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Yet another news outlet has spotlighted the Dodge Charger theft trend, something that the Dodge security update curiously hasn’t ended. This time it’s CBS News Chicago talking to frustrated owners who have recently had their rides pushed away, the ignition hacked so thieves could help themselves. Somehow not everyone knows this has been a growing trend for years now, so they’re shocked when it happens to them.
See how a Hellcat was stolen in broad daylight here.
One Charger owner told the reporter he’s thinking of just getting a vehicle that’s less attractive to thieves. We hope he’s not thinking of a Kia or Hyundai, mistaking the relative cheapness and mundaneness of those cars as a guard against theft. And that’s part of the problem is it’s not just American muscle cars that are being targeted these days.
Still, if you own a Mopar you might want to take some extra steps to secure your ride, as do people who own other vehicles. CBS News Chicago spoke with a local security expert who says he gets plenty of calls all the time from shocked Dodge owners. He counsels them to add aftermarket security devices, namely an alarm with remote alerts and a PIN system which keeps anyone from starting the car without inputting a code on the steering wheel controls.
We know others have talked about kill switches and other non-factory security solutions. If people go for different devices instead of just relying on the factory setup thieves will have more hurdles to jump over, possibly discouraging them from swiping at least some rides.
We share this news to remind anyone who has even a somewhat desirable car to take extra steps to secure it, including installing a tracking device. Even if thieves steal your ride, if you can track it you might be able to get it back before it’s gone for good.
Source: CBS News Chicago
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