Never had any of my cars broken into. This is because I never leave anything of value in them. If a thief looks in your car and doesn't see anything, why break into it? And if he isn't going to break into it, why get an alarm? I've always parked my cars in a secured garage and am careful when I park them in public. I don't go for any of those gimmics like alarms, The Club, LoJack, etc. It's really all about making the car next to yours a better target. You might not think twice about leaving your backpack in the car that only has your biology book in it, but to someone looking to get a fix of crack, they will take the risk of smashing your window to ****** it up. If it has a check book or anything else of pawnable value, great... we smokin' crack in twenty minutes. If not, there are plenty more targets available.

Finally, if you're going to have all this big, expensive stereo equipment in your vehcile, do yourself a favor. Record all the serial numbers. Keep them somewhere safe. Also, for added protection, engrave your DL number on all your gear. That will raise a red flag when they go to pawn it. As for your rims, do this. Before you put your tires on, or when you replace them, take a piece of paper and write down your name, phone, address, DL, and something saying that whoever brought these rims in for service should have this DL number... please verify. If someone jacks your rims, eventually someone will be driving on them and will need tires at one point.
GL!

 

never had any of my cars broken into but i have had my apartment broken into. Not cool.

 

after reading everyone's horror stories of being jacked, i'm goin to go price some car alarms i havent been jacked, "knock on wood" but i really try not to advertise what i have either... think i might go lower my deductable while i'm shopping for alarms... any suggestions on alarms that actually work???

 

i work night shift in l.a. and i always worry about my box. everything is stealth except the sub. need a cargo cover bad. bought a flip down navi cuz i was worried that a double din might attract attention.

 

none for me...

my friend's car got broken into at her work a while ago, that because she left a cd player, a wallet (only about $15, no driver's license and credit card in it), and a backpack, all on passenger seat and it all got stolen, except for the stuff that is inside the backpack. my other friend and i have to go there and help her out cleaning the car that is full of little broken glass at 11pm...

 

My first xb got jacked but check this out. The head unit was stolen and this all happen when my BSP xb got wrecked and was in the dealer's impound lot. The insurance company accuse me for stealing the head unit (which was stock BTW).

After all this was settled, I've purchased my second xb, and since then I haven't got jacked yet. Though after reading this thread it does concerns me since I've upgraded my Audio system and I thinks it's best to invest a premium alarm system.

Here on Guam, I've seen people get outta luck. Like some low-life will steal their entire car, strip it, and then burn it in some abandon road somewhere. And these are not old cars BTW. I've seen burned civics and recently, a body shop near my work pulled in a burned Chevy 2006 4-door crew cab pick-up!

 

JUS THINKIN BOUT THIS IS SOME SCARY ISHT!!! i feel for all yall that been vandalized in some way. i pray n hope this dont happen to me...im hella cautious too and have to check my ride everytime i go out for flat tires, scratches, dents, broken windows...people are mean and stupid and good lord i hope they burn!!!!!!

btw..i like the idea of shockin would-be burglars or setting them on fire..or even getting shot by a shotgun!!!!

 

For these reasons stated by everyone, is exactly why I haven't upgraded my stereo yet....atleast until I get an alarm. Like some of you said when I come home, I turn my stereo down, even though its only the stock raido speakers they can be pretty loud at times, and someone on the outside wouldn't know that. I do fear for my car as other people have said, they are very popular at the moment and attract alot of attention, which doesn't seem to be a deterrant. I would like to know some good quality alarm systems too if anyone has any suggestions. I seen a Baretta 888 for about $99.99, but since I know nothing about alarms I don't know if this is a good alarm to go with. I guess the best thing to do is to try to have proper vehicle coverage including GAP, especially if your leasing...and to try not to leave valuable stuff in the car, or cover it up if you must. If a thief broke into my car the only thing they could get is whatever is a part of the car itself, because I leave nothing in it for them to take.

