Should I Worry About My Car Being Stolen?

As agents, just like consumers, we have to worry that our cars could be stolen at any moment. Colorado thefts have been going up especially in the Denver area. It's not every day that we hear about it, but it happens every single day in Colorado. So, what should you look out for? There is a multitude of aspects that could increase your risk to having your car stolen. From your location, the level of security your vehicle offers, and even as simple as to the type of key your vehicle has.

Kia/Hyundai thefts are at the top of the list. We've had customers ask about their vehicles being in jeopardy, it doesn't stop there. Multiple insurance companies have put a complete stop to insuring some of these high-risk vehicles. One of the biggest reasons for the high theft of Hyundais is their lack of immobilizer chips in their keys between 2015-2019. The way they work, is the manufacturer puts chips in their keys that can recognize if the key really belongs to the vehicle that is being driven. If it identifies the key as counterfeit the vehicle will be immobilized. Considering how many of these cars were made within that 4 year time span you might own one, and you might be wondering what kind of precautions you can take to prevent a theft.

Hyundai has a kit that you can have installed on these vehicles that can prevent theft. You should be able to go into a Kia/Hyundai dealer to purchase their unit and have it installed. You can certainly take extensive measures as well to avoid a theft, below is a list of options to prevent your vehicles from being stolen.

Common Sense

• Lock your doors.
• Remove your keys from the ignition.
• Close your windows completely.
• Park in well-lit areas.

Install an alarm.

• Audible alarms.
• Steering column collars.
• Steering wheel/brake pedal lock.
• Brake locks.
• Wheel locks.
• Theft deterrent decals.
• Identification markers in or on vehicle.
• Window etching.
• Micro Dot marking.

Install an immobilizer if your vehicle doesn't have one.

• Smart keys.
• Fuse cut-offs.
• Kill switches.
• Starter, ignition and fuel disablers.
• Wireless, ignition authentication.

You can also purchase a tracking system to install in your vehicle.

The chance of you incurring a theft is not only attached to the vehicle you drive, any vehicle can be stolen given thieves are getting more creative with their methods. The precaution you take to keep your investments safe can go for any vehicle you may drive. In a perfect world we would not have to worry about our vehicles being stolen, but unfortunately it is something we will always have to worry about. If you are worried about your car being an easy target, feel free to reach out to us or go online to research your exact vehicle.