I’m considering purchasing a new car. My question/Are the factory installed theft-deterrent systems worth while or should a person consider a “After Market” system and are these worth the time and money???
factory
They all eventually cause more grief to the owner than to a potential thief, but prefer the factory system. The dealership mechanics at least have a fighting chance to fix it when it malfunctions and turns on you.
I am with Steve. I would not consider an after market unit. We hear far too many bad stories about them. The OEM’s cause enough problems. The best bet is to be careful with the car and have insurance.
All new cars come with some level of theft deterrent from the factory.
That is a good point. All new cars come with a number of anti-theft systems whether you want them or not. You do not get to order one as an option. If your question is whether to add an additional aftermarket device, then I’d say it is unnecessary.
An aftermarket system is unnecessary and is very likely to interact with your factory supplied systems in ways that you will not like. Even simple aftermarket remote starters often cause all sorts of grief in today’s cars. The basic systems are just too complex now to be messing with.
Consider putting a large dog bowl with killer written on the side in the rear window. Nothing like the fear of a bad bite to cause one to steal elsewhere. Or forget the device and get a low comprehensive coverage deductible on you auto insurance.
Or perhaps picking one with a real ugly color of paint might just do it too. I’d probable opt for the low deductible but kind of leaning tword that UGLY color idea too…
In the old days, some people added a fuel shutoff lever. It worked well since someone trying to steal the car would not know it was there or how to disarm it. The thief might steal the car and get a couple of blocks only to have it stall in the middle of the street for no aapparent reason. They would abandon it. Of course any damage the did taking it would still be done. The old VW’s had the switch built in and few people who did not own them knew about it. No gas gauge but a off-on-reserve lever was there, much like on a motorcycle.
The best theft deterrent is a car no thief wants. Talk to your insurer about theft losses for models you are considering. It will have an effect on your insurance rates. IIHS/HLDI used to have this data with their collision loss statistics, but it’s all safety related now.
Newer cars are practically impossible to steal via the old-fashioned “hotwire it and drive it off” method. To steal a newer car you either need a tow truck or very specialized knowledge. An aftermarket security system is not going to deter someone with a tow truck or someone skilled enough to steal your car in the first place.
I like this simple solution:
Not on MY car!