Michigan: Puzzled As to Why Your Gas Cap is on THAT Side of Your Car?

Some questions just don't have a simple or succinct answer: For instance:

"How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?" and "Why is my gas cap on THAT side of my car?"

(By the way, research students at Purdue University reportedly developed a 'licking machine' modeled after the human tongue and determined that it takes 364 licks to reach a Tootsie Pop's center.)

Now, About That Gas Cap Question

Living in a state such as Michigan that's heavily steeped in the automotive industry, one might think we have the answer to why car manufacturers choose to place the gas door on the left or right side (the driver's side or the passenger's side) of automobiles.

(Also, if you're old enough to get the 'Tootsie Pop' reference above, you probably remember when gas caps were placed behind vehicles' license plates, right?)

Which Side of the Car do Americans Prefer?

I love everything about my Jeep Cherokee except for the fact that the fuel door is on the passenger side.

I loved everything about my last car - a GMC Terrain - except for the fact that the fuel door was on the passenger side.

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A spokesperson from Ford Motor Company concurs. Mark Shirmer tells the Family Handyman that Americans strongly prefer having their gas gaps on the left, probably because it makes it easier to align a car's fuel door with a gas pump. (Bingo!)

He goes on to say that in other countries where motorists drive on the left side of the road, there's a preference for having the gas cap on the right side - for the very same reason.

Why Do Car Makers Place Gas Caps on the Left or Right?

Shirmer notes that there aren't regulations specifying that fuel doors should be on the left or right side. Car makers and engineers are free to choose the side that makes the most sense based on a car's mechanical characteristics.

Nissan's Steve Yaeger agrees, saying it depends on the car's underbody design.

"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," Yaeger said.

Long Lines at the Gas Pump

Consider this. What if all cars were manufactured to have the fuel door on the same side? PBS Newshour's Robert Frank points out that half the pumps at most gas stations would go unused. We'd also wait in line twice as long to fill up.