What to do once you have retrieved your stolen car?

Car theft is one of the most frustrating experiences a person can have due to all the headache that comes with it. You will have to file a police report and hope that they can find your car, and hopefully find it in one piece! Often times the police is able to locate the car and get it back without much of a damage on your car. However it is important to know that it doesn’t end there because chances are your ignition is damaged and you will be at risk of getting your keys stuck inside the ignition. Another thing to remember is that if your car was stolen because someone found your car keys that you lost then you will still be at risk of getting your car stolen again. In this blog we will go over the 5 key things to consider in order to protect your car from theft. These 5 key precautions are; do not leave valuable things inside your car, consider installing an alarm system, use a steering wheel lock, rekey your ignition post car theft, and replace your ignition completely.

How to prevent your car from getting stolen?

First let’s talk about how you can prevent or reduce the chances of your car getting stolen. Dark and lonely parking areas are usually what makes your car vulnerable to car theft so it is a good idea to try and park your car close to a light source. Another thing that makes your car more attractive to thieves is if you leave valuable things inside your car. For example if there is a laptop, tablet, phone, suitcase, bags, etc. it will be more likely to withdraw attention of car thieves. Make sure to take all your valuable items from the car when you are going to be parked somewhere over night or for a long period of time. This way you will not only reduce the chances of your car getting stolen but it will also reduce the damage it does if it gets stolen or broken into.

Is a car alarm useful?

Car alarms receive a lot of criticism due to the fact that often time the alarm is activated more for non-criminal activities rather than for a real threat. Now this is often time due to people setting up their alarm sensitivity way too high so the car alarm goes on for loud noises as well as for light touch or hits. This can get annoying because you might have to wake up in the middle of the night because you think your car is getting stolen, but it might be just thunder noise or a loud noise from the neighborhood. The simple fix to this issue is by lowering the sensitivity of the alarm so you reduce the chances of false alarms. Now with all that being said car alarms can still serve as a really good deterrent against car thieves. Another thing to keep in mind that often times the thieves will be gone before you can go outside to check on why the car alarm went off so when the owner is outside they do not see anyone and it gets reported as a false alarm. We believe a car alarm will be a good deterrent especially from amateur car thieves who would not even attempt break inside your car after seeing the blinking red alarm light!

Is it worth using a steering wheel lock?

If you are worried that your car might be at risk of getting stolen then using a steering wheel lock could provide the security you need to feel comfortable. Steering wheel locks are very affordable and you can easily purchase one from an advanced auto parts store or even from a Walmart for about $25. It is very simple to lock and unlock the steering wheel lock using your keys and since it’s a fairly small tool you can store it inside the car with no problem. However it is unfortunate that most of these steering wheel locks can be picked open very easily. It is a great surprise to me that something that is designed to protect your car from a thief that can pick open your car’s door lock comes with a simple easy to pick lock. Basically someone who can open your car doors can also pick open the lock on the steering wheel lock, but it will take them extra time. Therefore regardless of the fact that these locks are easy to pick it will still take them couple minutes extra which could serve as a good deterrent for car thieves.

What to do once you get your car back from the thieves?

Now let’s talk about what you should do once you are able to get your stolen car back from the thieves. If your car was stolen using a key you lost then it is probably the best to get your ignition rekeyed so the people who have your keys cannot start your car again. Rekeying the ignition will take off the old key from your cars system so they will not be able to start your car even if they opened the car door to get inside. This is a great preventative method especially when you know someone out there has your keys to the car.

Will you need to change your ignition altogether?

Depending on how bad the damage has been done to your ignition during the theft of your car, you might need to change the the whole ignition. Often times the thieves would damage the door lock and the ignition while trying to steal your car. If you are experiencing difficulty inserting your keys into the ignition or if your keys got stuck inside the ignition after you got your stolen car back then it means that the ignition has been damaged. A professional locksmith can take out the lock cylinder of the ignition and see if it is repairable and if not then they can offer to replace the ignition. The new ignition will required to be rekeyed into your existing key which is a service the locksmith can provide. In cases where your car has been stolen using your lost/stolen keys it is also a good idea to replace your ignition and door locks so that you will have a new key and your old keys can no longer open the doors or start your car.