Posted on 08/08/2010 4:26:51 PM PDT by george76
You hardly need a car alarm if you drive a Prius. That's the conclusion of a new vehicle theft study from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). According to the report, thieves are after "chrome, horsepower, and HEMIs," but not "sedate family cars and fuel-sippers."
HLDI's report calculates the vehicles with the highest insurance claims for theft by taking into account the rate at which insurance claims are filed as well as the size of the payments. Unsurprisingly, the rap-song-worthy Escalade is the most stolen car--one out of every 100 are swiped by thieves. Other popular targets include the Hummer, Corvette, and GMC Yukon.
(Excerpt) Read more at fastcompany.com ...
I had a F-350, dually, crew cab, diesel stolen about 18 months ago. I know of a couple other guys who’ve had other nice 3/4 and 1 ton Fords stolen who live within shouting distance. This is in the Dallas area.
I wonder how they got them into messyco...?
I have BOTH an F-350 super crew long bed diesel, as well as a Prius.
Pay no attention to my split personalities.
Hmmm, would’ve thought those expensive battery packs - are they ‘marked’? - might be prized on the used parts market. Just wait a year or two until the failures set in for many owners.
And what’s not to like about a really quiet car to steal? Won’t wake up the owners or the neighbors!
Simply sounds like you have all bases covered. With that combination, you can do just about anything.
I need to confirm this. But one auto gnome notes if they get hit driverside front quarter hard and it gets pushed in really good they get totalled. I guess one of the main power lines to the hybrid drive is in that area and the insurance companies do not want the "ug-known" liability.
Priuses may be “fuel-sippers”, but they suck.
I’m pretty certain that’s where mine went. Stolen on Christmas Eve ‘08 around 8 in the evening. I had parked it in front of a friend’s house in a nice subdivision while I was gone for a few hours.
One of the other guys I mentioned had a super nice ‘06 F-250 King Ranch Crew Cab. Stolen out of the parking lot of a Dallas area 24 Hour Fitness in the middle of the afternoon. They got it on a security camera. White Yukon pulls up, pops the window out and they’re gone within a minute. Never recovered either one.
I like the Trunk Monkey compilation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8avOiTUcD4Y
Perhaps they only steal cars you can’t outrun? Even theives know they stink.
Pray for America
I rented a Dodge truck while in McAllen, Tx. on a business trip a couple of years ago. They told me I COULD NOT take the truck into Mexico because it WOULD, not might, be stolen.
Hahahahaha. Not even cars thieves want them. But wait. The Chevy Volt is going to make it appearance. That might elevate the lowly Prius.
Prius's traction battery is designed to last the whole life of the vehicle. There are very few people who have a defective battery. Some taxicab drivers reported 340,000 miles with no issues. There are many batteries in the used parts market from wrecked cars. Prius is selling for 10 years already, we'd know if the battery is a problem.
And what’s not to like about a really quiet car to steal?
You can't hotwire a Prius. There is no lock or key, and no wires to short. The RFID keyfob is using encryption to talk to the car. Basically the only way to steal a Prius is by having the right keyfob, by whatever means. A carjacker might do it, but otherwise it's hopeless, and you can't sell a car without a keyfob.
Mind if I ask please, were any/some of the stolen trucks protected with alarms or clubs?
Thanks. Sorry to hear about that.
Next up for ultimate anti theft device?
Chevrolet Volt.
The ‘06 had an alarm but I don’t think it was activated at the time. Mine didn’t have any type security protection but was parked in front of a home in a gated subdivision. Not that that means anything, I just didn’t dream it would happen in that type setting.
That it happened on Christmas Eve indicates to me it was probably professionals. Lots of people not at home at that time and preoccupied with other things. I’m guessing that within hours it was across the border.
I’ve had my Prius since 2001 and heard all the battery replacement complaints from people who don’t have one. There has never been any battery problem. In fact, my 2001 just had the regular battery (you know, the one ALL cars have?) replaced for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was the original battery that came with the car—nine years old.
I know a guy who was doing some work in a ministry in Central America. Took a new Ford pickup and Miller diesel powered welder down through Mexico into Cent America. At the southern Mexican border he got shaken down by the Mexican border guards. They told him they wanted both the pickup and welder and threw him in the gray bar.
He was able to contact a friend in the Mexican interior who told him to give them whatever they want but to get out before dark. He was able to keep the pickup but they took the welder (he felt very lucky based upon how these guys had acted). He then hightailed it back to the States.
Now says that he will never, ever take another vehicle back into Old Mexico. And these were Mexican officials!
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