A woman woke up to realize that someone had drilled a hole in her car’s gas tank overnight. It turns out it was done to most of the cars in her apartment complex.
Faith (@faithmackh) says that gas thieves are hitting cars in the North Austin, Texas area.
“Good morning Austin, good morning to everyone,” she says. “Except for the [expletive] that decided to come into my complex last night and drill holes into everyone’s gas tank in their car and let the gas flood throughout our complex.”
She says the entire complex reeks of gasoline.
The damage isn’t just expensive and smelly: it could’ve been deadly. Faith says the complex, including car ports, is made of wood.
“Yes dangerous, but whatever, it looks gorgeous,” she concedes.
“You could’ve killed us all,” she says of the vandals.
“And now I have to pay like $3,000 to replace my gas tank.”
What Was the Point?
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People were very confused about why anyone would randomly drill holes in gas tanks.
“What was even the point of them doing this?” one commenter wondered.
Another person had a theory: To steal the gas.
“They let *some* of the gas leak,” he pointed out. “They weren’t interested in being neat.”
Gas theft is nothing new. Historically, thieves would siphon fuel. Now they’re moving on from siphoning fuel from the cap to going underneath cars to steal gas directly from the gas tank by drilling a hole in it.
This is becoming a trend amongst thieves. Thieves across the country, from Seattle, San Diego, Denver, and more are using this tactic to steal gas.
How Much Do Gas Tanks Cost?
Faith says that it will cost her $3,000 to replace her tank.
The average cost for a fuel tank replacement is between $1,500 and $1,800, RepairPal reports.
This does not include labor and taxes, however.
Consumer Affairs reports that the range is $700 to $2,500 to replace a gas tank.
How to Keep Your Gas Safe
Protecting your car against gas thieves can be simple and free in most cases. Kelley Blue Book (KBB) reports the following ways can help keep your car safe against thieves:
Park indoors
If you can’t park indoors, park in a well-lit area
Avoid parking anywhere for an extended period of time
Position your car so the fuel door faces the road
Consider investing in a locking gas cap or fuel tank anti-siphon devices
Will Insurance Cover It?
“Call your insurance company, this would fall under comprehensive coverage and you only need to pay your deductible,” one commenter shared.
Comprehensive insurance provides extra protection against events outside of your control.
According to Liberty Mutual, comprehensive car insurance helps cover repair and replacement costs caused by things other than a collision, such as a storm, flood, fire, vandalism, hitting an animal, falling trees, or theft.
Thieves drilling into the gas tank can be claimed as vandalism, Smart Financial claims. To file a claim, a police report is needed with photo evidence, according to Best Insured.
‘The Air Reeked’
Faith told Motor1 that she didn’t immediately realize that she’d been targeted when she got in her car.
“I got the alert that my car was empty, despite having filled it up the night before,” she said.
Thinking she had a gas leak, she parked it back at her complex.
“Later in the day, we noticed everyone’s cars had puddles underneath them and the air reeked of gasoline,” she said.
That’s when she says she realized it wasn’t a maintenance issue. It was a crime.
“I was not expecting to spend my morning calling 911 to coordinate with the fire and police department that morning, that’s for sure,” she said.
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