64 stolen cars return to Canada from Republic of Malta.

Next they should focus their attention specifically on the automotive giants involved and shed major light on why and how these vehicles are stolen with such ease. It's time Canada and USA come down hard on manufacturers for letting this racket go on for so long. I almost feel like there is a conspiracy with automakers making it so easy to override and steal, after all, after it's stolen, the consumer or insurance will just buy a new one, further lining the manufacturers' wallets.

chimaican wrote: ↑ Next they should focus their attention specifically on the automotive giants involved and shed major light on why and how these vehicles are stolen with such ease. It's time Canada and USA come down hard on manufacturers for letting this racket go on for so long. I almost feel like there is a conspiracy with automakers making it so easy to override and steal, after all, after it's stolen, the consumer or insurance will just buy a new one, further lining the manufacturers' wallets.

100%!!! It shouldn't be rocket science to stop this ridiculousness. I have a suggestion...how about a physical key, each one uniquely cut to start a vehicle?

smacd wrote: ↑ 100%!!! It shouldn't be rocket science to stop this ridiculousness. I have a suggestion...how about a physical key, each one uniquely cut to start a vehicle?

Old tech with the new Gen?
Oh gawd no... it will take too much energy to pull the key and fob from the pockets and insert/turn the ignition. They want to start their cars with their cell phone

But I agree, tech was already in place that made it difficult: unique cut keys with a RFID chip.

I wonder who is getting their car back from this?

htc*** wrote: ↑ Here is the article from Global News

According to police, 18 people have been charged with more than 170 offences.

It was good training.

A few slaps on the wrist later they’d be able able to go at it again with more perfected skill.

spike1128 wrote: ↑ I wonder who is getting their car back from this?

That will be interesting, most already got paid out by their insurance company, so I think these will be going to insurance company whom will just be auction off to recover some funds

chimaican wrote: ↑ Next they should focus their attention specifically on the automotive giants involved and shed major light on why and how these vehicles are stolen with such ease. It's time Canada and USA come down hard on manufacturers for letting this racket go on for so long. I almost feel like there is a conspiracy with automakers making it so easy to override and steal, after all, after it's stolen, the consumer or insurance will just buy a new one, further lining the manufacturers' wallets.

Consumers make it easy to steal. They want fobs, they want the latest electronic and wireless gadgets. This opens so many more gates for a potential thieve to expose.

Keys can be copied.

Car thefts didn't just start in the last ten years. Twas ever thus. Insurance companies and police forces always make these things sound like it's a brand new, out of control phenomenon. It isn't - we've always had car thefts.

This site suggests that the vehicle theft rate today is about half of what it was twenty years ago: https://www.statista.com/statistics/524933/canada-rate-of-motor-vehicle-thefts/ and Stats Canada reported in 2001 that vehicle theft had risen steadily from the early 80s - when the number of stolen cars per 100,000 residents was much higher than it is today. Source: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/85-002-x2003001-eng.pdf.

It’s interesting that they are doing this at all.

I remember being in Jamaica and seeing a bunch of SS bikes and performance cars with Ontario plates still on them driving around…

Car thefts are definitely not new.
Growing up in poor areas of Toronto, I can remember friends of mine stealing cars and that was at a young age. I didn't know how it worked exactly, all I knew is they would get money for stealing cars. Obviously they were taking them to chop shops. Now, instead of chop shops (or in addition to I should say) cars get shipped overseas to be used.

The global economy didn't allow for shipping cars overseas before. That aspect is new, but car thefts are nothing new.
I don't think the car companies intentionally make it easy to steal vehicles
The number of people who need new cars due to theirs being stolen probably doesn't even register for the automakers.
Like the CEO or other high execs are going to risk their giant salaries so that they get a handful of extra sales per year.

Shaner wrote: ↑ Car thefts are definitely not new.
Growing up in poor areas of Toronto, I can remember friends of mine stealing cars and that was at a young age. I didn't know how it worked exactly, all I knew is they would get money for stealing cars. Obviously they were taking them to chop shops. Now, instead of chop shops (or in addition to I should say) cars get shipped overseas to be used.

The global economy didn't allow for shipping cars overseas before. That aspect is new, but car thefts are nothing new.
I don't think the car companies intentionally make it easy to steal vehicles
The number of people who need new cars due to theirs being stolen probably doesn't even register for the automakers.
Like the CEO or other high execs are going to risk their giant salaries so that they get a handful of extra sales per year.

