does the club really prevent car theft?

Question

I'm going to be living downtown, and though it's a really nice building there has been car theft.

I drive a stock Pontiac Vibe. Not that anyone would want to steal it, but I would like piece of mind.

Does my Vibe have any kind of decent alarm system?

Does the club really prevent car theft?

What is lo jack? I know, stupid question. But I've always lived out in the sticks and never had to worry about car theft.

Answer 1

Lo-Jack is where they are able to locate your car by the tracker. I have heard good things about it. I do know the club is not all that great . It won't help you get your car back. If they want your car they are going to get it. Whether you have the club , alarm, or the lo-jack. With the lo-jack the can locate it.

Answer 2

If you had an alarm system you would either find it in the paperwork with your car or a control on the key chain or a mechanism - probably on the dashboard - to activate it.

Let's see. If you put 'the Club' on your car, since it's very hard to cut it, the thief simply cuts through the steering wheel, then bends it at the cut and removes The Club. Hacksaws are about $9.99 at Home Depot and he can slip one under his shirt.

If the thief doesn't have a hacksaw, he can use any cold substance such as canned nitrogen to freeze the lock on The Club then hit it hard with a hammer to shatter it. Now that the lock is gone, he can remove the device and he hasn't even damaged the steering wheel!

The Club is probably effective for two cases: places where you're near the car and just want to prevent someone from stealing it while you're not in range, like at classic car displays, and to deter casual joyriders who might try to steal your car if it was left with no protection at all.

I've heard some people claim that The Club is also a bad idea in most cases because it can sometimes *attract* attention because if your car has one, it says "This car is valuable" and thus might make it more likely that it is stolen.

What I have heard as a suggestion - I think I saw it on an informercial once - is to consider a device that locks the brake pedal in the off position so it cannot be activated; the device locks in the driver's feet area under the dashboard and prevents the brake pedal from being depressed.

The brake pedal arm is made with very strong metal, if I understand, because it has to withstand real serious use, like people standing on it for sudden stops, so supposedly it's much more resistant to, say, someone cutting the pedal off.

All cars require you depress the brake pedal to be able to change gears, e.g. from park to drive; if the brake cannot be activated it cannot be driven. But I don't know if that device is also vulnerable to the same attack as The Club.

LoJack is a special radio transmitter system in which the installer hides it somewhere in your car - even you don't know where - and if you report your car as stolen, the police send out a signal that has the lojack device's serial number and tells it to activate itself by sending out a radio transmission that tells any police officer with a LoJack receiver where it is, and by implication, the car it's attached to. This presumes the thief can't guess where the transmitter is and remove it.

Unless you are moving to a high-crime area, in most cases, just making sure the car doors and windows are closed and locked and the keys are not in the car will make it very unlikely that it will be stolen, especially if it's not a recent model or has very low demand. This will usually keep away all but professional thieves.

Professional thieves take cars for two reasons: the car is a very popular model and it's worth shipping out of the country or replacing the VIN with a stolen or counterfeit one so the car can be sold, or the car is worth more disassembled for parts. If it's a few years old it's probably not worth either.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
does the club really prevent car theft?
I'm going to be living downtown, and though it's a really nice building there has been car theft.

I drive a stock Pontiac Vibe. Not that anyone would want to steal it, but I would like piece of mind.

Does my Vibe have any kind of decent alarm system?

Does the club really prevent...

Answer 4

Modern car thieves use tow trucks to steal your vehicle. They are looking for expensive cars that can be sold or cars that can be stripped for parts. The little guys are after radios,cd players and such. Make sure there is nothing to see in your car that would give them cause to break a window and steal it. A car alarm is nothing but a noisy thing to make your neighbors mad. Lo jack is very expensive and should only be used on really classy cars with high value. The cost of lo jack against the car value must be considered. You should be insured against car theft. Make sure you have nothing toattract a thief and you will be fine. The club, I believe, is something to make a thief wonder what you are protecting that might be valuable.

Answer 5

Prevent, YES

Eliminate, NO

- Best advice - park your car in well traveled and well-lit areas. Simple alarms can help, and a Club can help.

Best advice? Don't worry too much. If someone wants your car, let 'em have it. That's why you pay insurance. It's just a pile of metal.

Answer 6

LoJack WORKS!

Over 200,000 vehicles have been recovered worldwide since the product was introduced, with over 100,000 recovered in the U.S. alone.

Worldwide, LoJack has helped recover over $4 billion in stolen assets to date.

LoJack offers a money-back guarantee: The system comes with a two year 24-hour recovery warranty.

LoJack owners may be eligible for insurance discounts.