2 Things People Unknowingly Do That Invite Car Thieves

I certainly can not be the only person who does this. It’s probably the stupidest thing you can do regarding car theft, but it’s done every day with our cars in New Jersey. I do it every day.  If you haven’t figured it out yet I’ll share in a moment (or you can scroll down to my a-ha moment).

According to the Insurance Information Institute, over 10,000 people are victims of car theft in New Jersey each year. However, according to Consumer Reports, there are some extremely effective precautions we can take to help prevent auto theft.

Car thieves are more likely to target cars in dark or remote areas. If you park in your driveway or garage, install automatic lighting which will help to scare off potential thieves.

If your vehicle doesn’t have an anti-theft device, have one installed. It could pay for itself by saving you on insurance, and the cost and aggravation of having your car disappear. Even if you get a simple steering wheel lock, they do work. It may not be difficult for a thief to cut through it, but they’re more likely to move on to another victim.

I had an old piece of junk 86’ Buick Regal decades ago, not anything you’d think had any type of anti-theft devices. Instead of an alarm, I had a “kill switch” installed. It was easy to break into and that simple toggle switch prevented my car from being stolen four or five times. It’s an on/off switch located under the dashboard. When it’s in the off position, it cuts off power from the battery preventing anyone from starting the car. It made it appear as if the battery was dead and the thieves moved on.

Here’s something I’d been doing this for years and only stopped when a neighbor’s car was stolen. Don't leave your key or key fob in your car. It is so much more convenient, but it also makes it simple for crooks to drive off with your car (and everything in it) in a matter of seconds. Because the car doesn’t lock with the fob inside, it just takes a simple pull of the handle to open the door. If the fob is in the car then it can take a car thief less than 5 seconds to get in and drive off.

Here’s another safety tip worth mentioning. Many don’t think of this and I didn’t realize the danger until recently. Be careful if you have a garage and keep the garage opener in your car. If you always park in the garage then this is not a concern.

However, we enter and exit through our garage and we keep openers in all of our cars. Since one car is always parked on the street, anyone who breaks into our car has immediate access to our house.

If you’re like us and sometimes forget to lock the car, then anyone can enter your house as easily as you do. I feel it would be a good idea to have a keypad on the remote that's kept in the car.

For the first time in nearly two years, the new car average sale prices fell below the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). The average transaction price paid for a new vehicle in the United States declined in March 2023 to $48,008, according to Kelley Blue Book data. That’s a month-over-month decrease of 1.1%. This means that consumers paid less than the sticker price displayed on the window.

"Right now, in-market consumers are finding more inventory, more choice and dealers more willing to deal, at least with some brands," said Rebecca Rydzewski, auto-industry researcher at Kelley Blue Book's parent firm Cox Automotive.

According to their data, non-luxury buyers paid an average of $44,182. Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Volkswagen all saw their average price decline in March. Honda and Kia dealers still charged an average of 3% to 6% over sticker price. Their research also found that luxury buyers saw less of an improvement. They paid an average of $65,202.

New cars now average over $48,000 before taxes and fees. There are still new cars available for less than the average cost. As of May 2023, there are only three new vehicles that would cost $20,000 or less.

However, all three of these cars are small sedans with minimal cargo space and efficient gas mileage.

Take a look at the only 3 new cars under $20,000 or less.

The Kia Rio subcompact sedan starts at $17,875 and the Rio5 hatchback at $18,515. Both front-wheel-drive models come standard with a 120 hp four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, air conditioning, and a highway fuel economy rating of 41 mpg.

The Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback starts at $17,340 and the Mirage G4 sedan is just $1,000 more. its three-cylinder engine rated at just 76 horsepower -- and the most-efficient non-hybrid vehicle, with the hatchback getting an EPA combined rating of 39 mpg.

The Nissan Versa sedan is priced at $16,925. It is roomy for the price and has a 122 hp four-cylinder under the hood, a standard 5-speed manual transmission, automatic emergency brakes, and a five-star NHTSA crash test rating. Models equipped with an automatic transmission start at $18,595 and have a 40 mpg highway fuel economy rating. A fully loaded version with adaptive cruise control, heated seats, and a wireless charging pad tops out at $20,215.