed on GasBuddy, an online gas price database. That comparison found a notable price difference. The AG's office said it was unable to get a response from the company.
The filing points to the specific pressure travelers face at that location. Detroit Metro handles more than 2.6 million passengers a year and rental cars are a common way to get to and from the airport, according to the AG's filing. Most rental car agreements require customers to return vehicles with a full tank of gas or face additional charges.
"Travelers returning rental cars before a departure are often faced with a stressful combination: arriving at the airport at a fixed time, navigating complex road networks around the airport; and enduring the general unpleasantries of modern air travel," the filing said. "There is probable cause to believe Respondent's conduct exacerbates that combination by price gouging on gasoline near the airport."
The AG's office said the impact on passengers "tarnishes their experience in Detroit and Michigan at large."
"With the price of everything already squeezing families, the last thing Michiganders and our visitors who are rushing to return a rental car need is to be taken advantage of at the pump," Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
The investigation is ongoing. The AG's office said it is continuing price comparisons and seeking answers as to why the cost difference has been observed.
