Unfortunately, if your car isn't found within one week, the chances of recovering it intact is almost nil. Car thieves no longer tend to be young joyriders. Increasingly, they are involved in professional rings operating parts-stripping and reselling scams, usually global in scope. Chop shops can strip a stolen car in less than thirty minutes. The parts are then sold to repair and body shops, netting the thieves two to four times the price of the whole car.
Air bags are latest hot item for car thieves.
Ultimately, this scam causes higher auto insurance premium rates. A vehicle is stolen, stripped for parts, and the frame is abandoned. When it is eventually recovered by the police, the case is cleared, and the frame sold at an insurance or police auction. The thieves buy the frame, reattach the parts, and now have a vehicle that is not stolen. A car of similar make and model is stolen, and the VIN plate is switched.