Even then, the estimated remaining mileage in your gas tank is also fudged. A few seasons ago Top Gear had Clarkson drive some sort of Audi - he drove it until

Even then, the estimated remaining mileage in your gas tank is also fudged. A few seasons ago Top Gear had Clarkson drive some sort of Audi - he drove it until the indicator showed he had 0 miles left, and he kept going for a surprising while longer (he never did run out of gas). Given that evidence, I'm reasonably sure that car makers also factor in a safety margin so customers' cars don't immediately halt when the mileage-remaining indicator hits 0.