The position of a car’s fuel door (if you can actually remember where it is) remains one of the greatest unsolved motoring mysteries.
In the past, fuel doors were often in the rear of the car behind the license plate. This made it convenient to fill up with gas from either side. However, this practice was also unsafe in the event of a rear-end collision.
Today, the fuel door is placed on either the right or left side of a vehicle. There are no government regulations that determine which side it goes on or how many vehicles have their fuel doors on the left vs. the right side.
Do car company engineers draw straws to decide what side of the car the fuel door goes on? No—but they might as well. If you’ve ever been stuck in a long line for gas and spent the time wondering why your fuel door is on the left (or right), don’t expect a succinct answer.
Which Side Does a Car Fuel Tank Go On?
According to Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer, as reported on theAllstateBlog, engineers are free to place fuel doors on the side of the car that offers the easiest packaging. And while one on each side would be rather convenient, we’re not likely to see dual fuel doors anytime soon—there’s neither the room nor the demand for them.
“The placement of the fuel door is mainly a factor of fuel tank design, location, and underbody packaging,” Nissan’s Steve Yaeger told theAllstateBlog. “With all of the structure and components located underneath the vehicle, (engineers) would quickly encounter restrictions in trying to route the filler tube to the same side on every vehicle.”
According to studies conducted by auto manufacturers, Americans tend to prefer that fuel doors be placed on the left or driver’s side. Likewise, European drivers tend to prefer right-mounted fuel doors since they sit on the right side of the car.
Despite safety considerations and driver preferences, auto manufacturers tend to place fuel doors wherever engineering considerations dictate. As a result, most auto manufacturers make some vehicles with left-mounted fuel doors and some with right-mounted fuel doors.
If you’re not sure where the fuel door is, you can always look at the fuel gauge on the dashboard. Most auto manufacturers place a small diamond-shaped arrow on the fuel gauge that points to the side of the vehicle with the fuel door.
