Theft Prevention...

[AcesandEights]

They take them whole and resell them in Mexico, South America, Eastern Europe, Russia. It wasn’t uncommon to find shipping containers filled with stolen cars being sent south, east and west when I worked for insurance companies.

Yes, but that's organized crime (often E. European crime rings), not your run-of-the-mill thief.

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[da_jokker]

bad stuff happens and it does suck. insurance is a false safety net because they never give you enough to actually replace your vehicle with a true comparable... Which brings be to the second issue... Good luck finding a replacement Bronco.

So sure, bought a 55k rig, insurance gives you crap to replace it, and then you find yourself buying a used jeep.

 

[BossMann]

I have heard of several stolen cars in my Area (Louisville) over the last year. Three common themes between them:

-They were ALL FORDS
-All had their keys left inside
-Keypad entry

 

[MacHudson]

is car theft still a thing?

I honestly can't remember the last time I ever heard about a car being stolen.

There is an organized world of car thieves in the big cities. The cars are shipped overseas to developing world markets. There’s a good market overseas for a Mercedes or BMW without a clean title.

google “short hills mall” in NJ and a fatal shooting as thieves stole a car from a young couple there. That seemed to prompt the police to accelerate the blowing open of the theft ring. I’m sure another has popped up by now.

 

[Mattwings]

bad stuff happens and it does suck. insurance is a false safety net because they never give you enough to actually replace your vehicle with a true comparable... Which brings be to the second issue... Good luck finding a replacement Bronco.

So sure, bought a 55k rig, insurance gives you crap to replace it, and then you find yourself buying a used jeep.

I would suggest you get gap coverage or a policy with "new" replacement coverage (can usually get it for 2 years?). Funny thing, if the value goes up (no availability of a new bronco, ADM etc.) you could be paid more than you paid for it in the event of a total loss. I hear the complaint of "insurance wont give you enough to replace". I never had a customer actually take me up on going to the dealer and replacing the vehicle they had when I was an adjuster. I had relationships with several dealers and I was always confident I had offered enough $ to replace their vehicle. Now whether or not the customer was "up side down", that happened a lot. The last numbers I saw, 60% of vehicle loans were over the market value of the vehicle. That was just before Covid, so it could have changed, with used car prices going up relatively high.

 

[da_jokker]

I would suggest you get gap coverage or a policy with "new" replacement coverage (can usually get it for 2 years?). Funny thing, if the value goes up (no availability of a new bronco, ADM etc.) you could be paid more than you paid for it in the event of a total loss. I hear the complaint of "insurance wont give you enough to replace". I never had a customer actually take me up on going to the dealer and replacing the vehicle they had when I was an adjuster. I had relationships with several dealers and I was always confident I had offered enough $ to replace their vehicle. Now whether or not the customer was "up side down", that happened a lot. The last numbers I saw, 60% of vehicle loans were over the market value of the vehicle. That was just before Covid, so it could have changed, with used car prices going up relatively high.

And isn't GAP for loan vs book? Meaning if a person is not upside down, then GAP is a waste.

As far as I know, there isn't and "actual replacement value" option like home insurance.

 

[rugbysecondrow]

There are window films for buildings that make it extremely difficult to gain entry. Many schools have went with this to help prevent active shooters. 3M makes a pretty well regarded version. I am sure that has been scaled down to vehicle use by now.

From my understanding, working with higher threat federal facilities, there really isn't a film that will help with active shooter (ballistic), but some schools have added film since the Oklahoma city federal bombing, to provide blast protection from window breakage and flying glass. Ballistic vs blast protection are two very different scenarios. (One stops a bullet, the other keeps the window from becoming a flying weapon). The rub is that ballistic glass can become a heavy flying weapon in a blast scenario (crush occupants). Applying both, with anchoring and retro fits, is very expensive. Auto glass is meant to shatter, purposefully, in pieces that don't become as deadly to the occupant in an accident.

Every action has intended and unintended reactions. Carry a weapon, you then open your family to accidental shootings. Add film to your windows, does your vehicle become more unsafe for you. Add a tracking device to your car, then the police might find your beat up, blown out, vehicle. I had a truck stolen...getting back that piece of shit after they tore it up was worse than it being stolen in the first place.

The harsh reality, criminals will commit crimes. You can use some situational awareness, some basic preventative measures, learn tactics to help yourself, but they will win if they want to. They typically have the upper hand.

 

[PowPow]

And isn't GAP for loan vs book? Meaning if a person is not upside down, then GAP is a waste.

