The Truth Behind the Viral Warning
The plastic-bottle story has circulated online for years, often accompanied by dramatic claims that police departments around the world are warning drivers about the tactic.
However, fact-checkers have not found reliable evidence showing that this is a widespread or regularly documented carjacking method.
There is also no verified evidence supporting the frequently repeated claim that Houston police issued a special warning about a surge in bottle-related carjackings in 2023.
Fact-checkers have described the scenario as plausible in theory but unsupported by confirmed cases. In other words, a criminal could attempt something similar, but there is no proof that thieves are commonly using bottles beside tires to steal vehicles.
That distinction matters.
