Prevent Your Car From Getting Stolen

You go out to the parking lot, and your car is gone. There are several products and options that will help you increase the chances of getting your car back if it is stolen. This guide will provide you with tips and services which will help aid you in recovery of a stolen vehicle.

Steps

  1. Consider a subscription to a service like OnStar or BMW Assist if your manufacturer offers one. Many of these services have Stolen Vehicle Location and Recovery Assistance and can remotely track and locate your vehicle while communicating with police to help aid in recovery.
  2. Get LoJack if your area has LoJack coverage. LoJack (pronounced low jack) is only sold in areas where the police are equipped with LoJack scanners, and does not require a monthly or yearly fee. Chances are if you can buy LoJack in your area, you have coverage. LoJack is a vehicle tracking system that allows police to directly track a stolen vehicle from their police cruisers. This is done directly by the police, without the need of a 3rd party like OnStar to tell them the location.
  3. Get a car security or alarm system with 2-way paging remotes that will notify your remote of your vehicles condition. If the alarm is triggered your remote will alert you of the alarm.
  4. Consider a 3rd-party GPS or GPS/Cellular based tracking system. Most of these have a monthly fee, and will allow to see the location of the vehicle through the companies tracking site or other means. This allows you or them to communicate with the police the location of the stolen vehicle, and some allow you to see the location from your computer as well. This is similar to many fleet-monitoring systems.
  5. Report the theft to police as soon as you find out. The longer a thief has with the car, the longer the thief has to find, remove and disable any tracking system.
  6. Consider going to a watchdog website.
  7. Your vehicle will normally have VIN's located in several places, two which are out of plain sight: your door panel and engine block. To assure that everyone is able to clearly identify your vehicle, make sure to etch your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) in your window. If you have aftermarket wheels, stereo equipment, etc., consider etching your VIN in an unnoticeable location on these too. It can make it easier to recover your vehicle and parts. You can ask the dealer for a place that does this.

Tips

  • OnStar, BMW Assist, etc. offer many different plans. When purchasing a car, be sure to check if your manufacturer offers such services for their vehicles. To be sure you can effectively use these systems to help attempt recovery of a stolen vehicle, make sure to select a plan that features some sort of Stolen Vehicle Recovery. Most of the monthly or yearly plans will include this, but it never hurts to be sure before you sign up.
  • StolenCarReports.com alerts are sent out to people in your area through email and SMS to cell phones. These people will look for your car and call the cops to pick up your ride.
  • Get a car alarm with 2 way paging remotes for further protection over your vehicle. You can also opt to get a system like the Vision Guard 8000 which will actually take pictures and send it to your remote!
  • LoJack offers an “Early Warning System” as well. Consider paying extra for this. This helps inform you quicker of the vehicle theft. Through the extra technology, you will be contacted by your chosen method (cell phone, e-mail, text message, phone call, etc.) the moment the thief drives your car away. This allows you to contact the authorities sooner, increasing chances of recovery.
  • Make sure to etch your VIN in your window. It makes it easier to recover your vehicle.
  • Some 3rd0party GPS tracking systems offer different features than others. Some offer a system with early warning as well. Some can be combined with regular alarm systems to aid in prevention as well as recovery. Understand the way it is set up, and available options and systems thoroughly before purchasing a system, to make sure it is the right one for you. Remember to pay the monthly fee, your expensive GPS tracking system that requires a monthly fee for the monitoring. Like a cell phone, it won't be effective if you do not have a service provider. There are many more types available.
  • If you see your car being driven by an unauthorized driver when walking immediately pop into a store or contact the police so that the car can be tracked. This especially works in Singapore.

Warnings

  • Be careful about etching your car’s VIN on your window on some car models because it makes it easier to steal your car if the thief knows the VIN.

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Sources and Citations

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