What is it called when you steal a car? Everything you need to know about car theft

As an auto theft investigator, I‘ve seen all the clever and downright crazy ways thieves steal cars. And as a tech geek fascinated by advances in auto security, I‘ve also seen how innovations like key fobs and biometric scanners aim to stop these Ali Baba wannabes.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore everything about car theft, from what it‘s legally called to how to outsmart increasingly tech-savvy thieves. Buckle up for a wild ride through the shadowy world of auto theft!

Legally Speaking: Grand Theft Auto

The main legal term for stealing a car is grand theft auto (GTA). This refers to taking someone‘s vehicle without consent when it‘s worth over a certain dollar value determined by each state.

For example, in Florida the threshold for GTA is any vehicle worth $5,000 or more. So stealing a new $40,000 Ford F-150 would likely be charged as felony grand theft auto. Some key takeaways about GTA:

• Applies to any non-commercial vehicle including cars, SUVs, motorcycles, ATVs, RVs, watercraft

• Felony charge punishable by heavy fines, probation, and/or jail time

• Permanent deprivation required – joyriding is usually a lesser misdemeanor

• Dollar value determines whether it‘s petty theft or grand theft auto

Now let‘s look at sentences and fines you could face if convicted of grand theft auto:

State	Jail Time	Fines
California	16 months – 3 years	up to $10,000
Florida	1 – 5 years	up to $5,000
New York	1 – 4 years	up to $5,000
Texas	180 days – 10 years	up to $10,000

As you can see, a GTA conviction can seriously disrupt your life. Later, we‘ll go over steps to prevent your beloved ride from getting swiped.

Why Would Someone Steal Your Car? Motives Explained

Car thieves have various motives when eyeing your sweet ride:

Joyriding – Joyrides account for nearly 40% of stolen cars. Bored teens looking for a thrill-ride make up many of these thefts. They don‘t intend to keep your car – unless you drive a killer Ferrari!

Chop Shops – Ever see a suspicious auto shop with lots of beat-up cars and parts lying around? It could be a chop shop dismantling stolen vehicles to sell parts on the black market.

Exporting – Luxury and high-end cars are frequently stolen and loaded into containers to ship overseas and sell at a big profit. A stolen BMW can fetch 2-3X more money in some countries!

Use in Crimes – Criminals regularly steal cars without license plates to use while committing other crimes like robberies and drug deals. These vehicles are often abandoned.

Insurance Fraud – Dishonest owners may arrange to have their car stolen and stripped to collect an insurance payout. This fraud costs insurers over $1 billion annually!

Ransom – Much rarer are ransoms demanded for the return of stolen exotic cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

How Do Car Thieves Do It? Most Common Methods

Like hackers always finding new security exploits, car thieves employ all sorts of clever tricks to steal your ride. Here are the most common methods:

Key Cloning – Thieves use "code grabbers" to copy your key fob signal when you hit lock. They can then clone the code onto a blank key to access your car.

Ignition Jamming – A common old-school tactic is jamming a chisel into the ignition to break the locking mechanism and start the car.

Electronic Hacking – With new cars, sophisticated hacking tools plug into OBD ports to reprogram keys and override security systems.

Carjacking – Violent carjackers force drivers out at gun or knife point. Carjacking accounts for fewer than 2% of thefts but is on the rise.

Hotwiring – By stripping ignition wires, thieves can spark the ignition and fire up the engine without a key. Classic technique but foiled by modern anti-hotwire systems.

Smash and Grabs – Opportunity crimes where thieves break a window and hotwire cars left unattended with valuables in plain sight.

Wheel & Tire Theft – Crooks often just take wheels and tires which are easy to remove and valuable. A full set can sell for thousands on the black market chop shop circuit.

Which Cars Get Stolen the Most?

You may be wondering – what kinds of vehicles are most targeted by thieves? For 2021, here are the top 5 most stolen models according to NICB data:

Rank	Make/Model	Thefts in 2021
1	Ford Pickup (F-150/F-250)	34,014
2	Chevrolet Pickup (Silverado)	31,566
3	Honda Civic	27,381
4	Honda Accord	19,954
5	Toyota Camry	14,614

As you can see, full-size pickups dominate the list because they‘re easy to strip for parts and resell. Honda Civics and Accords have long been popular targets due to lack of anti-theft measures from the factory.

