MTBE in gas, fuel line deterioration

[Chris Conlon]

Hi everyone,

A wise-sounding fellow on another list was saying that MTBE in certain
pump gasolines can cause over-rapid deterioration of rubber fuel lines
in some older cars. (And that the MTBE was used to meet some relatively
new emissions-related legal requirements, say within the past few years.
Also I think this applied to California, and perhaps some other states,
but not necessarily to all states.)  He further claimed a ~30% increase
in engine bay fires in the time period covered.

So what I'm wondering is, should I worry that today's pump gas might
eat up rubber fuel lines extra quick? Would this only apply to "older"
cars, and if so, how old would "older" be? 10 years, 20 years?

Anyway it seemed like if this was a genuine issue, it'd be a pretty
serious thing, and worth some preemptive part replacement.

   Thanks,
   Chris C.