I'm looking to add some extra protection to my car. What's some of the better options out there? And I guess i should ask is it even necessary to add anything like that? I'm moving to an area where that has a bad rep for crime but i will have a closed private parking.

 

I wouldn't worry about anyone "stealing" your car. If they want it they will get it on a rollback. Alarms are okay, but the key to it is to not leave valuables in your car. If you want anything, try the OEM Impact Sensor. Does a pretty good job.

 

From what I've read, Lojack seems to be a solution that (supposedly) actually works much of the time. They offer 24-hour guarantees, etc.

That's the route I would go if I wanted to spend money on something like that.

 

Lojack basic is $695.

USAA offers a discount on your car insurance if you have Lojack. Since I did not have it, I don't know what the discount is.

Probably not $695 though!

 

Lojack is a POS. I had it on my first G. Would never get it again.

Plus, if your car is stolen, 9 times out of 10 it will have been wrecked or already stripped... Would you really want it back? I'd rather just not and get a new car.

 

I have LoJack and am insured with USAA. The discount they gave me was almost $400 per year, so my $850 one-time cost will be paid off shortly.

Additionally, I have the early warning feature with my LoJack. That means if anyone tries to just move your car you will be called immediately. If you don’t answer, the cops will be called without delay. That means there will be no time for car thieves to do anything to your car, let alone wreck or strip it before the law arrives.

 

honestly if you are in closed parking just make sure when you're parked outside of that area not to leave any valuables in it.

 

Impressed by the report of your savings, I called USAA to see what my discount would be with Lojack.

Alas, it's only $41.88 per year.

 

That’s too bad. I guess it varies based on the State you live in and other parameters regarding your own insurance. But the attached chart from the LoJack website would suggest you should get more:

 

Trunk Monkey, yo!

 

That must also depend on your specific insurance company.

Could you elaborate? What makes it a POS? I'm just curious since some of us are considering it.

Sure, cars get wrecked or stripped when they get stolen, but the ideal situation is to recover it before this happens. Which is something they claim to do. I'm not sure how successful it is, but that 10% number you are quoting seems a bit low.

 

Sure... I had the Lojack with Early Warning Detection. This is the system that if the car moves without the provided key fob then their system will send an email, text, phone call, etc to let you know that your car may have been without your permission. This feature is pretty cool. It worked for about 3 months. Then the transponder thing that they hide went bad. I had it replaced twice in my 1 1/2 years of ownership of that car. The only reason I knew it didn't work as I tested the EWD system monthly. In addition, it is recommended with Lojack that you have the system checked by a Lojack professional each year... well what they don't tell you is that cost $99 and if you don't have it done, if they can't find your car then their guarantee is worth dog**** in that case.

Let's talk abut finding your car now... As you know, the city where the car is must have lojack tracking installed in their vehicles to track a car. And don't get me wrong, alot of municipalities do. However... From talking with my friends in law enforcement, you would be lucky to find 1/2 of all units that are actually functioning correctly.

I guess what I'm saying is the concept is great, and it works if all parties have functioning systems, but the chances of that actually happening appear to be slim from my understanding.

And... if my car were stolen... now that I think about it... chances are that I really wouldn't want it back. I'd prefer a check from my insurance company instead of getting a car back likely with damage from a police chase, it already being stripped down, etc.

In all, it is just a personal preference, but it really only protects from your car being stolen. That's it and the chances of your car being stolen considering the technology in the Intelligent key are quite slim.

 

Your points are well taken, but I would have a problem with not getting my car back. The insurance company is not going to give you a check for a brand new G37. Rather they’re going to give you what the car was worth at the time of loss, less any deductibles. In my case, it could be a $10,000 loss from what I originally paid for the car; or they could give me another ’08, that was someone else’s car that may have not been as well cared for or as properly driven as mine. Considering such parameters, and after any needed repairs of course, I would still want mine back.

And if the LoJack system was working (and I may take your advice of having mine checked out), I doubt that any stripping of the car would occur before the cops got it back.

 

Mine was $1 less a month LOL. My insurance told me that there are already several discounts on the G because it comes, factory, with anti-theft and recovery devices.

As far as getting the car stolen/recovered. Ours isnt a car that gets stolen to be a getaway car for a bank robbery. It'll either be stripped, on a cargo container headed to Albania, or get raped from joyriding...would you want it back after that? I'm not sure I would.

Taking a $10K loss? You took a $2-3K loss when you bought it.

 

1) For you, OP, Park in well lit areas whenever you can
2) Don't bump music when close to home...you'll attract negative attention
3) if you have a standalone GPS remove the entire mounting bracket, not just the GPS..and carry a towel with you to remove the suction cup marks (yea they look for those, too, as a sign that you might have one hidden in the car)
4) Go with your gut. If you feel a place might be shady to park in...just keep going to find another spot. (the stereo on my old car was stolen and I am almost 100% it was the "spotters" that were hanging out in the parking lot before a concert I went to)..if you see shady looking people KEEP GOING!