learn what to do when your vehicle gets stolen and what to expect from your insurance company

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Stolen Vehicles

A vehicle is stolen every 30 seconds in this country.
That's over 1 million vehicles taken from their owners each year ...

Your chances of having your vehicle stolen are really quite high. Your vehicle can be taken from you anywhere at any time. If a thief wants your vehicle, it's theirs, it's just that simple. Here we try and answer your questions concerning stolen vehicles and what you should do in the event your vehicle is taken.

Faq's

My vehicle was stolen what do I do ... ?

What does my insurance policy cover ... ?

What if my vehicle is found after the wait clause time limit ... ?

My vehicle was stolen what do I do now ... ?

It is one of the emptiest feelings in the world. "I know I parked my car right here, where did it go?" The first thing you need to do is stay calm. Ask anybody around you if they saw anything concerning your missing vehicle. Find a phone and call the police and report your vehicle stolen. Give the officer the color, make, model and year of your vehicle as well as the license plate number, VIN number and your location. The next thing to do is find yourself a ride home. From your home, call your insurance agent and give them the details of what happened. While you have them on the phone, ask them what your policy covers in this situation and how they are going to handle it.

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What does my insurance policy cover ... ?

No two policies are written the same and no two insurance companies have the same policies concerning theft of a vehicle. The best thing to do, of course, is to check with your insurance agent on what your policy covers.

Here are some general rules of thumb.

1) Most policies have a "wait" clause in them for stolen vehicles. Your vehicle must be missing for more than X days, before your policy kicks in and does anything for you.

2) Depending on what your policy covers in this situation, if you need a rental vehicle during this wait period. Your policy should cover you here but only if you have rental vehicle coverage in your auto insurance policy.

3) After these X days pass, your insurance agent will start the process of settling the claim for your stolen vehicle and out of pocket expenses. This is where they settle the out of pocket expenses you incurred, like the rental vehicle, taxi cabs, etc...

4) If the vehicle is found, it will either be repaired or written off, totaled. If the cost of the repair work is more than the vehicle is worth in present day value, the vehicle is totaled and written off. At this point, you and the title holder will be issued a settlement check. Most policies cover present day value only, which means it's possible the check they issue you for your vehicle, will not cover what you owe on it.

5) If your vehicle is declared missing forever, which means longer than the wait clause, your vehicle will be written off. You and the title holder will then be issued a check for the present day value of your vehicle.

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What if my vehicle is found after the wait clause time limit ..?

It really depends on your insurance policy and the coverage you paid for. If your vehicle is found the police will call you and let you know that they have found your vehicle. They will also tell you what kind of shape your vehicle is in and where you can go to see it. If you used that check to pay off the balance of your stolen vehicle then you do nothing, the deed is done. If you still have the settlement check and have not spent it, you can call your insurance agent and tell them that your vehicle has been found and that you want an adjuster to go to where your vehicle is and see if it is repairable. If the adjusters figures come back in favor of repairing the stolen vehicle and you want it repaired then you need to ask them to do so. You will be asked to return the check they issued you for your stolen vehicle claim.