These 5 Things Make Your Car More Likely to Be Stolen (2024)

Picture this: Your car is packed with the essentials for a summer road trip—maybe even a cross-country trek. Whether you stop for food, gas or lodging along the way, there will likely be situations where your parked vehicle is left unattended. Luckily, most newer cars have alarms, and some even have anti-theft devices or other car safety features. But while car theft prevention mechanisms are advancing, so are thieves, who continue to find sophisticated ways to steal vehicles.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), more than 1 million vehicles were reported stolen in 2023. That number is the result of a large uptick in car theft since 2019, when the NICB reported fewer than 800,000 stolen vehicles. A 28% increase over four years is significant, so it’s worth paying attention to driving safety tips and car theft prevention advice.

While some cars are more likely to be stolen—the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) reports Hyundai and Kia vehicles are seven times more likely to be stolen than other makes—and some states, such as California, Texas, Florida and Washington, have a higher rate of theft, there is some good news: Car theft is often preventable.

We asked experts to share the top five things that make your car more likely to be stolen. Read on for the mistakes car owners are making and how to protect yourself from theft, regardless of whether your car is parked in your driveway (33% of vehicles were stolen from residences, according to the FBI), on a street (25% of thefts) or in a parking lot or garage (23% of thefts).

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You have valuables on display

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Valuables—like purses, laptops and cellphones—are sure to catch the attention of a wannabe car thief. “More people are using their cars as mobile offices, so the presence of laptops, tablets and other devices has increased, making cars even more attractive to thieves,” explains Frank Harrison, the North American regional security director for World Travel Protection, which offers real-time security intelligence to keep travelers safe.

But it’s not just big-ticket items that make your car enticing to thieves. John Falciglia, general sales manager at Gunther Mitsubishi in Coconut Creek, Florida, says that smaller items, like sunglasses, gym bags and shopping bags, can appeal to thieves looking to make a quick sale.

Keep in mind that a car with visible valuables might appear as a more promising target than one that looks empty. Break-ins carry a risk of escalation: In some cases, a thief might break into a car to steal valuables but then find keys or other items that can make stealing the car itself more convenient, escalating a simple smash-and-grab into a full car theft.

How to protect yourself:Both Falciglia and Harrison stress the importance of keeping your valuables out of sight, preferably in a locked trunk or glove compartment. Even better, don’t keep them in your car at all.

Your car is parked in a poorly lit area

There are a lot of reasons people park off the beaten path. Some want to avoid door dings in busy parking lots. Others don’t want the hassle of fighting for a prime spot. And some think that parking in broad daylight on a busy street makes your vehicle a target for theft. Falciglia points out that the opposite is true. “Thieves prefer poorly lit, secluded areas where they can work unnoticed,” he says.

How to protect yourself: “Park in well-lit, busy areas whenever possible,” Harrison says. Use parking facilities with surveillance cameras and try to park within the camera’s line of sight. Choose a lot with security personnel if possible, even if it costs more than parking on the street. In the evening, look for bright parking lots or park under streetlights. In a parking garage, be sure to avoid dark back corners that are too dimly lit.

Your car doors and windows are unlocked

Many things distract us when we’re getting out of the car: finishing a phone conversation, thinking about the podcast we were listening to or making sure the dog is on a leash. So it’s easy to forget to roll up the windows all the way and lock the doors. Or maybe you thought it was OK to leave the window down when making a quick stop to pick up the dry cleaning or grab a cup of coffee. “Beyond locking the doors, it’s also essential to ensure windows are fully closed,” Falciglia says. “Partially open windows can be an easy entry point for thieves.”

How to protect yourself: “If your car has an alarm system, use it,” Falciglia says. Get in the habit of making sure your windows are fully closed and your car is locked. This is vital for car theft protection. Additionally, you’ll want to double-check that you’ve hit the right button. According to Harrison, the rise in remote key fobs has made drivers complacent about double-checking locks. Now that we don’t manually lock vehicles from the inside or with a key, it’s easier to accidentally unlock the car instead of locking it.

Your keyless entry system is vulnerable

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In addition to carjacking, we also need to worry about car hacking. Keyless entry systems have added convenience to our lives, but because key fobs send signals to unlock and start our vehicles, thieves can capture those signals and use them to steal our vehicles.

“Keyless car thefts, also known as relay thefts, surpass traditional break-ins due to the increasing prevalence of keyless entry systems,” Harrison says. Keyless entry systems typically use radio frequency identification (RFID) or similar technology, which means there are ways to prevent hackers from relaying the signal.

How to protect yourself: “Keep your key fob in a signal-blocking pouch or a metal container when not in use,” says Falciglia. These small and portable car safety gadgets are easy to keep in a purse, and the blocking bags stop communication with the fob by blocking the signal.

At home, don’t store your key fob near windows or doors. “Place it in a central location within your home to minimize the chances of the signal being captured by a thief outside,” he says. “Additionally, some newer key fobs can turn off the wireless signal when not in use, providing an added layer of security.”

If you live in a high-theft area or own a vehicle popular with thieves, Harrison recommends disabling the keyless entry if your car allows it. Or use additional security measures, like steering wheel locks.

You’re not taking additional security measures

Factory-installed car security systems are a good start, but they may not be enough, mainly because once criminals learn how to hack into and bypass a specific alarm system, they can repeat the process on similar vehicles. “Thieves are becoming more sophisticated, using advanced tools to bypass basic security features,” Harrison says. Adding extra layers of protection can significantly enhance your car’s safety.

How to protect yourself: “Installing a steering wheel lock, an aftermarket alarm or a GPS tracking device can deter thieves and help recover your vehicle if it’s stolen,” Falciglia says. Some GPS trackers require a monthly subscription, but you can also stash an Apple AirTag or Tile in the glove box to help police track down your vehicle if it’s stolen.

And if your car is stolen, act fast. According to NICB data, 34% of recovered vehicles are found on the same day as the theft, and 45% are found within two days. Reporting the theft to law enforcement also provides a record for your insurer.

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Sources:

• John Falciglia, general sales manager at Gunther Mitsubishi in Coconut Creek, Florida
• Frank Harrison, regional security director of North America for World Travel Protection
• National Insurance Crime Bureau: “America’s Hottest Spots for Vehicle Theft”
• National Insurance Crime Bureau: “Reports and Statistics”
• Federal Bureau of Investigations: “Crime Data Explorer”
• Highway Loss Data Institute: “Hyundai and Kia theft and vandalism losses”
• Insurance Information Institute: “Facts and Statistics: Auto theft”