Way to ruin a perfectly good conspiracy theory.

Not a direct comparison to 80s. People were stealing old cars back then. Now they are stealing 100k cars for much higher profits.

papperboo wrote: ↑ Not a direct comparison to 80s. People were stealing old cars back then. Now they are stealing 100k cars for much higher profits.

Source?

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ Keys can be copied.

You have to lose possession of the keys to do that, though the plier, blank key and file trick may work with enough time.

Car thefts didn't just start in the last ten years. Twas ever thus. Insurance companies and police forces always make these things sound like it's a brand new, out of control phenomenon. It isn't - we've always had car thefts.

Sure, but it used to be more mechanical, took more time, and wasn't easily done w/o doing at least some damage to the vehicle. Have to start with a slim jim to open the door, and then most likely prise out the steer wheel lock and then cut and hot wire the ignition. Time & damage. These days, it seems you can just unlock doors and start the vehicle and drive it away in seconds, all w/o even touching the car until the door is unlocked.

This site suggests that the vehicle theft rate today is about half of what it was twenty years ago:

Probably higher for certain brands than others.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ You have to lose possession of the keys to do that, though the plier, blank key and file trick may work with enough time.



Sure, but it used to be more mechanical, took more time, and wasn't easily done w/o doing at least some damage to the vehicle. Have to start with a slim jim to open the door, and then most likely prise out the steer wheel lock and then cut and hot wire the ignition. Time & damage. These days, it seems you can just unlock doors and start the vehicle and drive it away in seconds, all w/o even touching the car until the door is unlocked.



Probably higher for certain brands than others.

Live your life. Good for you.

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ Live your life. Good for you.

Hate reasoned counter arguments?

Auto theft is not something I'm concerned about (reason to follow) other than how it impacts my car insurance rates. We have a '04 beige Corolla and no one is going to bother to steal that unless one left the door unlocked and keys in. Only thing newer (actually only other vehicle) we have is an '06 Ford chassis motorhome.

Unfortunately both vehicles are a bit too old and both of us are a bit too young (and relatively healthy and hopefully stay that way) that it's unlikely both current vehicles will outlive us (or we're more than likely to outlive them).

Police and the authorities could be doing so much more.

I posted before, they need to come up with fines for the shipping companies.

The cops need to start inspecting the containers in Montreal, any company transporting stolen cars overseas must be fined $100 K per vehicle. This would stop cars leaving to other countries.

64 stolen cars? That is a fine of 6.4 million to the company that transported the cars to Malta.

Believe me, if they implement these fines, this type of crime would go down.

papperboo wrote: ↑ Not a direct comparison to 80s. People were stealing old cars back then. Now they are stealing 100k cars for much higher profits.

Factor in inflation, and they were probably stealing 100k cars back then too.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ Hate reasoned counter arguments?

Auto theft is not something I'm concerned about (reason to follow) other than how it impacts my car insurance rates. We have a '04 beige Corolla and no one is going to bother to steal that unless one left the door unlocked and keys in. Only thing newer (actually only other vehicle) we have is an '06 Ford chassis motorhome.

Unfortunately both vehicles are a bit too old and both of us are a bit too young (and relatively healthy and hopefully stay that way) that it's unlikely both current vehicles will outlive us (or we're more than likely to outlive them).

I posted links to stats on car thefts in post #9 above.

Cars thefts expressed as thefts per 100,000 residents:

1981: ~400
1991: ~500
2001: 543
2011: 240
2021: 218

So, your arguments were that car thefts were more difficult during the keyed era but these numbers show thefts were more common then.

The real issue isn't the technology used to start the car, it's that thefts have shifted - it's more risky and less rewarding today to trade in parted out stolen cars within Canada and the US so most (but not all) of those thefts have gone away. In their place have emerged the theft rings that export stolen cars to countries were authorities look the other way. There's also the time-honoured practice of stealing trucks and vans to assist in other property theft - that trend has not abated it seems.

With headlines like With vehicle theft rising in Canada, what are automakers doing to beef up security? it's understandable that people would think that car theft is at historical highs but it isn't. I'm sure the incidence rose in 2022 as the pandemic fueled demand but one or two years may be causes for concern but they're not a trend. And, yes, cracking down before they become a trend is absolutely advisable.