 

im paranoid and ultra security conscience lol

great thread though glad i read this

i just got my BCP xb yesterday, went down and got a Viper alarm today, only $235 at best buy, getting installed this weekend

I also always put a wheel lock, the one that goes from brake to steering wheel, easily can be bypassed but my philosphy is the more barriers i put ...the better chance they will just go to the next car lol (sorry!)

it took me a long time to get my fiance to get in the habit of ALWAYS putting the brake/steering lock on all the time, it may not be much but it helps....gonna go with an old fashioned red Club for visibility

3 big points i try and follow

- never leave cd's, phones, cameras visibile..ever

- always put a visible steering wheel lock of some kind, i dont even lock mine..no need they can get past it if they try anyway but maybe they will pass

- get an alarm that can kill the starter, 150-250 bucks put into your car is worth it, some alarm makers will even have very good protection such as replacing if it gets stolen (i think Viper does if you register the alarm)

 

I think that theives like to break in cars that have a tint on them, cuz all my friends that had their $h!t jacked was a really dark tint on the car. Alot of people I know put a tint on their cars is because they want to hide something from someones view.

 

First time I got jacked was actually a car I didn't own. If I remember right my car was taken apart for whatever reason. I was at my girlfriends house...was very late...still in high school....she was too tired to drive me home... I took her car home... next day woke up and no wheels and tires on her ride... happened right in front of my house... the wheels and tires were less than a month old and paid extra to get parts of them powder coated to match the car. I felt terrible. You feel real stupid when something happens like that to you and you don't catch them in the act or whatever.

Second time was in my CRX, at the time I worked for Circuit City, I used my car a lot to demo systems... The car was fairly new and I was so **** about cutting any holes where they didn't belong, so I didn't have an alarm led even though I had cliffords best alarm with the new proximity sensor... anyway... I usually am very good about keeping stuff out of sight also but this day I did have my Raiders jacket and case of CD's behind the seats... anyway the car was parked out by the install bay right before closing... next thing we know my car horn is blaring...lights flashing... alarm sounding... we are actually close enought to catch the person but didn't... it was kinda funny though cause they grabbed my cd case in a panic anyway but the top was not zipped up and my cd's went flying everywhere... they ended up dropping the case and I picked up all the cd's and not one was missing... of course I did have a broken window out of the deal.

I had a real trick bug before my CRX...never touched or broken into even though A LOT of stereo equipment in plain sight... I feel so lucky...looking back now.... Heck I had a Nakamichi deck, a Zapco PX ( that was the bomb back then ) and 3 G&S designs compitition amps with the heatsinks cut so they lined up like one long amp and 4 cerwin vega 12's....had all nakamichi components also... I did have an alarm that blasted my air horns also... those where the days ha...

Recently my previous truck got jacked with all audio stolen... it was a pretty good stealth system however you could tell a system was hiding and that is all that it takes sometimes plus I didn't have an alarm.... few months later I got the freaking tailgate stolen which really sucked because I actaully had a lock for it but of course that day I was too tired from riding ( dirt bikes/quad's ) and didnt put the lock on.

Then the last attempt was on my CRX but I actually was awoken by my neighbors dog before anything happened... went out side to check things out... I found a guy staking out the place but he was in a car and took off when I walked out the house... then again just 5 mins later neighbors dog starts barking crazy again and my wife was affraid if I went out to do anything I could get hurt and boom sure enough a big bang...and my alarm is going off... I ran outside and seen two guys jump in a primered 4 door honda accord taking off... they just broke the window I think because I kinda ____ed them off I guess from almost catching them so I think they came back just to do that and nothing else...sucks cuz I really never leave my CRX outside but of course that day there was a reason this one day I had it outside ( just bought a 2nd jet ski and had it in the garage before I could rearrange things so everything would fit) ...

It just sucks to always have to worry about people jacking stuff... I can't believe some of the xb's that I see don't have problems...

what I would like to hear are the stories of people who catch the jackers... there has got to be a few!... I can picture a young teen thinking he is gonna get an amp or a sub or something and gets caught and just gets beat down... that would be a life lesson all right!

 

man I feel for you guys. I hate people who steal from other people.

