Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Running out of petrol

478 replies

jmh740 · 07/03/2025 15:51

So after a discussion with Oh yesterday can I ask how many times you have ever run out of petrol and how many years you have been driving.

Person A run out once in 25 years of driving.

Person B run out 4 times in 30 years of driving.

Person A thinks B is irresponsible and most people have never run out. Person B thinks 4 times in 30 years is not much.

OP posts:
Thisismetooaswell · 07/03/2025 16:58

40 years and run out once - when the petrol gauge was broken and the garage wanted me to take it in to be fixed with the tank as empty as possible. I succeeded!

Shodan · 07/03/2025 16:58

I think maybe once, when I was young, poor and bought knackered old cars.

There were a few occasions when XH1 and I would nearly coast into a petrol station on fumes, a wing and a prayer though.

My car now politely informs me that I'm running low and would I like it to direct me to the nearest petrol station, which is nice.

Astrak · 07/03/2025 16:58

Never, in ffty-eight years of motoring. I've had some big, juicy fast cars in my time and I've always watched the fuel gauge like a hawk.
I've got a small hot hatch now, and it does about 45-50mpg, depending on where I'm going and how often I'm going there. I never go below a quarter full on the fuel guage.

nannyl · 07/03/2025 16:57

26 years: Never

theriseandfallofFranklinSaint · 07/03/2025 16:56

Never have. Never will.

It's one of my stresses and I never let my car go below 75 miles left without filling it up.

singletonatlarge · 07/03/2025 16:56

20 years and never run out. I've come close once or twice and it's not a good feeling!

Redrosesposies · 07/03/2025 16:56

48 years and never run out even when I had a car with a faulty petrol gauge.

YourHappyJadeEagle · 07/03/2025 16:55

47 years, never run out of fuel.

Ineedtobethinnertobehealthy · 07/03/2025 16:55

36 years and never run out. I have always lived rurally so never go below half a tank as not all journeys involve passing a garage.

BansheeOfTheSouth · 07/03/2025 16:54

LaPalmaLlama · 07/03/2025 16:23

33 years and never. Used to live in HK where running out is a motoring offence if the police see you (points and fine) as it’s considered careless driving resulting in you causing an obstruction. Also you’re not allowed to buy fuel in a can so you have to get towed or get a garage to bring you some.

It's a motoring offense here too. Fine and 3 points for careless driving. More if causing an obstruction or worse an accident.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 07/03/2025 16:54

Once in nearly 40 years, but it was as I was going into a petrol station and I had to push it for the last 10 metres! But that was years ago, and there's no excuse now as nearly all cars have a warning light - not like back then when you chanced it on the red.

SunnyViper · 07/03/2025 16:53

33 years and never.

Marinel · 07/03/2025 16:53

I've been driving 36 years and I've never run out of petrol.
My OH has been driving about the same length of time and has never run out either.

Redpeach · 07/03/2025 16:53

It's a sad guage of how great a human being you are - topping up fuel in a car. I guess in the old days, it would be feeding the horse.

adviceneeded1990 · 07/03/2025 16:52

Once. 14 years driving.

Musicaltheatremum · 07/03/2025 16:51

45 years never

reesewithoutaspoon · 07/03/2025 16:50

Once, about 38 years ago when I was a poor student and pushed my luck, was within walking distance of the petrol station to fill a can.
Nowadays the dash actually displays approximate mileage in the tank so there's less of an excuse.

prelovedusername · 07/03/2025 16:49

Once in 48 years of driving. It was a doozy though, smack in the middle of Lewisham.

MassiveOvaryaction · 07/03/2025 16:49

29 years driving and never. Mostly because my first car became very lumpy/unreliable if it went below quarter of a tank so pretty much never got below that in any car since!

Dh been driving longer than me and often runs down to fumes. Makes me nervous but he's only run out once that I'm aware of (and I got a pub dinner out of that one while we were waiting for the RAC!).

4 times in 30 years doesn't sound too bad @jmh740 but it depends - evenly spaced over that time is fine, but all in the last couple of months is not imo.

Darkclothes · 07/03/2025 16:49

My petrol gauge doesn't show how many miles I have left

In 30yrs, none of my cars have either OP, but I've never run out of petrol!

EconomyClassRockstar · 07/03/2025 16:49

30 years and 1 time. My Dad yelled at me so I didn't do it again. I do still like playing petrol roulette though with the petrol gauge.

iamnotalemon · 07/03/2025 16:49

I ran out once when I was 20 and learnt my lesson 🤣

Lunde · 07/03/2025 16:48

Driving for 46 years and never run out

Halo20 · 07/03/2025 16:48

18 years and never although got very close once due to several stations running out of fuel and the display telling me I had 0 miles.

RockahulaRocks · 07/03/2025 16:47

A couple of times in my youth (driving nearly 30 years).

Though DH ran out twice in a year, one of those times stranding us at the side of the A1(M) at 10pm at night, 130 miles from home, so mine I feel pales into comparison.