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For decades I saw pools of broken glass in the street because somebody broke into a car.
But in recent years I never see this anymore.
Could it be because most car radios have a code that render them valueless to a thief?
I live in LA, and you'd think I'd see more broken glass on the streets!
For decades I saw pools of broken glass in the street because somebody broke into a car.
But in recent years I never see this anymore.
Could it be because most car radios have a code that render them valueless to a thief?
I live in LA, and you'd think I'd see more broken glass on the streets!
Why steal something with little to no resale value?
With the arrival of the ipod ,and all it's cousins, car radios don't have much resale anymore.
The way its integrated into current dashboards, there is basically nothing left to steal except for maybe the entire dashboard. Its just too much work at this point to even try to get it out (unless you have a early 2000's car). Go into a Best Buy and you'll see very few for sale. Current cars either connect an MP3 device either through a wire are via bluetooth.
I suspect if any car stereos get targeted it will be aftermarket units that were installed to replace the OEM unit, far easier to steal those than OEM ones. Many OEM units have theft deterrent and won't work in another car, some (like mine) have large touch screens and a seperate head unit that controls it, plus a seperate CD/DVD drive, plus a seperate USB port and SD card reader. It would take ages to get it all out and it would be almost impossible to get it working again.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I still see broken windows ijn a secluded parking lot almost daily, but the stereos are just not worth bothering with. They are grabbing items left in the car by tourists. I think the market for used car radios is gone, because all cars come with nice systems now, so no one needs to buy a used one.
I suspect if any car stereos get targeted it will be aftermarket units that were installed to replace the OEM unit, far easier to steal those than OEM ones. Many OEM units have theft deterrent and won't work in another car, some (like mine) have large touch screens and a seperate head unit that controls it, plus a seperate CD/DVD drive, plus a seperate USB port and SD card reader. It would take ages to get it all out and it would be almost impossible to get it working again.
This is arguably the main reason radio theft is down. OEM radios were never a major target, because the market for them is extremely limited. Now it's much more difficult to integrate an aftermarket radio into many newer cars, and the OEM stuff sounds much better than it used to. Plus performance is not nearly the focus it was even 10 years ago. Most people are more concerned with features.
Dont leave anything in the car. Some dummys do & they pay the price.
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