As far as I know, there isn't and "actual replacement value" option like home insurance.

yes. if you're putting a lot down on the car, you don't need GAP. the 'gap' it refers to is the amount you owe on the car vs what the car is worth. and since cars depreciate so quickly, you need to put down something like 20% to avoid that. So if you're buying a $50k bronco, and are putting down less than $10k & taking out a longer loan (60+ months), you should really consider GAP insurance.

at least that's my understanding.

I also think GAP is pretty cheap? Someone in the know could comment better on that than me.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

They take them whole and resell them in Mexico, South America, Eastern Europe, Russia. It wasn’t uncommon to find shipping containers filled with stolen cars being sent south, east and west when I worked for insurance companies.

My 69 boss 302 got stolen 1 week after i sold it ,15 years later it ends up in drug lords house in south america.

 

[Mattwings]

yes. if you're putting a lot down on the car, you don't need GAP. the 'gap' it refers to is the amount you owe on the car vs what the car is worth. and since cars depreciate so quickly, you need to put down something like 20% to avoid that. So if you're buying a $50k bronco, and are putting down less than $10k & taking out a longer loan (60+ months), you should really consider GAP insurance.

at least that's my understanding.

I also think GAP is pretty cheap? Someone in the know could comment better on that than me.

That pretty much covers it. It is sometimes needed on leases as well. I think Ford covers the gap on a Total Loss, I can't remember, but I did review it and determined I didn't need it last couple of leases. Also, the longer the term on the loan, the less headway you make towards positive equity in the vehicle/loan. You could potentially be "underwater" for several years, depending on the loan and the market value.

 

[Mattwings]

And isn't GAP for loan vs book? Meaning if a person is not upside down, then GAP is a waste.

As far as I know, there isn't and "actual replacement value" option like home insurance.

GAP has nothing to do with loan vs. book. GAP covers the difference between what you owe to what the vehicle is worth (in very simple terms). Book value is either a survey of dealers of retail and wholesale prices (NADA) or an estimate of wholesale and retail values (KBB). Neither are , or at least should be, used in determining actual cash value of a vehicle.

I did a quick search and at least 20 companies offer "new-car replacement" coverage. I would suggest you look over the policy language or talk to an agent, but it is somewhat common. Note,* this is not a "stated value" policy. That is often misunderstood. Stated Value typically limits the amount an insurance company will pay in the event of a total loss. they use it to insure vehicles they may not otherwise write coverage on, because the value fluctuates dramatically over time (classic cars is the most common application of that endorsement).

Here is just one link I found that explains and lists some companies offering the coverage. I have not been an agent for about 7 years and coverage changes all the time.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/new-car-replacement-car-insurance/

 

[abe]

From my understanding, working with higher threat federal facilities, there really isn't a film that will help with active shooter (ballistic), but some schools have added film since the Oklahoma city federal bombing, to provide blast protection from window breakage and flying glass. Ballistic vs blast protection are two very different scenarios. (One stops a bullet, the other keeps the window from becoming a flying weapon). The rub is that ballistic glass can become a heavy flying weapon in a blast scenario (crush occupants). Applying both, with anchoring and retro fits, is very expensive. Auto glass is meant to shatter, purposefully, in pieces that don't become as deadly to the occupant in an accident.

Every action has intended and unintended reactions. Carry a weapon, you then open your family to accidental shootings. Add film to your windows, does your vehicle become more unsafe for you. Add a tracking device to your car, then the police might find your beat up, blown out, vehicle. I had a truck stolen...getting back that piece of shit after they tore it up was worse than it being stolen in the first place.

The harsh reality, criminals will commit crimes. You can use some situational awareness, some basic preventative measures, learn tactics to help yourself, but they will win if they want to. They typically have the upper hand.

I was generalizing, but there is film to protect from any type of penetrating trauma. It is not necessarily ballistic rated. It is more of a deterrent rather than 100% prevention. It is very impressive. There are many videos floating around. I've also seen it in person.

3m home
3m for schools

 

[csj]

I like that 3m ultra 800 film. If they could put that on vehicle windows, I think it'd be a big plus. I'm in the bay area, I think S.F. is the capitol of vehicle break-ins. Seems like some film like that could really slow down the break-ins.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

I like that 3m ultra 800 film. If they could put that on vehicle windows, I think it'd be a big plus. I'm in the bay area, I think S.F. is the capitol of vehicle break-ins. Seems like some film like that could really slow down the break-ins.

Exactly

 

[Jason]

You can call your insurance company and ask about Replacement Cost car insurance. Nerd Wallet has a pretty good summary of what different companies offer. I'll be looking into this for the first year or so.

My company offers up to 110% for the first year, which is probably accurate for the Bronco. It still doesn't mean I can find one, but it would take the sting out of having to replace it.

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