With gas at $4.52 a gallon, criminals found a way to beat the pump. Lifted truck owners are the ones footing the bill

Gas prices have jumped to $4.52 a gallon, and thieves have found a new way to steal fuel without paying at the pump. Instead of siphoning gas the old-fashioned way, criminals are now drilling holes into gas tanks to drain them. Lifted pickup truck owners are being hit the hardest, and the repair bills can cost victims $2,000 or more.

Before the US conflict with Iran began at the end of February, the average price of a gallon of gas was around $3. According to AAA, it has since risen to $4.52, which is roughly a 50% increase since the conflict started. That sharp rise in prices is what many believe has driven the spike in this type of theft.

Brobible says that lifted pickup trucks are being targeted more than other vehicles because the added height and suspension clearance make it much easier for thieves to get underneath and drill into the tank. The value of the stolen gas is small compared to the damage left behind, with a new tank and the labor to install it costing victims $2,000 or more in total.

Drilling and draining has become the go-to method for fuel thieves, and repair costs are hitting victims far harder than the stolen gas itself

The old method of siphoning gas has largely been replaced by “drilling and draining,” because modern vehicles are now engineered in ways that make siphoning much harder to do. A garage owner in Los Angeles said he has been seeing at least one case per week since gas prices started rising, compared to only a couple of cases per year before that. Truck owners dealing with these repair costs are no strangers to unexpected and costly mechanic visits.

One victim, Jamie Phelps of St. Paul, had his truck’s gas tank drilled on a Monday. He is one of three people in his neighborhood whose tanks were drilled. Phelps and his neighbors are now looking into buying security cameras, which is an added expense for people who have lived in their homes for over 20 years.

According to KSTP, Minneapolis police have recorded at least 12 reported cases of drilled gas tanks this year, while St. Paul police have had seven reports since April 1 and believe the actual number is higher since many victims do not report it. Phelps himself did not file a report because he felt he did not have enough evidence to share with police.

Collin Finley, a journeyman technician at Midway Ford Roseville, said he has seen five to ten drilled gas tanks this year. “On the smaller stuff, it’s upwards of $1,500 a tank,” he said, adding that labor costs alone are not cheap either.

He noted that his rates are already lower than many competitors, yet the repairs remain expensive for victims. Unfortunately, some truck owners have also had to deal with dishonest repair recommendations from dealerships, making it even harder to know who to trust.

Finley said there is not much drivers can do to protect themselves beyond following the manufacturer’s fuel recommendations and avoiding high-crime areas. For lifted truck owners, the combination of being an easy target and facing steep repair bills makes this a costly problem with few easy solutions.