Car Repos Are Exploding. That’s a Bad Omen.

Barron's ^ | July 8, 2022 6:00 pm ET | By Lisa Beilfuss

[Seruzawa]

I dont lease but no one gets my cars. I remove a key component under the hood. I learned this in the 70s while living in Los Angeles. A couple of times I came out to my car with a dead battery and the doors left open. But they couldn’t start it without a distributor rotor. Lol.

[IYAS9YAS]

But they couldn’t start it without a distributor rotor.

Most cars haven't used these for the past 20 years.

[dfwgator]

[Sirius Lee]

I guess the moral of the story is only buy what you can afford....

What kind of crazy talk is this? Next you'll be advocating for some old fashioned idea like delayed gratification.

[IYAS9YAS]

There aren’t a lot of cars with those types of anti-theft devices in them. I think the last I counted there were maybe 30 models between all sellers in the U.S. that still had them available. Even fewer pickups made these days with them. I think the Tacoma and the Jeep Gladiator are the only two pickups so the them as an option.

[dfwgator]

A lot of the rental cars in Europe still have them.

[IYAS9YAS]

Ugh. "so the them" should have been "with them".

[IYAS9YAS]

A lot of the rental cars in Europe still have them.

One thing the Euroweenies haven't screwed up completely.

[mowowie]

I would lift the hood of my supra and pull the ignition fuse almost everywhere I parked.
Really only took a few seconds...

[IYAS9YAS]

As an aside, I had a 1967 Nova that originally had a two-speed Powerglide (Waaa! Shift wuuuuuuuuuuuwho-me?) with a factory column shifter. We installed a B&M floor shifter but we left the original shift ring on the column and the neutral safety switch was still wired to that (we removed the shift lever). That was a neat anti-theft device. Twist the column ring off park or neutral and it wouldn’t turn over.

[ConservativeInPA]

I'm was just talking to a buddy. Used cars are in such short supply that his car (truck) dealer called him with a deal to get him out of his current lease and into a new truck with the same payment.

Given the number of repos its probably a good idea to wait to buy a used car if possible. It is only going to get worse. Wait until unemployment kicks in this autumn. There will be lots of cars on the market.

[dfwgator]

Nobody wants to buy new cars that are tied to the grid. I predict the market for used cars is going to get much much hotter.

[Noumenon]

It doesn’t stop at the repo. The dealer, having repoe’d your vehicle will then turn around and sue you for the balance.

[dynachrome]

I have one of those anti theft devices.

[Red Badger]

Correct.........................

[T-Bird45]

One of Carson’s best bits - learned about the crazy LA traffic directions and the “Slawson Cutoff” by watching his skits.

[EBH]

Give it a few months.

[ConservativeInPA]

A 1972 pickup truck would be perfect for me. No/few electronics, nearly EMP proof and I think they run on leaded gasoline just to piss off enviro-whackos (not that you find leaded gas). Plus, I think I would be styling with fancy window vents and gun rack. It would be nearly impossible to steal with three on the column.

[Seruzawa]

There is always some fuse or other component that when pulled has the same effect. Car thieves don’t carry parts around with them. And most dont know a fuse from a wheel nut.

[Seruzawa]

If you can find a lawyer who is willing to sue someone who has no money.