My husband filled up the truck on Friday, for work on Saturday. He came home Sunday morning. We didn’t go anywhere on Sunday.
Today he needed to run some errands (send off my white elephant box, for one).
When he when out, the gas door was open and the gas cap hanging from its little tether.
He turned the key, and sure enough the low fuel light came on. That means the took just about 20 gallons. That was over $60.00! ( gas is $3.08 at the station we use)
How do you carry 20 gallons of gas?
The truck was parked 4 feet from our kitchen door! We have motion lights in the garage, but maybe the we’re close enough to trip them.
I don’t sleep well at night, (30 years of night shift) so I was awake until after 2:00am. I didn’t hear anything.
I called the police’s non-emergency number and an officer called back to take a statement. Then I called 3 neighbors who leave cars out to warn them.
I guess, the only thing to do now is move on. (we bought a locking gas cap today)
I hate thieves. They got mine too, but only about five gallons worth. About $18 bucks worth here bouts. But the bastards got their hose stuck trying to pull it out and busted that little metal flapper thing that covers the filler hole. Hopefully there is no chunk of rubber floating around in my tank.
The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago, except they only took about $20 worth of gas. Still, there was barely enough left in the tank to get me to the gas station, and I was late for work that morning. It pretty much ruined my whole day.
Now I’m starting to see the wisdom of gas doors that can only be opened from within the car. Maybe we’ll see these become standard on new vehicles as fuel prices continue to climb.
Sorry about your theft.
Wow. I remember when my parents had their gas siphoned back in the 70’s when gas reached the high cost of $1.00.* We got a locking gas cap back then and ever since have had cars who’s gas doors can only be opened from inside the car.
… In fact, I haven’t seen a vehicle built since the late 70’s where you could open the gas door from the outside. Every car I’ve had, and my parents, and all my friends, and even rentals have had locking gas caps, or secured gas doors.
What vehicles are you driving that don’t have them? And does anyone know how common it is for vehicles to be one way or the other?
- I know $1.00 seems cheap now, but I recall seeing a chart showing the price of gas adjusted for inflation and it put it about the same as gas prices nowadays. Sorry, no cite handy.
Ya can’t. Ya gots no gas, you silly! 
I’m driving a 1994 Chevy Corsica, and it doesn’t have a locking gas cap. Heck, considering how old it is, I’m surprised it has power steering and the AC still works. (It is, however, still running just fine!)
No gas stolen yet though.
The thuck is a 2000 Ford F150. I was surprised when we got it that it didn’t have an inside latch.
Hubby doesn’t want the hassle of a key lock, so he didn’t get one after all. He’s going to look for a combination lock.
Maybe one of those personal protection alarms. Wouldn’t it be fun to scare the pee outa them when the opened the little door? 
I drive a Jeep Wrangler. It doesn’t even have a door to secure the gas cap. Luckily, the previous owner installed a locking gas cap which I’ve kept on there. I hated the inconvenience of it at first, but now I appreciate it.
They didn’t siphon our gas – someone ran off with the gas can I keep in our shed forvthe lawnmower.
I now have a new one (those babies are expensive!). And a new lock on my shed.
My 2001 Grand Cherokee Laredo does not have a locking gas door. It also doesn’t have a locking gas cap. Luckily it spends its nights in a locked garage. I remember the gas rustlin in the 70s. It sucked! (Pun intended) I expect the theives syphoned right into their own gas tank vewwy vewwy qwietly.
None of out current cars have locking caps.
67 Mustang
69 Thunderbird
80 Toyota Pickup
94 Voyager
04 Durango
The first two I can see and maybe the truck but the last two?
Back in the 70s they used to sell this little spiral metal thingy that you could put in your filler tube that would let gas in but not hoses. Of course, that was prior to lead free gas and the smaller nozzles. It used to be if your gas cap was locked or you had an anti-hose device, they’d drain your gas tank with an ice pick and a pan.
You know it’s getting bad when they hold up armored cars, leave the money and siphon off the gas.
1999 Jeep Cherokee. No locking gas cap. The hatch is opened from the outside.
One of the maintenance men where I work just got fired because he was caught stealing 5 gallons of gas from one of the company vehicles. He lost his paycheck and benefits for that and won’t get unemployment.
We’ve got a 97 Dodge Caravan and the door doesn’t lock. I hadn’t even thought about getting a locking cap but I might do so now.
'05 Impala - no locking gas cap, and the door opens manually from the outside.
Now I’m worried.
My 93 Toyota pickup has a locking gas door and when I bought the truck it had a locking gas cap too. I tossed the locking gas cap for a regular one.
Be sure to watch your e-mails for the inevitable ‘Thief siphons the wrong tank on an RV’ story.
I’ve noticed a trend. All the cars mentioned with no gas security device, (locking door or cap) are all American made. What’s that about?
Oh yeah, an second thing, both of our vehicles are under recall. The F150 for a problem with the cruise control starting fires, and the Corvette for a steering wheel lock problem.
My next car is going to be a… I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it a while.
Ah, I just remembered. Last summer we were looking into being able to syphon gas from my car’s tank to use for the generator during hurricane season. Seems there is some kind of a gizmo inside the intake pipe that prevents syphoning by any but the most motivated gas thieves. (Mr. Anachi gave up in frustration.) Maybe that’s the alternative to the locking caps/doors.