Petrol thieves drill and drain tanks leaving motorists with costly repairs and no petrol

The motorist found two holes drilled in the bottom of their gas tank after a day at Wilson Carpark Albany.

Thieves are drilling holes in petrol tanks and draining them - hitting motorists not only with the cost of gas but also replacing expensive petrol tanks.

Last week, an Auckland motorist revealed their car had been drained of petrol after they parked at Wilson Carpark in Albany and went to work.

Sometime between 8am and 7pm on Tuesday, thieves climbed under the motorist’s car and drilled two holes in their gas tank - draining a full tank of petrol.

The person posted a warning on social media for others to be wary when parking their car.

“The carpark has no CCTV or any way of me finding out who did this,” the person said.

“I will definitely be on edge going forward on where I park my car.”

A Wilson Parking spokesperson said the company was well aware of the situation and had “several instances of fuel theft in our car parks, reflecting a broader uptick in crime over the past 18 months”.

“We deeply regret any inconvenience caused to our customers and have proactively implemented robust security measures in response,” the spokesman said.

“These include increased CCTV deployment and facial recognition technology, physical and virtual patrols, collaboration with NZ Police, with a direct link into their vehicle database, prominent signage and communication to customers on risk mitigation measures.”

The company had also installed large screens at car park entrances for added monitoring.

“We are committed to maintaining vigilance in reducing crime and ensuring the safety of our customers’ vehicles.”

Gareth Heeps from Torbay Service Station had helped two customers recently who had their tanks drilled and drained.

He had also heard from other workshop owners that they had also noticed a rise in the number of similar incidents.

Heeps said as well as the cost of the stolen and replacement gas, victims were also hit with a bill to have the gas tank replaced.

This cost upwards of $700 for an easy repair on Japanese cars where secondhand parts were readily available.

The cost could skyrocket depending on the type of car, availability of the part and how much labour was required to get the tank out and change the pump over to the replacement tank.

The customer parked at Wilson Parking Albany said there was no CCTV of the incident.

Secondhand parts were not always an option.

“I imagine a genuine new fuel tank would be significantly more expensive,” Heeps said.

There was also the cost of the stolen petrol and refilling the tank - around $400 for two 60L tanks.

“Then there is also the cost of getting the car to the workshop by towtruck,” Heeps said.

Heeps said 4WD and SUV vehicles were more vulnerable as it was easier to get under them and drill out the tanks.

“Unfortunately there isn’t a lot that can be done to prevent this from happening aside from having the car parked somewhere secure.”

Haylee Twort from the AA said there was no data available to show the number of petrol thefts.

“The AA advises motorists, when possible, to always park in a well-lit and publicly visible location which is more likely to deter thieves,” she said.

“If you have access to a garage at home, it’s wise to secure your car inside overnight.”

Police were unable to provide immediate information as petrol theft data was not easily accessible.

Beau Paparoa, AA Insurance head of motor claims said: “While not common, AA Insurance does occasionally see petrol theft claims involving damage to the petrol tank.”

Paparoa said if a vehicle is damaged during a petrol theft incident, the repair of damage to the vehicle is covered by its comprehensive car insurance policy.

“An excess will be applicable to the claim, unless there is a known responsible party to hold liable for the damage. If you suspect your petrol tank has been tampered with, we encourage you to contact your insurer or to have your vehicle assessed.”