Can a thief take the wheels off your car?
Even cars with alarm systems are vulnerable, and high-end tires, wheels, and rims are often worth thousands of dollars to thieves. An experienced team of thieves can get the wheels off your car in minutes, leaving your vehicle on blocks and incapable of being driven. If you have expensive rims on your car, you are at an even higher risk of theft.
How much money is stolen from car wheels?
Despite all the technological advancements made in the auto industry, old-fashioned wheel theft remains a problem nationwide: The value of tires stolen each year is at least $1 million, according to one estimate.
Where was the Honda Fit that was stolen from?
A couple of years later, thieves stole the wheels from Cars.com’s brand new 2015 long-term test car — also a Honda Fit — while it was parked on the street in a North Side Chicago neighborhood.
When is the best time to steal a wheel?
Because a good wheel thief usually works in a group during the overnight hours, they make off with the rims in a matter of minutes, usually going unnoticed by sleeping car owners, according to Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Even cars with alarm systems are vulnerable, and high-end tires, wheels, and rims are often worth thousands of dollars to thieves. An experienced team of thieves can get the wheels off your car in minutes, leaving your vehicle on blocks and incapable of being driven. If you have expensive rims on your car, you are at an even higher risk of theft.
Where can I Sell my Stolen Car Wheels?
Wheels don’t have serial numbers, and nobody’s going to ask for proof of ownership. Thieves might sell stolen wheels online, to auto body shops, or even from their front yard. Aftermarket tires are some of the most popular automotive accessories—and the more expensive the vehicle, the more expensive the wheels.
How often are alloy wheels stolen from cars?
Law enforcement and police agencies across the country recorded more than 366,000 cases of car-accessory theft in 2016, for an average loss of $541 per incident, according to statistics for that year. Even Cars.com staffers aren’t immune to thieves, particularly those with a preference for the Honda Fit’s versatile alloy wheels.
A couple of years later, thieves stole the wheels from Cars.com’s brand new 2015 long-term test car — also a Honda Fit — while it was parked on the street in a North Side Chicago neighborhood.