RAC issues statement after claim on Facebook cars with full petrol tanks are exploding

The RAC has warned that social media posts claiming petrol tanks have exploded are untrue. The motoring experts previously warned that posts on Facebook and WhatsApp claiming tanks have detonated once filled to the limit were wrong.

The messages claimed motorists were at risk of topping up their vehicles in hot weather. However, the RAC has previously dismissed the claims as a social media hoax and urged individuals to take no notice. The message was first posted by the RAC back in 2018, but it is relevant today as fake messages continue to circulate amid the latest heatwave.

The RAC explained: “There is no truth in this. All fuel systems on passenger vehicles are designed to cope with any expansion of fuel, or vapour coming from the fuel.

“There is no risk of explosion from filling up a fuel tank fully and drivers should have no concerns in doing so.

“We’d recommend people avoid the temptation to share misinformation like this via social media.”

Instead, the RAC suggested that drivers can top up their fuel tanks fully whenever it is practical to do so.

They said road users should fill up their cars when they are set to head off on longer journeys.

According to the Met Office, the warm weather is set to continue into the weekend with Friday set to be the hottest of the week.

Meteorologists have predicted conditions could hit 27 Celsius on Friday before stopping to the mid-twenties over Saturday and Sunday.

Although tanks are unlikely to explode in the heat, the sunny conditions can still have an impact on unleaded fuel.

Experts at Car OWL have warned that high temperatures can cause fuel to evaporate more quickly.

Meanwhile, they state that hot weather can increase pressure in the fuel tank which is likely to affect fuel system efficiency.

However, the AA also suggested concerns that petrol could escape fuel tanks in the summer was still wrong.

They explained: “Many people wrongly believe that petrol evaporates quickly in the summertime, and we're left out of pocket by their cars gradually leaking petrol fumes throughout the day.

“If this was true, you'd walk through car parks and busy streets and smell nothing but petrol - which doesn't happen.”