It doesn’t mean anything special or “wrong” about your car if the gas cap is on the driver side. It’s just where the manufacturer chose to put the fuel filler based on design and safety preferences, and it won’t affect how your car runs.

Why the side varies

• Automakers pick a side mainly for packaging and safety: they need room to route the fuel tank, filler neck, and exhaust safely, and whichever layout works best for that model is what they use.

• Some brands try to keep the filler on the same side across their lineup for consistency, so your car’s side might just match that brand’s usual practice.

Common design and safety reasons

• Many manufacturers like the filler on the side opposite the exhaust outlet, which can end up being either the driver or passenger side depending on the car.

• In some regions, makers prefer the filler on the side away from traffic if you have to add fuel from a can on the shoulder, which again can make it land on either side depending on which side of the road people drive on.

Practical note for using it

• To quickly know which side the cap is on in any car, look at the little fuel-pump icon on the gauge; there is usually a small arrow pointing to the side of the car with the fuel door.