Mar. 17, 2022—Rising gas prices have given way to a growing reports of gas thefts from parked vehicles reported ABC 7.
Though many cars made in the 90s or beyond aren't susceptible to siphoning, gas thieves are finding ways to access gas tanks to steal gas.
Crooks with power tools are drilling holes around the protective valve newer cars have that relieves pressure in the tank taking only seconds to extract the gas and leaving behind costly problems for car owners to fix.
While there have been no reports of injury or fatality from gas theft, one mechanic warns that gas thieves could be in for a rude awakening.
“You can drill it fairly easy but my concern is if you use an electric drill the electric drill will have a spark and eventually someone can compromise their life drilling out of the tank, unless they are doing it manually with a manual tool not to get burned. That’s going to also be difficult for them because vehicles are so low to the ground now,” says Angel Borges of Angel’s Auto Care Center.
