New features on cars are deterring teenagers, but the professionals have their ways around alarm systems and steering wheel locks. The chances of getting a stolen car back in driveable condition are far lower now than they were 20 years ago. The cars are shipped, stripped, burned, or buried. If your car isn't recovered in a week, it's probably gone forever. The cars that never return are driven or shipped out of the country, stripped by chop shops, and sold piece by piece or retagged and resold to unsuspecting people.
Some owners even hide or destroy their own cars to collect the insurance money.
The insurance industry carries on numerous other activities designed to make you and your possessions more secure. A vehicle's make affects the probability of its being stolen. Security devices may reduce Auto insurance premiums, too. Carriers distinguish between active and passive alarm types. Engine-disabling systems, which cut off the gas supply or interfere with the engine's electronic controls.