GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Since the Toyota Corolla is one of the 10 most stolen cars in the country, do you feel the Vibe's components, being based on a Corolla, make our car more likely to be stolen or a target for theft?

quote:That is a tought one. It is very hard to say.... That's what I'm saying...cause from my understanding, Hondas and Toyotas are targeted for their parts, not because of their luxury or anything...and if we got Toyota parts, then I'm thinking...

I don't think it is...as of yet anyways. I hope it doesn't become a target. But unfortunately, there really isn't a whole lot you can do about it.

My neighbour had his 2000 Corolla stolen late one night from the front parking pad of his house last year. We share the same driveway. He now takes the time to park his new 2002 Corolla in the back with the Club and/or a boot on. I also make sure my Vibe is in the garage at night. The driveway we share is somewhat narrow so it is impossible to back it out except in a careful and slow manner.

Well, I've learned if they really want, the club won't keep them from getting it...I stopped using it...but I DO use the parking brake, because I heard that if you use the parking brake, it makes it harder for them to tow it away or anything...But yeah, I'm hoping it doesn't become a target, because I think I'm moving to Boston in the next few months, and I'd hate to have to worry about parking it in the city.

If it is stolen, it won't be that hard to find again since they're so few of them around. But then again I live in an area that doesn't have hardly any cars stolen and the law enforcment is very good here. Staying on top of the rash of 'cow tipping' and 'tp'ing' around homecoming time. The most typical type of cars around here are Pontiac Grand Am's and Prix's and German cars.

You're assuming thief has a brain and could figure out what the Vibe has for parts. Lots of people just see the pontiac and think its a pontiac. Thats fine by me.

quote:Lots of people just see the pontiac and think its a pontiac. Thats fine by me.Fine by me as well!

vibe is an easy target due to its celica backbone. parts are scarce for vibes right now so demand is high. aftermarket internal/external modifications scream steal my car.

Besides a lack of anti-theft features, most of the "Top Ten" targets are high volume vehicles whose major sheet metal parts, glass, air bags, etc. have been unchanged for several years, meaning a good market for these bits. I don't think chop shops care so much for mechanical components, so we should be relatively safe for a few years. (I Hope!)

Never looked at it like that....and plus, my windows are etched, so hopefully that will deter them all together...

quote:You're assuming thief has a brain and could figure out what the Vibe has for parts. Lots of people just see the pontiac and think its a pontiac. Thats fine by me.I was thinking the same thing as Sputnik. Coratz and MadBill make good points, too. Lots of flashy aftermarket parts make the car scream to be stolen. But being that the Vibe is only beginning its second production year, an established market for stolen parts hasn't developed much, I would think. Plus, the Vibe is largely made up of slightly modified Corolla and Celica parts, so taking the time to sort out what's what and what can be swapped directly into other cars is going to take some effort that the theives probably won't bother with until it gets to be more lucrative. Look how much effort we have to put forth to see if parts from other cars will fit on our Vibes. Do you think theives would go through this process unless it made them some easy money?

It may become an issue, but theft numbers are helped a lot since a ton of Corollas and Camrys are sold to begin with. i do agree that the sharing of parts may be an issue especially on the base model. The GT engine components fit closer to the Celica GTS and the same for the tranny.

There are some reasons to take these reports with a grain of salt.One thing about these theft reports is that they show are reporting all years and generations of a car that is stolen. So when they say the Camry is the most stolen car, they mean ALL Camry's since the Camry was introduced whay back in the 80's. I read and article on money.cnn.com (link below) that stated that 85% of all camry's that were ever built are still on the road. That is one of the reasons they are the most commonly stolen. The other is that because there are so many, their is a demand for parts. The Corrolla is the same way.http://info.insure.com/auto/thefts/thefts301.html

Good info Sgt Beavis, thanks for the tip-in. BTW, I LOVE your SN! I miss Beavis & Butthead.....I AM CORNHOLIO! I NEED TP FOR MY BUNGHOLE! GIVE ME ALL YOUR CRAPACHINO!

ragging fish, parking brake is no match for thievs. bukets of grease and dollies and a flatbed towtruck . scoops away and your vibe is a gonner. even if your wheels are cranked on an angle that dont even matter ona dolly!!. those magnet police bonded stictkers work great.

I didn't say it was foolproof...but it's a deterrent...the more work someone has to do to get the car, theoretically, the less likely they are to want it.

Kinda reminds me of the guy in coyote ugly who has a fake-looking boot he puts on his car, and says "you can't find parking anywhere in NY"

quote:I do not think much of a car being stolen where I am at, but it still can happen. I always lock my doors, even if I get out to push gas in and I am pumping. Just have to be safe I guess. Maybe this is why i try to avoid Detroit... My brother got a new Neon a few days after I got my Vibe. My insurance only went up a tiny bit, but his went up a few hundred bucks. The insurance company told him that it's becausee the Neon is the most commonly stolen car in Detroit. It really sucks for him too because he goes school in Detroit and has to go there every day. I think it is just because there are so many of them out there that whoever is stealing the parts knows they can make money off them.

See, that's weird. I would think the fewer of them there are, the more likely it is to get stripped for parts, because demand for parts would be low, thus the manufacturer wouldn't make many, if any, parts. *shrug* Once again, I am wrong! Hehe

i think its also depends what one has done to their vine as far as aftermarket upgrades go, stereo, exhaust, rims, etc....the base vibe with all factory base items doesnt look very attractive(my opinion). but when "souped uped" looks pretty damn sporty i think.