 

xbderby i have to agree on seeing some stories about people getting caught.

ive come to just trust in my insurance lol if something happens I am covered so whatever, it would still suck but I like to know I am protected.

My car I just traded in actually had the whole front windshield crushed in one day at the apartments I live...what happened was some guy was drunk and acting like a monkey jumping on the hoods of cars and planted his foot through my windshield...

Though I got lucky and the guys bro lived nearby and his cousin who did it ended up paying for a new windshield...gotta give them kudos for being man enough to fix a mistake.

gotta love us men + beer, though I can handle drinking some morons cannot.

 

That's pretty crazy but cool that they ended up taking care of the damage.

Yeah, I just know that I am covered if something happens, it just sucks knowthing that someone has gotten away with it but... there are much worse things in life that could happen vs. getting a system stolen or whatever... so yeah as we get older you tend not to worry about things like that as much...

I try and think back on stupid things I did when I was younger but I never broke into a car or broke a window or anything like that... although I always thought I would be good at it if I did... I would take it on like a quick pit stop haha... 8.3 seconds...haha
...but yeah I am sure some people have been taught a lesson on breaking into cars...

 

good points, i sure did my share of stupid shat when i was young too ...if something happens i will be bummed but i know i will be ok overall

i will feel better when i get my alarm this weekend installed

 

I got jacked easter sunday morning, Woke up and there was a message on my parents phone(I have everything registered there) My mom calls and say that the roger county police forund A 96 white chevy 1/2 to in a feild and it looks to be stolen, so I looked out the window then went outside sure enough it was gone!! It happen to e in a feild 4 miles from my moms house!!!! They took my 22'S deck amp door speakers sub's dash seat tail light and busted out every window and poured gas on it..... I went and got it back from the wrecker yard, put the stocks back on pushed it down the block to my G-MA'S house, started rebuilding her... New dash carpet seat stering coulum, stock headunit windows tail lights and 22'S... Then sold because it made me sick too look at it after He was raped....

 

i have been jacked twice in less than a year, first time for my system and just this week for my foglights

 

It doesnt matter what you drive or where your at! If the thieves want it they will get it. Havent had my box hit yet, but had a Wrangler that someone loved to hit. 3 times in 1 month. Last time was a bottle of Tommy Hilfiger Cologne. Lowlifes. My favorite was an old 84 Camry I had that got hit In CITY HALL Parking lot at 10 am. in the morning parked next to the front doors. Busted the window stole the crappy Roadmaster cassette player and some clothes. Dude who did that earned that keep, being in city hall/police departments parking lot!

 

I had a Civic that got jacked a few months ago. They were "joy-riding" for a couple of weeks before they got caught. They were actually running guns, drugs, and switch-blades from TJ to Fullerton. When the cops found them, they of course ran and hit a wall at 40mph. Yep, the car was totaled.

They used a slim-jim to pop the lock, yanked the dealer installed alarm module from the steering column, and popped the ignition with a dent puller. Gone in 60 seconds.

They also got my credit card and visa check card numbers from old dealer service receipts that I had in the glove-box. Dudes charged up $1,200 in hotel stays and pizza.

Moral of the story:

1) Alarms are basically useless unless you are physically there to respond to the alarm (I was away on business). Most people don't pay attention to other peoples alarms.
2) Don't leave any paperwork in your car except registration and insurance info.

 

My xB was stolen Monday night. It was horrible. I was double parked and had the car running (yes the keys were in it). The next day my girlfriend and I went out looking for it and just by dumb luck we found it, parked on a "bad" street. We had the Viper 791XV installed, but the thieves had our keys with the Viper transmitter on it, and they had the xB locked and armed. The cops came and we finally got in it, and the only things missing was my iPod and the "Air Spencer" air freshner we had in there. They didn't touch the rims, the subs, the amp, the iPod interface, or the Alpine HU! Which we thought was very odd. The police did NOTHING! They didn't dust for prints, or even knock on doors to see if anybody saw anything! We had to get all our locks changed, it's been a real pain, and a god awful experience!!!