Inside Chop Shops – Where Stolen Cars Meet Their End

Ever wonder what happens to stolen cars? Many end up in illegal chop shops – garages where vehicles are dismantled and sold off as parts. Let‘s peek inside the seedy underworld of chop shops:

• Operated secretly out of garages, warehouses, barns

• Use stolen vehicles or "donor" cars often purchased at salvage auctions

• Stripped quickly for parts like engines, transmissions, electronics

• VIN numbers filed off to prevent identification

• Parts sold to shady dealers, online retailers, or public

• Reassembled stolen parts used to "clone" and resell salvaged vehicles

Chop shops are tremendously profitable, generating estimated revenues up to $5 billion a year! For car owners, it‘s heartbreaking to think of your prized Mustang or F-150 disassembled in pieces at a chop shop.

Prevalence of Auto Theft – Stats and Trends

On average, a vehicle is stolen every 41 seconds in the U.S. according to FBI data. That adds up to over 800,000 stolen vehicles per year! However, theft rates have declined by over 50% since hitting a peak in the early 1990s:

Year	Total Stolen Vehicles
1991	1.66 million
2000	1.15 million
2010	737,142
2020	873,080

Several factors account for this long-term downward trend:

• Widespread use of engine immobilizers and anti-theft systems by automakers

• Greater use of steering wheel locks and alarms by owners

• Dedicated police task forces targeting theft rings and chop shops

• Tougher penalties for auto theft crimes

However, with cars becoming "smarter" and more connected, we may see thieves employing more high-tech hacking tools to swipe rides in the future.

Protecting Your Car From Theft

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" as Ben Franklin wisely said. Here are pro tips to safeguard your wheels from wily thieves:

At Home:

• Park in well-lit areas close to your home rather than on side streets

• Install motion-activated security spotlights and cameras overlooking driveway

• Get a wheel lock clamp that secures to your steering wheel

• Equip your car with an alarm system or hidden GPS tracker

Out and About:

• Always roll up windows, lock doors, and pocket keys when leaving your car

• Avoid leaving valuables in plain sight that may entice a smash and grab

• Use antitheft devices like steering wheel/brake pedal locks whenever parking

• When parking overnight, consider a monitored garage or lot rather than street parking

• Never leave a running vehicle unattended – stolen cars are often crimes of opportunity

On the Road:

• Keep your car key fob in a Faraday bag or pouch to block wireless signals from code grabbers

• Drive home using randomized routes in case you‘re being followed by potential thieves

• Exercise caution at stop lights and signs where you may be vulnerable to a carjacking

Following these prevention tips diligently makes it much harder for thieves to target your prized ride. For even more security, you can install aftermarket upgrades like:

• Hidden kill switches that disable ignition or fuel pumps
• Biometric fingerprint scanners to start vehicle
• Dashboard cameras to record any suspicious activity

The more barriers you put up, the less likely thieves will be to see your car as easy pickings!

Summing it All Up!

Well there you have it – everything you need to know about the shadowy world of car theft and how to avoid becoming another victim! To recap:

• Grand theft auto is the legal charge for vehicle theft over a set dollar value

• Main motives range from joyriding to supplying chop shops to exporting luxury cars

• Popular theft methods include cloning keys, carjacking, and hacking electronic systems

• Pickup trucks are the most stolen vehicles, but older Honda models also top theft lists

• Stolen cars often meet their end in illegal chop shops where they‘re stripped for parts

• Owner prevention methods like alarms, trackers, and wheel locks are highly effective

I hope by shining a light on the dark underworld of auto theft, you now feel more empowered to protect your beloved vehicle from meeting a premature end. Stay one step ahead of tech-savvy thieves by reviewing these prevention tips anytime someone looks at your sweet ride a little too long. Here‘s to many more happy miles in your car rather than it ending up in pieces at a chop shop!