Fuel Thieves Are Drilling Into Car Gas Tanks

Image via KTLA 5/YouTube

We haven’t seen gas thefts trending in a bit, but a rash of them has popped up in Southern California, possibly signaling a new wave. This time around, someone or a group is drilling into gas tanks to empty them of fuel, leading to expensive repairs for owners.

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A woman in Rancho Cucamonga told KTLA 5 her story of how she found someone drilled two holes in her Toyota Tacoma’s gas tank, draining it. She didn’t realize what happened until the truck started sputtering.

According to her, after having the pickup towed, she was shocked to learn repairs were $4,000. Instead of ponying up that cash, she filed an insurance claim and paid the deductible. She also filed a police report, but in that city authorities say there hasn’t been an increase in fuel siphoning cases.

KTLA found the city of Upland received several reports of gas siphoning in the past year or so, with a man recently arrested for such thefts. Hopefully it’s not a growing trend since running some modern vehicles dry on fuel can cause serious damages.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone try drilling or cutting their way to the fuel tank in a vehicle. That comes with tremendous risk since most methods generate sparks, possibly igniting the gas.

What’s weird about these crimes is we usually see gas thefts when prices spike either nationally or in a specific region. But according to AAA, gas prices are down both in California and across the US. Sure, the $4.67 average for a gallon in the Golden State isn’t exactly cheap, but that price seems hardly worth the risk of drilling into tanks to steal fuel.

If gas prices do start going the other direction, we’d likely see more fuel thefts, like what we see with catalytic converter thefts lately.

Image via KTLA 5/YouTube

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By Steven Symes

Steven Symes is an accomplished automotive journalist with a passion for all things related to cars. His extensive knowledge and love for the automotive world shine through in his writing, which covers a diverse range of topics.