THE GOODS : Is Your Car One Thieves Love Best?
Car theft is prompting increasing numbers of new-car buyers to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on anti-theft systems.
J.D. Power and Associates, the automotive market research firm in Agoura Hills, reports 22% of car buyers had electronic security systems installed in 1994. The firm found that 62% of luxury car buyers and 57% of sports car buyers opted for security systems.
I received a letter from a Beverly Hills woman wanting information on a car transmission lock. A Burbank man wants to know whether a model he is considering is going to be a high-profile theft target. A Carson man wants to know what practical steps he can take without spending a lot of money.
Although car thefts have been declining, you are less likely than in the past to recover your car if it is stolen. The theft frequency for passenger automobiles has dropped from eight per 1,000 cars in 1986 to six per 1,000 cars in 1993, a 25% reduction. But the average loss per vehicle has grown four times as large.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, an insurance industry trade group, conducted an analysis of car theft data from 1991 to 1993 and found that, among new cars, the Volkswagen Cabriolet was the model most frequently stolen, while the Chevrolet Cavalier station wagon was least likely to be a target of thieves.
The institute ranked the other low-theft cars as the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Pontiac Grand Prix four door, the Oldsmobile Cutlass four door and the Cutlass two door. The high-theft models included the Ford Mustang and Mustang convertible, Cadillac DeVille two door and the Honda Civic two door.
The institute singled out General Motors for particular credit for its PassKey system, in which a code is contained in a tiny resistor embedded in the ignition key. Unless the car recognizes the code, the engine computer, the electric fuel pump and various other electrically operated systems shut down. Car alarms appear far less effective, said Kim Hazelbaker, senior vice president of the institute.
On a less sophisticated level, you can lock your car door. A survey by Shell Oil a few years ago found that 44% of motorists sometimes leave their cars unlocked and 19% frequently or always do; 14% leave their keys in the ignition often and 13% have hidden keys in the car, which are usually easy to find.
The transmission lock, sold by Mul-t-lock of Los Angeles and costing about $300, features a steel rod bolted to the frame of the car that prevents the car from moving until a lock inside on the console is unlocked with a key (Information: (800) 308-5625).
