Gasoline theft

[rfernatt]

Another advantage of owning a smart - I can't believe someone would actually drill into a gas tank! This sounds like a Darwin Award in the making. Having to replace some gas is one thing, but to have you vehicle towed, fuel tank replaced, and then fill'er up again - that's down right criminal.

"Meanwhile, the spike in gas prices is driving another trend: gasoline theft. Colorado NBC affiliate KUSA-TV reports, 'In the last month, Denver Police have investigated seven incidents in which thieves have drilled small holes into gas tanks and siphoned out gasoline.' Autoblog adds, 'The victimized vehicles are primarily SUVs whose higher ride height makes it easier for Mad Max-inspired criminals to get underneath and do their worst.'"

From: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...080313-120252/

[rrrucke]

Another great reason to own a smart!

[Evilution]

They are very easy to patch up, they do gas tank repair patches.
This is just another story gone public that will do more bad than good.
For a start you can't defend against it and reporting it just puts it into peoples heads.

Lucky we have an undertray.

[SmartBob]

I'm surprised this hasn't happenned sooner. Back in the day during the last grea gas rip-off, locking gas caps were a necessity. People were siphoning gas out the wahzoo.

[Old smart]

Not to speak it around, but pinching 10 US gallons or less of gasoline out of a smart doesn't seem like a favorable risk:benefit ratio.

I presume that allusions to "siphoning" involves getting access to the top of the tank to drill into because the filler is locked and out in view. Good luck getting to the top of a smart tank. Even if a smart's filler door were breached, it would take one loooonnngg Oklahoma credit card to get from the starboard-side aft filler to the port-side midships tank, plus a pair of lungs from an elephant. Making-up an elephant alongside a smart may bring unneeded attention.

[eqwalker]

I just hope that the locking cover doesn't get broke from someone trying to get to the gas cap. Do they now install screens to prevent people from shoving a hose down in the tank to siphon out gasoline? A friend of mine told me that is what car manufacturers do now.

[RussBarnes]

On my Kenworth with two 100 gallon diesel tanks there are some "anti-siphon" inserts that I bought to install in the filler necks. After all at $4 a gallon that is $800 in pure greenbacks. I have the tanks out while I am converting this truck to be considered a motorhome, with a car rack behind the cab for the smart. One tank rattled so I looked inside and found one of the same "anti-siphon" things that had been knocked into the tank by someone who wanted the fuel. So where there is a will there will be a way. Best thing to do is tie a 150# Rotweiller to the back of the smart....no wait, he will pull it away and bury it........